I recently looked at the MSDS for Cupronil and found that it is basically the same thing as Pripp’s flux with the TSP replaced by disodium phosphate. I sourced the disodium phosphate from ebay. I have yet to mix this up and try it, but IDK why it wouldn’t work. Many reviews say that Cupronil works somewhat better than Pripp’s. -royjohn
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royjohn - Cupronil works and so does Pripps. The difference is flat out cost. You can make Pripps and you can buy it, both are less expensive than Cupronil.
However, I have some different answers to the options to eliminate firescale. Use one of the firescale limiting alloys - Argentium, Sterillium and others.
OR - you can make firescale a feature of your design as did the great Danish silversmith Georg Jensen. I like the Jensen alternative best.
judy hoch
California is doing you a favor by getting you to come up with solutions to denatured alcohol. When you breathe it in, it ends up in your blood, then your liver has to detox it. There is at least one case that I know of that a jeweler who used this concoction (chronically), probably at their bench, developed sorosis of the liver.
Vera,
I’m a novice silversmith who started soldering only 3 years ago. Although it’s mostly a hobby at this point (an expensive hobby!), I LOVE it and strive to learn tips and tricks to advance my skills so I found the Pripps info very interesting. I just wanted to say thank you for putting that info out there for everyone to see.
Have a great day!
Tammy
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Do you mean using boric acid/alcohol to coat your metal to prevent fire scale? If that’s the case, I just use regular old CVS isopropyl rubbing alcohol above 90% ‘proof’. Mine is 91%. Works just fine. Plus it’s easy to get!
Just to throw this into the mix. Here’s an old Ganoskin article about fire scale by Charles Lewton Brain. One of the things that Charles mentions is using water and boric acid instead of alcohol and boric acid. I’ve done that before when I don’t have any alcohol around. It seems to work fine. You just have to heat it up to dry the water before soldering. Sometimes I use a heat gun for that instead of my torch.
Cheers!
Jeff
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