Hardening copper

[Bob Wannagot]

Here is the sample I just soldered (literally a few minutes back) with silver-soldering paste and a butane torch. I didn't clean just to show the results.

View attachment 399721

What Gauge are you using ? 19? for the steel wire

 

[Jimsky]

What Gauge are you using ? 19? for the steel wire

Hi, Bob. I use various sizes of steel wire. In the example in the previous post, I used #24 gauge, but working with any available sizes in mm. A good source of annealed wire you can find from Hillman brand. Generally, all steel wire can be soldered with silver hard wire and butane torch, except the stainless steel.

 

[Philski]

Brass soldering with a soldering iron could be a pain, but... it is all about the proper heat temperature for the given job, and the super-clean surface. Also, there shouldn't be any gaps between parts (even the smallest).

Yes, you can solder the steel (not stainless) with silver solder. Personally, I've done this in the past. The only caveat is to blacken the soldered spot. For blackening metal (steel) I use Perma black, for silver and brass I use Brass black. Perma black will not be blacking silver soldering spots.

With a little work, using steel/iron, add a copper patina....

 

[GuyH]

I learned about using solder paste, which comes in a syringe and has different melting temperatures. You can arrange the parts, apply tiny bits of solder, and use a heat gun to solder a bunch of things all at once. Yu can also use a soldering iron and it melts the solder paste quickly.
Guy

 

[Brad White]

I agree with the comments that work or stress hardening is the only practical treatment to harden most yellow-metals/alloys.
While not directly analogous to hardness, ductility and tensile strength of yellow brass is higher than that of copper.

Brass (depending on the alloy) has a tensile yield strength of between 18 and 45 ksi, with 53% elongation and a modulus of elasticity of 14,100 psi.
Hardness of brass (Brinell scale) is 55 at the low end.

Copper, obviously more ductile, has a tensile yield strength of between 4.8 ksi, with 60% elongation and a modulus of elasticity of 16,000 psi..
Hardness of copper (Brinell scale) is 35 at the low end.

(Yes, I had to dig out my Mark's Handbook to look these up.)

I've not compared them both in their annealed state, but the copper data is most commonly given for "soft copper". Soldered brass, in my experience, tends to be harder, more brittle, but not horribly so for these purposes, but is always harder than copper at least in a wire state similarly soldered or brazed. The zinc composition is about 33% for yellow brass, with the rest copper. The more zinc, the more brittle the alloy and the harder; the reverse is true, so I see brass at least ahead on that score but I would like to learn more and hear your thoughts.

 

[Bob Wannagot]

Hi, Bob. I use various sizes of steel wire. In the example in the previous post, I used #24 gauge, but working with any available sizes in mm. A good source of annealed wire you can find from Hillman brand. Generally, all steel wire can be soldered with silver hard wire and butane torch, except the stainless steel.

Thanks

 

[Don Case]

I bent the ring back and forth until I got it totally misshapen. Then I slid it over a center punch and tapped it back into shape. By the time I was finished it was quite stiff again. Thanks for the clues I tried to take a picture but it is just too small for my old camera and old hands to focus on.