How to Solder Sheet Tin
Soldering is the process of joining pieces of metal together using heat to melt and flow a filler metal into the joint. The filler metal, or solder, has a lower melting point than the metals to be joined. When heat is applied to sheet of a metal, oxidation particles appear. These mar the clean surface of the metal and make it difficult to accept solder. For this reason, a protective coating is applied to the metals to be joined before heat is applied. The material used for this coating is called flux. Flux can made from be a variety of things, including solder paste, vaseline, and heavy oil. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2 clean tin sheets
- Soldering paste
- Soft solder - a lead/tin solder fusible at temperatures below 700 degrees Fahrenheit
- Electric soldering iron
- Work table
- Damp sponge
Instructions
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1
Turn on the soldering iron and allow it to heat up.
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2
Apply soldering paste to the edges of the two tin sheets that are to be joined.
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3
Tin the surface of the hot soldering iron. This is done by coating the tip with solder. The soldering iron must be hot enough so that solder liquefies immediately when you touch it to the tip.
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4
Place the tin sheets on the work table so that their edges are touching snugly.
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5
Pass the hot tip of the soldering iron, coated with solder, slowly along the joint. As the edges of the tin receive enough heat, the solder leaves the tip and adheres to the tin sheets, firmly joining them.
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6
Check that your sponge is still damp, and then dip the tip of the soldering iron into it. This cleans the tip for the next use. Clean all sides of the tip. Do this while the soldering iron is still hot; if you wait until it cools down, it's difficult to clean off the oxidation debris that has collected on it.
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Tips & Warnings
Always work in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing fumes. Prolonged exposure to solder may cause health problems.
Don't snap the electric soldering iron down to flick the solder off. A small drop of solder may splatter and stick to your skin, causing a painful blister.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit soldering woodburning kit image by Steve Johnson from Fotolia.com
