After looking for the answer on your site (and elsewhere) a have a
question for you. I’m trying to solder two pure palladium wires side
by side and am using plumb palladium solder 1100 with a propane
torch.
It seems that in theory I should be able to melt the solder with
propane, but in practice I cannot seem to do it. I’m slightly moving
the flame back an forth with the tip of the dark blue cone 1/4" off
of the solder and it still doesn’t seem to work.
I’m using a large (with the additional tube on the end), vented
torch tip. If there is no solution using propane, can I use Mapp gas
with palladium?
After looking for the answer on your site (and elsewhere) a have a
question for you. I'm trying to solder two pure palladium wires
side by side and am using plumb palladium solder 1100 with a
propane torch.
It seems that in theory I should be able to melt the solder with
propane, but in practice I cannot seem to do it. I'm slightly
moving the flame back an forth with the tip of the dark blue cone
1/4" off of the solder and it still doesn't seem to work.
Gregory, if you’re using a propane / air torch, you’ll find it
difficult to do. remember that the 1100 temperature rating of the
solder is centegrade, not Farenheit. 1100 is a pretty bright
yellow/orange color. Mapp or acetylene might be able to do it, but
normally, you need a torch using oxygen, not ambient air.
Now, if your propane torch IS an oxy/gas torch, you shouldn’t have
trouble melting the solder. Use a neutral to very slightly reducing
flame, and no flux.
Palladium, like platinum, doesn’t transmit heat strongly. So you
don’t need to worry about heating the whole thing to the degree you
would with silver. Accordingly, you might find it easier with a torch
tip that is mostly a single orifice, or a main orifice with small
preheats around it (some tips look like a hex shaped piece is wedged
in a round hole, giving the large center orifice, and six thin wedge
shaped orifices around it. That’s fine.)
I’ve been successfully working with palladium for a few years now,
but got a nasty surprise when a pair of wedding rings I’d made were
returned with discoloured solder joints. The joints, which were
initially invisible, turned a noticeable grey after being worn
whilst swimming in a normally chlorinated pool.
My (UK) supplier told me that it is “common knowledge” that
palladium solder is mostly silver, and will be discoloured by
swimming pools or sea water.
Now I didn’t know this and I’ve now got to rectify the problem. If
you knew this already then fine, but if you didn’t, then beware.