What's new
What's new

Need help finding silver solder

Shaybuilder

Cast Iron
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Location
Nevada
I am looking for some 1/32 diameter 45% silver solder with cadmium in it. The last 5 troy ounces I bought at the local welding supplier several years ago but he evidently can't get it any more. Called McMaster-Carr and they don't have it. Can't find it on E-bay either, any one know of a supplier? It has to have the cadmium.
 
Rio Grande Jewelry Supply likely will have it or something close without Cd. 56% non-Cd flows nicely. It’s BAg-7.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, I'm not sure why you must have the cadmium, but if you're willing to experiment with non-cadmium alternatives, I second the suggestion for BAg-7.

If you're bonding carbide, the braze alloys with about 50% silver and 2% or 5% nickle (can't recall the standard designations offhand) are pretty effective.
 
What is the benefit to having cadmium in it does it flow better.
I know cadmium can cause health problems, and I have enough of them already, just trying to figure out why anyone would want it.
 
I think McMcaster-Carr 7676A7 is basically what you want; 45% silver, with cadmium but 3/64" vs 1/32".
 
I've got 23 oz .030 wire silver solder for sale. Its Aufhauser silvalloy 50N. (Cd-50Ni3). this is the nickel containing solder for brazing carbide. I sent you a PM, let me know if you are interested.
 
I've used CAD containing solder on cast iron with so-so results. I am about to try CAD free nickel bearing silver solder (Safety Silv 50N) - it is sold to solder carbide to steel. Supposedly the nickel makes a big difference.
I chased down one vendor that had the nickel-manganese silver solder like Johnson Matteys advocated for cast iron, they wanted about 250/ounce - and it was in stock so they could ship right away...:nutter:
 
Thanks for the information. I called several of the suppliers listed but none had what I wanted. One of the welding suppliers I contacted several days ago finally got back to me today and said that they found what I was looking for back East. They asked if I was in a big hurry for it or if I could wait a month or two, seems the place they found had like a $1,000. minimum order, I said I could wait.
 
Rio Grande has 20-gauge (0.032) wire in four flavors of increasing melting temps, all Cd-free. I find the BAg-7 56% silver, which Rio Grande calls Extra Easy, is very close in behavior to EasyFlo 45 with Cd. Rio Grande also sells 22-gauge wire, solder chips, and hard solder paste. The latter is a mixture of metal powder and flux. I have learned to like it for small precision close-fitting assemblies. You can make very neat joints in which you can hardly tell the solder is there. And yes, I know it is technically brazing.
 
Cadmiuim lowers the melting point by around 100F.....this means that you can braze the sights on old military rifles without ruining the steel.......If Cd can be done without,the simplest place to find silver solder is your old coin collection....all the worn silver is only bullion anyway,so use it.....with early silver(sterling) ,99.6%,mix it with some cartridge brass about 50 /50 for a 45% Ag mix. ..Later 50%Ag coins ,can be used as is......Electric contact points from switchgear are also a source of silver. Again with cartridge brass for a 45% mix.
 
I just got in from testing the 50N on cast iron. I think it actually does a little better than the Cadmium bearing solder.
 








 
Back
Top