How To Make Silver Solder

Solders are divided into hard ( the highest melting temperature), medium and easy,( the lowest melting temperature.

The hard solders also contain the most of the precious metal, and therefore match the color of the parent metal more closely.

The easy solders contain the least so they tend to deviate quite allot from the parent metal color.

This solder I use as a general solder for soldering brass and copper where the color match is not very important.

I start with the proportions as shown in the picture. The zinc is bent so I can pick it up easier.

I first heat up the mold ingot so that there is no moisture residue left from the gas flame.

And soot the ingot up so that the cast bar will not adhere to the ingot.

Once the silver is melted, I add the copper.

This causes the silver melting temperature to be lowered, which is what I want because I want to add the zinc last.

Zinc has a very low melting point.

I mix the silver and copper very well using a carbon stirring rod.

Here I am letting the solution cool down to just before it becomes a solid.

In other words, I want to add the zinc at the lowest possible temperature.

If the zinc is added at a too a high temperature, it will combust and start burning.

This then causes the alloy to be incorrect, because the zinc has burnt away.

I add the first piece of zinc and then stir thoroughly.

Then I add the next piece and stir again,

The melting point of the solution is lowered every time zinc is added.

By the third and last piece of zinc, and after stirring thoroughly, the solution is ready to be poured into the ingot.

Pouring into the ingot.

Here I show how to make this Adjustable Ingolt Mold.

This bar will now be rolled into wire or plate, depending on what is needed.