I may start a separate thread about fluxing, so please hold your soldering tutorials for now... After trying this weekend yet again to solder steel on steel and watching instead the manufacturing process for forming shot, I gave up and went with JB Weld. I know different people use other methods and I just wanted to get a feel for how common this is. If you have amplifying comments for things you might mix and match, please share. (i.e. "I use Loctite for barrel band sights, but solder them if they sit on top and aren't screwed on ...")

Thanks.

Question:
What do you use to attach miscellaneous metal parts?

Choices:
Solder
Epoxy
LocTite xxx
Other

 

the new mauser rifles use epoxy to hold the sights on... my .505 gibbs has the front sight epoxied on...

I responded 'other' because I use them all and even more methods besides, depending.
Regards, Joe

I lot has to do with the use. Not all of them are suited for every purpose. I have used them all also

All the above and tig welding too.
JB weld is for bubba though. There are much better epoxies on the market

I've had my best luck soldering steel to steel W/60/40 acid core solder

If you are using 60/40 lead/tin solder, it will be dissolved by bluing salts. Use 95 tin/5 silver; melts at lower temperature and is not affected by bluing salts. For the original poster; if you are having trouble soldering, you are maybe heating it too much. Overheating will oxidize the surface and burn your flux; hence the solder is balling up and falling off. Try a piece like this; clean your steel, put the flux and a piece of flat solder between the parts. Heat them up and watch the solder melt (clamp too). It will stick then.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
If you are using 60/40 lead/tin solder, it will be dissolved by bluing salts.

Works just fine W/rust bluing or browning as used in muzzleloaders.

Solder, braze. weld ,Loctite ,epoxy.
There are some knife makers that have done serious tests of epoxy .Brownells and JB weld are some of the better ones. Never use those 5 or 10 minute epoxys.
There are some commercial epoxys that are very strong but I can't give you any details .
Surface preparation is important !!