Copper to stainless?

[beefbandit]

Hey all.

was just wondering if anyone here has soldered/brazed copper to stainless steel, if so what kind of solder/rods would you use.

I have found some lead free low melt solder online that is for food purposes no lead or cadmium. It says that it is alright for dissimilar metals, but doesn't say what metals it will do.

I have a oxy/acet plant with various heads and hand pieces for it. Any opinions and or brands i should look for would be awsome.

Cheers MK

[jarheadshiner]

I used Harris Stay Brite #8 and Harris Stay Clean flux and it works great.

[FreeMountainHermit]

I used Harris Stay Brite #8 and Harris Stay Clean flux and it works great.

This is the $$$$ stuff. http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/P ... lv-56.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow but jarhead is correct as well.

FMH

[beefbandit]

I used Harris Stay Brite #8 and Harris Stay Clean flux and it works great.

Awsome thanks heaps, by the looks of it, its not something thats sold frequently in NZ, the stuff im looking at is the same make up tin and silver, but for the life of me i cant find the % details (eutectic 157).

found them for the harris stay bright so going to try find something with the same physical and chemical properties.

[jarheadshiner]

I used Harris Stay Brite #8 and Harris Stay Clean flux and it works great.

This is the $$$$ stuff. http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/en/P ... lv-56.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow but jarhead is correct as well.

FMH

Yeah it's a little pricey FMH but man it works good! Drilled a hole in the top of a keg and slid a 2" piece of copper pipe through it for a thumper. Soldered right up. First time I had ever done copper to stainless.
I think a lot of folks use the solder you linked too though. I think the stay clean flux is the main thing IMHO.

[Brendan]

Hey beefbandit, brazing of the two will involve some not so cheap equipment. If you want an easier alternative, depending on the strength required, you can soft solder copper to stainless...the trick is the right flux and very light heat.

In Australia, we've had a lot of success using Ezi-Weld 801, and a standard propane torch (the standard low flame torch that comes with it, not the big ones made for MAPP as well).

By using the right kind of flux, and applying a very low and gentle heat to the copper (avoiding the flux and the SS), it will take the standard lead free solder for a good join (Bernzomatic stuff works well).

If you need more info on this, I can point you in the right direction.

[beefbandit]

sweet, my next question is i have two chrome plated sink wastes that will do nicely in my column and keg. im guessing i cant soft solder stainless to chrome plated brass?

would it be alright to solder to brass after stripping the chrome away?

[pounsfos]

dont put chrome in your still

use stainless steel or copper only

[Brendan]

dont put chrome in your still

use stainless steel or copper only

Yeah that.

You don't want chrome or brass in the vapour path. You will find this widely documented here.

[beefbandit]

sweet, will find my nearest steel and tube. see what i can find.

[Chroi]

i also used the stay silv 56 but rods vs paste. worked like a charm. believe it or not stainless/stainless is easier than copper/copper to braze since copper is such a better conductor.

[beefbandit]

update on this one, i got the solder and flux $30. soldered her together it wasnt flash by any means but worked. Then was talking to a local engineer who told me he cold have tigd the two ss furrled ends to my ss column and silver soldered the copper bits together for me for the same price. so i unsoldered the ss bits cleaned them up an got him to tig them for me cost was a $15. what an awsome job he did. im still going to do my own copper but when it comes to ss im going to get them tigd from now on.