I am in the design phase of building an rc tube frame/chassis monster truck. I will use brass 1/4 tubing and I was wondering what solder I should use to join the tubes. I was considering brazing but I don’t have the tools for it. What type of solder is strongest/bonds the best? thanx for ur input.
you can use pluming solder, unless thats wat brazen is 
just googled it that is the stuff u use for brazing
thought so, hmmmm well if ur using brass piping that is the best stuff, the other solder just isn’t hot enough, i had that problem wen i was building a sheet meatla scoop for my rover, its would cool down too quick and the solder would just fall off, then i went ou and got some plumbers solder with a propane torch, and it worked b-e-autifully 8)
I heard about some guys using silver solder with 80-120 watt irons… feesable? means a new iron… probably cheaper to by a propane torch. but I wont be using brass tubing with fittings, all I am doing is fishmouthing the tube with a dremel, popping it on the adjoining to be tube and running a bead on it.
o00o, ok
well you can get a gas cylnder for…this many bucks holds up 3 fingers
and you can get the whole plumbers solder kit with a gas cylinder, a nozzle, lead free solder, flux, and a 4 inch flux brush for this many
holds up 10 fingers and 10 toes
but im sure you can buy the tank with a nozzle for around 5-6 maybe 10 at most 
I like ur Idea but it sounds to me like u cant get vry good control with it, almost like I would have to hold it witha vise, then pick up the gas cylinder and blast it with the solder and everything
well, it does take some practice, but once you get used to it, it works very well and you get to play with fire
well i will talk to my dad who is the official manager of all my weird and wacky projects
BTW did that lego mindstorms thing work out? I sent it this moring.
i didn’t get it, hang on lemme check…nope, i didn’t get it, wait, howd u send it? through e mail?
nvm i got it, thanks so much
ur welcome I just hope it works I know it makes programming a lot easier.
K finally got my lazy bum around to google and the library and I have discovered that silver solder is the strongest u can get without going full blown welding. this discussion is officially OVER lol escept maybe for the side topic me and chunga got goin on.
Silver solder will work.
All you will need is a hot iron with a beefy tip. The challenge will be the heat transfer of the soldering iron’s tip to the work area.
With weaker soldering irons, there may be a problem of the solder solidifying when touched to the contact areas. This happens when the metal acts as a heat sink. hot irons with a beefy tip will allow the solder to stay at a melting point long enough for the solder to flow properly.
A thick chisel type of soldering tip should be used, and an iron capable of more than 600deg F. (700-800deg). 600deg will melt the solder but that’s as far as it will go. Forget trying to get any kind of a nice smooth bond.
Silver solder is considered a high temp solder. SN96 is an alloy we use at work which is a tin/silver mix. I forget the ratio of tin silver I believe its 96.5% tin / 3.5% silver.
I’ve seen HVAC guys solder copper freon piping using silver solder using a mapp gas torch.
The “SN96” solder that Mike mentions is used in lead-free electronics assembly, but when most folks say “silver solder”, they mean the stuff used in jewelry-making - it is mostly silver, rather than mostly tin. It requires a torch, because the melting point is something like 1200 degrees, as I recall. It is available in ‘hard’, ‘medium’, and ‘soft’ grades, which have different melting points.
I have some silver solder that comes in a paste form - it is silver dust mixed with a flux and other stuff. It’s fairly easy to use, but expensive.
Pete
To be honest, I’m not sure what the alloy of silver solder is. I’m not sure if it is pure silver or not.
SN96 is not only used for lead free electronics, our application is for high performance electronics that require hi durability in harsh conditions. The electronic assemblies are used in down-hole oil wells and must withstand hi heat, vibration (several Gs), and pressure. We also use HMP (High Melting Point) solders. This alloy has a high amount of lead and is a challenge to work with since it does not flow as nice as the other solders and requires 800deg. soldering temps.
how about this,
[budk.com/product.asp?pn=MT150](http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=MT150)
this will make make a better joint,u might want the full size torch if ur tubing is over a 1/2". i never done brass ,only copper
Use the large diameter silver solder on brass tubing as well the correct flux. A 120watt iron will allow you to tac the tubing together but you will need a torch to melt the solder. I suggest the cheap propane torches you can get just about anywhere. Iv built several frames chassis before this way. The trick is to securing the tubing correctly when soldering.
Have you thought of just using an arc welder, seeing as how it’s just copper?
They’re really simple to use (hey, my mechanic brother can do it 
), once you learn how to see through the mask.
And, if you check around, I’m sure that one of your buddies will have one, as they’re a fairly common consumer tool.