Can anyone recommend a suitable solder for copper? Preferably one
that can match the colour.
Paul Anderson
There is solder used in assembling bronze casting. It is 10% silver
and the rest is copper with some zinc. I do not have a source for it,
but if you have bronze foundry close to you, they can point you in
the
right direction.
Leonid Surpin
www.studioarete.com
Google Silfoss a high copper content solder. It is somewhat pink.
You will still have to plate the joint if you really want it copper
color. Bill
Bill, Deborah & Michele
Reactive Metals Studio, Inc
928-634-3434, 800-876-3434, 928-634-6734fx
One suggestion, check out a larger welding supplier.
Do NOT ask for solder to solder Copper… What is called Soldering in
the Jewelry industry is called Brazing almost in every other
industry. You will need to ask the counter person about “Copper
Brazing rods”
Kay
Google Silfoss a high copper content solder. It is somewhat pink. You will still have to plate the joint if you really want it copper color.
Silfos is a phosphous bearing copper brazing rod, usually 15%
silver. It looks a light copper color unused but turns a gray color
when used, and a dark gray as it weathers. Just look at most any
joint in the copper piping on an A/C or Refrigeration system, that’s
the most common usage. It’s great stuff, it will even fill a gap
successfully, holds pressures of several hundreds of pounds, needs
no flux copper to copper, and is quite durable. It needs flux copper
to brass and does not work well steel to copper ( the different
rates of expansion and contraction). 45% silver solder is used for
copper to steel.
But it is not used for color matching copper. Some of the silver
solders have a yellow cast to them after brazing (especially high
cadmium containing) and silfos can be pinkish if used with flux but
none are a good color match for copper and will certainly tarnish
differently.
Dan Wellman