Any tips on learning to solder? I'd like to be able to repair lyre holders and water keys on brass instruments. Is silver soldering very different? Is there a good way to know when it is silver or not?
Re: One more pls
Posted by Repair guy on 11/20/2023, 10:12 pm, in reply to "One more pls"
I did some summer work in a repair shop. I can tell you, soldering is harder than it looks.
The general concept is that solder (which is mostly lead) melts at a lower temperature than the brass that your instruments are made of. Melt it down, let if flow between the parts, and when it cools, it acts like glue that holds the parts together. The hard part is getting it clean so it doesn't look like a big sloppy mess. You can do this kind of work with a handheld butane torch ($20 at Home Depot).
Nearly everything you do on an instrument is "soft solder." That's what holds together various tubing on instruments, attaches lyre holders, etc. Silver soldering mostly comes into play when you are repairing broken keys for woodwind instruments, for example. That requires a serious torch (like an acetelyne welding torch) with enough power to get the parts red-hot and melt the silver solder. I would not do this in your office, this requires space and ventilation to do safely.
Most of the tutorials you can find online are about electronics soldering, this is entirely different.
The best way to learn is to work in a shop for a while. See if your local shop wants some help in the summer. In any case, do a lot of practice on junk horns before you start working on anything important.
Re: One more pls
Posted by Suggestion on 11/20/2023, 7:50 pm, in reply to "One more pls"
Take an instrument repair class over the summer.
Re: One more pls
Posted by Bill on 11/20/2023, 5:58 pm, in reply to "One more pls"
Silver soldering requires a great deal of heat to melt the solder which will lead to burnt lacquer or worse. Soft solder is sufficient for water keys, lyre holders, tubing joints, and the like. You of course need flux and be careful with it because the solder will run to the flux. Use the flame of the torch to draw the solder under the item you are attaching.