I'm trying to find the best flux and solder for putting ribs back onto side-by-side shotgun barrels. Anyone out there know what works best?

Are the barrels soft soldered or silver soldered? If they are silver soldered then I would look at Force 44 with comet flux. If they are soft soldered, I would want something perhaps a little lower in temperature than Force 44 to help prevent the barrels from separating. You might want to check to see what temp this stuff flows at. http://www.herchem.com/specs/swif95.pdf

Don't envy you that job John. I did one set years ago with lead solder and won't attempt it again. As far as the force 44 solder that Brownells sells, it works pretty well but I don't like the flux they sell for it. It likes to turn black as soon as you hit it with some heat. Regular flux seems to work OK with it. I soldered a stainless steel quarter rib on with force 44 and regular flux and it worked fine.

Soldering barrels together is not really like soldering sights on or any other soldering job I've done in gunsmithing. I've repaired loose ribs on several double grubs, but I'm tired of all the time pent cleaning up. I use techniques and tools I got from the ACGG's tape of Bill Nitler showing how he did it, but I have two areas I'm looking for help with:

First, I'm having trouble with building a long double torch which can heat the barrels from inside. I first made one up using Oxy-Acetelene, but it pops and sputters badly and just won't stay lit. I made one up using just Acetelene, but the flames go out as soon as I put it down the barrels, so I'm looking for help with a torch. It has to have two heads and about 30-inches long.

The other problem is the flux and solder. Nitler used a paste tinning flux and almost no added wire solder. He mentions in the film that the product he uses has 5-percent silver and is neutralized by heat so clean up is easy. I cat find anything like that. The 5-percent silver tinning flux I found leaves a sticky residue that neither acetone nor soap and water will clean up.

If you want to heat barrels evenly from the inside why not use cartridge heaters used in the mold industry. These are electric and can be thermostaicly controled. Just a thought but it might work well.

I am not sure about a 30 inch torch tip but look up turbo tips. The air is pulled in by the handle so it may work down a tube. Plumbers use them. They roar when working correctly and have a short flame.

quote:

Originally posted by srose:
If you want to heat barrels evenly from the inside why not use cartridge heaters used in the mold industry. These are electric and can be thermostacly controled. Just a thought but it might work well.

I'd suggest this as well, The heaters are relatively cheap:

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc...ef=CIR_34&Nav=head01

(just a website that I pulled up, no affiliation and there are a few different manufacturers out there)

For temperature control I'd be tempted to use one of the cheap laser pyrometers and just an on-off switch. Or just rub it with solder and turn it off when it starts melting!

If you have a scrap refrigerator waiting to go to the junkyard, you might want to try removing the defrost heater out of it and see if that might work.

You sure have my respect! I soldered one pair of barrels and it was back when I was welding and brazing on a daily basis. I bought a double barrel that had become unsoldered and by the time I was finished to where it looked nice I should have gotten a job mowing lawns and bought a new gun instead.

I have been thinking of this too for quite a while.
Watlow makes all sizes and temperatures. Would be great for soldering monoblocks for double rifle builds or shotgun sleeving.

http://www.watlow.com/products...-heaters.cfm?famid=7

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but he gives some good tips in the video while describing the process. Like I said, might help, might not. Here is the link from Brownells:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...s-Soldering-Barrels-

I like the bayonet/cartridge heater idea. That a basic dial controller and some tempilaq should work.

Jeremy

LMAO! Great video! The "Master Gunsmith" says, "Its a pain-in-tha-ass job, and I don't mess with it." He says: "..send it out to a specialist". Probably good advice, but I've got this moral weakness which prevents me from taking most advice. I can relay barrels; I'm just trying to find a better way. Thanks for the replies.

I have used heating rods to relay ribs before, In my opinion the idea is great, but in reality it does not work that well. If the rods work off of 110v it will take about 3+ hours to get the barrels up to temp. I would recommend using 220v as a power source, 480v if possible. The other issue is that you have to keep the rods centered in the barrels. This is not a big deal but something to consider. Its also an issue to flip the barrels over to solder the under rib. Not saying it wont work just that these are a few things to consider. I no longer use heating rods, way too much hassle. I have also given up on oxy-acetylene, for reasons mentioned previously in this thread.
I purchased a large Goss torch and have never looked back. I use either a BP-4 or a BP-5 tip. One for shotgun barrels and one for rifle barrels. They produce a large "soft" flame that works great. I don't have any issues with burning the flux or overheating the barrels.

I'm not intereested in cartridge heaters; intuitively I foresee teh issues you experiencced. Of the equipment I have here my hand-held map gas torch works the best. Is the Goss torch acetelene only?

No, the Goss torch I run is propane. Although they do make acetylene torches as well. The smaller BP-4 tip produces 43k BTU's the larger BP-5 tip produces 57k BTU's. What I like about this set up is that the heat is not concentrated in a small area. I have had very good results with MAPP gas and a turbo torch. The only issue I had was that the heat was very concentrated. You had to be on top of your game or you would overheat an area very fast.
I am going to stop using propane and tie my torch into the natural gas line that feeds the heater over my bench. Not because it will work better, just that I hate having to drive to town to fill propane bottles.
Here is a link to Goss torches. www.gossonline.com/
I use an AP-1 torch body with either of the two tips I mentioned.

something like this

Yup, Thats pretty close. Sorry, but this is the only picture I have handy that even remotely shows the torch. If you squint just right it comes into focus...

Same manufacturer, just mine has quick change tips. These snap off just like an air hose quick coupler.

I use it with a little 4 1/4# propane bottle that's pretty handy. Don't store it in my shop though.

quote:

Originally posted by gunmaker:
Same manufacturer, just mine has quick change tips. These snap off just like an air hose quick coupler.

I like the idea of quick change tips. I believe this would be what I would buy if I were purchasing a new torch body.Thanks for sharing this, I was not aware they offered anything like that.