Can a Silver Solder Be Run Over a Soft Solder?
Silver solder can itself be a soft solder. Solder cannot be run onto cold metal to perform a bond. To make a combination solder joint, use solders appropriate for the joint and use proper soldering procedures.
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Silver Solder
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"Silver solder" cannot be specifically defined. Solder can contain between .03 and 40 percent silver but the other metals in the alloy define the application of the solder.
Soft Solder
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"Soft solder" cannot be specifically defined. Various crafts have different meanings for solders that melt around 400 to 470 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Misconception
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There is no specific process called "silver soldering." Bonding with a filler metal containing any amount of silver--even 80 percent--that melts at over 840 degrees Fahrenheit is brazing and not silver soldering.
Proper Soldering and Brazing
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In both crafts, the metal is heated to the melting point of the solder or brazing rod then touched to the heated metal to melt it. If the metal is not hot enough to melt the filler, it will not adhere.
Complex Joints
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Make the first joint with solder or brazing rod that melts at a high temperature. For the second joint, use a filler that melts at a lower temperature than the first, or else it will melt and fall apart.
Proper Definitions
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The American Welding Society defines soldering as bonding with a filler metal at below 840 degrees Fahrenheit and brazing at over 840 degrees, regardless of the silver content of the filler.
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