soldering stainless guard to stainless blade

[DND]

Does anyone know how to do this? I use 305 ss guard material on 440c ss blade material. My problem is I can't get the solder to flow into the joint. I have tried STAY BRIGHT solder, soft silver solder, hard silver solder, lead solder, pluming solder, liquid flux, STAY CLEAN flux, and paste flux. I have cleaned the material with soap and water, alcohol, acetone, muriatic acid and various other cleaners. I have tried heating quickly, heating slowly, high temp, low temp, propane, butane, oxy/propane. What usually happens is a black gunky stuff forms around the joint upon heating and interferes with solder flow. This seems to happen when I over heat it. If I keep the heat lower and DON?T get the black gunk, the solder still will not flow into the joint. I have had limited success by ?tinning? the parts separately prior to soldering. This too is very difficult. I have to pour a mixture of flux and muriatic acid onto the metal in a pool, then heat, melt the solder and spread it around with a brass rod. After tinning and assembling the guard/blade the solder will flow into the joint but not well. The joint also is quite weak. If anyone can help me with this I would be most grateful!! Thanks.

[TJ Smith]

I have soldered stainless guards to 1084 blades using stay brite.
I paint all surfaces with flux prior to heating. Then assemble.
I keep a wax paper cup (5 ounce) upside down close by with a good sized drop of flux on it.
I have a small hair type paint brush in one hand and be ready to brush fux on the joint. i also use a pointed rod to spread the flux along the joint.
Hope this helps
TJ

[beebee58]

I don't know if this will help or not, but I have seen and read this page on silver soldering that may answere some (maybe not) questions.

http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~chrish/t-solder.htm

[Duncan]

I can say from experience that you'd be much better off chucking that 305SS guard and replacing it with either 416SS or NS one. The 300 series SS do not solder very easy at all. I have done it before but it sure wasn't easy and the other two choices are much easier to solder. Just my two cents worth!! Ron

[Gary Mulkey]

Ron is right on about the 300 series being difficult to solder. 416 or at least 410 will work much easier. You will still need an aggressive flux. I have good luck with Brownell's Comet Flux. Hope this helps.

Gary

[Raymond Johnson]

I am amazed that you did this much work. I don't have much to offer you in the way of advice, but I am impressed. I gave up much sooner than you. Try a bonded fit with epoxy. You have to have tight tolerances to make a bonded fit look good.

Raymond C Johnson

[Tom Militano]

I use atomized stainless steel mixed with J B Weld for my joints. It will look dark when you use it, but after it sets up it will turn silver when it's polished. I think it's stronger than a soldered joint and you don't have to worry about flux leaking out later and screwing up your blade. You can get the atomized stainless from Brownell's. I also make the back side of the guard a little oversize and force some J B Weld in there too. I've never had one fail using this method.

[Gary Biggers]

Tom,
What is "atomized stainless steel" and where do you get it?

Thanks.


Gary Biggers

[Gary Mulkey]

Gary,

Atomized is simply powdered and I got mine from Brownell's.

Gary

[Gary Biggers]

Gary,
Thanks I will check into the atomized steel at Brownell's.

Gary Biggers