I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. Solder
wire worked fine on a test piece with a blow torch. My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? My instinct is
leadfree - tin with some silver and possible copper - something like
Sn96/Ag4.

TVMIA

CS wrote:
I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. Solder
wire worked fine on a test piece with a blow torch. My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? My instinct is
leadfree - tin with some silver and possible copper - something like
Sn96/Ag4.

Unless you need to use lead free solder, I would use traditional
lead-tin solder. The general consensus seems to be that lead free solder
is less satisfactory and more difficult to work with.

Best wishes,

Chris

Christopher Tidy wrote:
CS wrote:

I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. (...)

Unless you need to use lead free solder, I would use traditional
lead-tin solder. The general consensus seems to be that lead free solder
is less satisfactory and more difficult to work with.

What Chris said. Leaded is better.
Plus, if you are generous with CLEANING and FLUX and heat before applying solder, you will
be rewarded with a nice, shiny finish.

Remember to wash your hands after working with any leaded metal. Please keep your face
out of the smoke.

--Winston

I, too would go with the lead/tin solder.
You will be using an appropriate flux, I assume.
You wil also be "shining" the parts up just before fluzing so the flux
won't have so much work to do, right?

You didn't say how big your sample was or how big your torch was. Just
remember that a small sample won't take nearly as much heat as your part
may take. Also, if you are using "electronic" solder, it may be a lower
melting point alloy than what you get when buying a "solder bar". The
solder bar ( maybe 95/5) could well melt at a couple hundred degrees
higher than 63/37.
If you've got enough "solder wire", just go with that.


Pete Stanaitis


CS wrote:

I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. Solder
wire worked fine on a test piece with a blow torch. My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? My instinct is
leadfree - tin with some silver and possible copper - something like
Sn96/Ag4.

TVMIA

"CS" wrote: (clip) My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I believe lead is used on top of storage batteries because it resists
corrosion by the sulfuric acid fumes. Using solder, I would worry that the
acid would leach out the tin, and leave you with a porous layer which would
then allow the acid to attack the copper. I would try tinning with solder,
and then cover that with lead. I'm pretty sure you could get the lead to
wet the solder easier than trying to get it to wet the copper. (Have never
tried it, though.)

On Mar 10, 12:49 pm, CS wrote:
I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. Solder
wire worked fine on a test piece with a blow torch. My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? My instinct is
leadfree - tin with some silver and possible copper - something like
Sn96/Ag4.

TVMIA

Hi.
You have gotten some good suggestions from the group. All seem to
assume you are going to put the bars back on the batteries, but you
never stated that, or what you were going to do with the bars.

Since the cells are 2 volt, we can assume they are lead-sulfuric acid.
Other chemistry will give different voltages.

If you are replacing the bars on the cells, spray them with clear
polyurethane for protection. Even if you tin them or plate them, still
protect them with something. All plating/tinning will have some
porosity an allow the acid vapor to begin electrolysis of the plating
and the copper. This is why your chrome trim on vehicles needs wax to
seal it. Polyurethane will completely seal the surface and will not
detract from the color of the plating.

Give us some more information!

best regards, Paul

. �I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. �

Several have addressed the type of plating.

My suggestion involves the heating. If Mama will allow preheat them in
the oven. Perhaps this will be hot enough for all the heating they
need. If not get a hotplate for the final heating before simply wiping/
tinning the bars with the solder of your choice.

Not sure what the number of the bars is but a larger solder pot would
allow the tinning to be done by immersion.

As another said watch out for the fumes.

Bob AZ

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:56:12 -0700 (PDT), Bob AZ wrote:

. �I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. �

Several have addressed the type of plating.

My suggestion involves the heating. If Mama will allow preheat them in
the oven. Perhaps this will be hot enough for all the heating they
need.

Eutectic solder melts at 361 F. The oven will do fine.

I retinned all the mates copper pots a few years back using bar tin and flux
but Johnson's E-127 is a lot easier.

I have tinned all the bare copper busses going to the T fuse blocks on Rutu.
Used Johnson's E-127 Flux N Solder paste. Pure tin powder in a flux.
Scrubbed the copper clean, dipped it in some fresh degreaser and handled it
with cotton gloves. Spread the E-127 on all surfaces and laid it on an
asbestos shingle. Gradually heated it with a propane torch until the tin
melted and brushed it lightly with some bronze wool. Came out looking
better than a professionally tinned buss bar.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"CS" wrote in message
...
I have some lengths of cooper bar - 1 inc x 1/2 inch x 5 inch - used
as interconnectors on 2v battery cells. I wish to tin them and can
either cart them off to an electroplater or tin with solder. Solder
wire worked fine on a test piece with a blow torch. My question is
which solder bar to go for - lead free or leaded?? My instinct is
leadfree - tin with some silver and possible copper - something like
Sn96/Ag4.

TVMIA

I have tinned all the bare copper busses going to the T fuse blocks on Rutu.
Used Johnson's E-127 Flux N Solder paste. *Pure tin powder in a flux.

Great tip - I'll use 100% tin solder paint and pop them in the oven at
250C. Much easier than faffing about with a blow torch and solder
stick.