Silver solder, best brand/alloy for carbide to steel?

moonlight machine · Mar 5, 2020

Once in a while I make the odd bit of tooling. I have been using the same coil of .030 diameter silver solder for about 30 years and am now down to about 10" left. So now I want to buy more and find its a lot more complicated than when I went to the welding supply store and got what they had. Seems like there is about 200 different kinds now and I don't see any .030 diameter, is it gone now? What do you use?

cyanidekid · Mar 5, 2020

I’ve still got that coil of 1%(?) nickel that’s for just that application.

Aufenhauser Cd-50Ni3 20+Oz .032” and it’s yours for scrap + 50% (scrap and a half)

With the caveat that I found it in an original box marked as such and have not tested it. I’ll send you some to try first if you like, pm me

MattiJ · Mar 5, 2020

I have been using Cadmium-free 55% silver braze successfully. Maybe not the cheapest for mass production or best for something like huge inserts but has been working flawlessly in my use.

(Johnson-Matthew Silver-Flo 55 and JM Easy-Flo flux but these are more of european brands. )

sfriedberg · Mar 5, 2020

I think a lot of braze metals are used for carbide/steel but the ones with about 2% nickel are supposedly a good choice. The stuff that cyanidekid offered you is is that category. Cadmium-free if you have any responsibility for anyone's health.

upthebikes · Mar 5, 2020

50n (nickel content) from Prince and Izant is my favorite.

Screwmachine · Mar 5, 2020

PM member tomwalz from Carbide Processors Inc. was giving out samples (or nearly giving it was so cheap, can't remember) of silver solder and flux some years back, I got some and really liked it. He hasn't posted in a while, health issues I think, but they list at least one at 0.031" diameter wire, and they definitely know about brazing carbide, so maybe give them a call.

Limy Sami · Mar 5, 2020

JMM's easy flo 2 has never let me down in over 45 years and is a doddle to use Easy-flo™ 2 Cadmium Bearing Silver Brazing Filler Metal Rod jmmjpt-10842101 - Nexus Modelling Supplies

And yes I know it's got cadmium in it!

gbent · Mar 5, 2020

Screwmachine said:
PM member tomwalz from Carbide Processors Inc. was giving out samples (or nearly giving it was so cheap, can't remember) of silver solder and flux some years back, I got some and really liked it. He hasn't posted in a while, health issues I think, but they list at least one at 0.031" diameter wire, and they definitely know about brazing carbide, so maybe give them a call.

I'll second Carbide Processors. I have purchased several times from them, including silver braze and black flux.

true temper · Mar 5, 2020

Carbide processors has some great videos on brazing carbide, you might check them out.
I know its not the best, but if you are in a bind regular bronze brazing rod will work just fine. It just don’t flow as nice.

tnmgcarbide · Mar 5, 2020

call me a cheapskate, but i use plain ol' copper
alloys to attach cemented carbides to mild steel.
i don't recall ever seeing commercially available
toolbits with anything but brass under the chunk.
silver has a similar working temp
and strength to copper alloy..... it costs too much.
AG 55% is $40+ per oz. brass is < $20/pound.

i attach ceramic and cbn widgets with jb weld...they don't get hot- works
just fine.
----
just looked at my stash... sandvik, carboloy, kenna
and valenite -all brazed with yellow goo.

Dumpster_diving · Mar 5, 2020

I've always found A45 silver solder to work just fine for brazing carbide to steel.

dian · Mar 5, 2020

MattiJ said:
I have been using Cadmium-free 55% silver braze successfully. Maybe not the cheapest for mass production or best for something like huge inserts but has been working flawlessly in my use.

(Johnson-Matthew Silver-Flo 55 and JM Easy-Flo flux but these are more of european brands. )

do you know where to get jm solder in small quantities?

MattiJ · Mar 5, 2020

dian said:
do you know where to get jm solder in small quantities?

I have ordered mine from ebay uk. Kit includes small pouch of flux also so no need to buy it in 1kg packages either.
# SILVER BRAZING SOLDER & FLUX KIT - 55% silver. Just add heat! 200mm rods # 5060507871522 | eBay

same seller has also larger packages available.

dian · Mar 5, 2020

great, thanks. i just bought the rods for euro 2.50 each from him. i checked ebay.com but found nothing. (its weird, im buying the german "bullet" drill from the u.k. also.)

snowman · Mar 5, 2020

tnmgcarbide said:
call me a cheapskate, but i use plain ol' copper
alloys to attach cemented carbides to mild steel.
i don't recall ever seeing commercially available
toolbits with anything but brass under the chunk.
silver has a similar working temp
and strength to copper alloy..... it costs too much.
AG 55% is $40+ per oz. brass is < $20/pound.

i attach ceramic and cbn widgets with jb weld...they don't get hot- works
just fine.
----
just looked at my stash... sandvik, carboloy, kenna
and valenite -all brazed with yellow goo.

That's just the color of 50% Ag braze.

I buy and recover Ag from braze all the time. It's one of my primary sources of income. It runs 45-55% Ag, consistently. I also buy brazed carbides, with Ag still on them, and recover the silver.

I have ran in to one batch of braze that did not have silver in it. That's out of hundreds of batches.

snowman · Mar 5, 2020

Here...can't get much cheaper, since this is priced really close to the cost of the silver.

He's a friend of mine.

500g 49Ag Braze For Carbide Scrap. | eBay

tnmgcarbide · Mar 5, 2020

snowman said:
That's just the color of 50% Ag braze.

I buy and recover Ag from braze all the time. It's one of my primary sources of income. It runs 45-55% Ag, consistently. I also buy brazed carbides, with Ag still on them, and recover the silver.

I have ran in to one batch of braze that did not have silver in it. That's out of hundreds of batches.

to each his own. i'd use chewing gum or fun-tack if
it did the same job and was cheaper to buy.

cheers.

$150 ?

bill jones · Mar 6, 2020

--I have about a 10" diameter coil of this silver solder wire--weighs something like 1440 grams

---.030” wire diameter---SB72 wire x 50 T.O.---box---Silvaloy B72V---or Braze 721 (VTG version of Braze 72)--(equals 72% silver content)

-----------------------------
--I could cut off pieces and put them into a manila folder and mail it fairly easy if anybody is interested.

--I'd work out a reasonable sample for a $20 bill prepaid cash if you wanted to trust me

cyanidekid · Mar 6, 2020

bill jones said:
--I have about a 10" diameter coil of this silver solder wire--weighs something like 1440 grams

---.030” wire diameter---SB72 wire x 50 T.O.---box---Silvaloy B72V---or Braze 721 (VTG version of Braze 72)--(equals 72% silver content)

-----------------------------
--I could cut off pieces and put them into a manila folder and mail it fairly easy if anybody is interested.

--I'd work out a reasonable sample for a $20 bill prepaid cash if you wanted to trust me

Not typically used for carbide to steel, the 70% plus alloys are more for color match in jewelry and silversmithing.

Silver solder, best brand/alloy for carbide to steel?

Diamond

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Titanium

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Cast Iron

Titanium

Diamond

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Stainless

Diamond

Cast Iron

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Diamond

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