Question: soldering brass to stainless steel

[Jared Eason]

OK. I was asked to make a buckle with a brass cross on it. Normally I would bolt the cross on and incorporate the bolt heads in the design. But this design requires just the cross. I plan on getting the brass from GRS the soft brass practice plates are the right size and are suppose to be soft, all I have is very hard brass. So what would be best to attach the brass to the stainless. I don't want the solder to show . I know welding but solder is kinda new to me. Please help.... thanks

 

[glstrcowboy]

Could you just build up the cross with brazing rod then cut away the excess back down to the stainless?

 

[Jared Eason]

I have done that before with a 4 leaf clover. The background im going to do on this buckle won't allow for that approach.

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Welcome to the engraving.
Time to learn inlay ,?
michael

 

[Jared Eason]

I know right... that was the plans but hate to turn work down . I haven't even come close to learning inlay . I know the process but do in it is another story. So I need to find another means... well GRS said there brass plates work like 10karat gold. I'm assuming this means it overlays nicely ?

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Try some rivets or pins or raise some prongs and set it like an stone?

 

[Jared Eason]

All good ideas.. thanks.. but again I'm so new to the engravers approach I have no clue how to stone set. Im Still in the backwoods . Lol...

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Drill some holes,put in some rod/wire,a little longer then hole and peen over like an rivet.

 

[Jared Eason]

Yeah the pins are one thing I was thinking of doing. I use a similar method with stainless but weld the prongs on the back. Wasn't sure if that would hold good enough with the brass

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Jared,

Hard silver solder the pins on the back of the cross and then do as Mike said rivet it on. If you do a pin on each end of the cross it should hold just fine.

Chris

 

[Jared Eason]

Think I will try the pin method . Have some orders to do before I get to this one. Will post a pic when I'm done. Thanks again guys... y'all are always helpful. Just hope I can repay the favor one day...

 

[myxlplyk]

You can solder stainless, but you need special stainless flux for the silver solder to stick to the stainless because you need to break the oxide layer. You can get it at mcmaster.com. Just search for stainless steel flux.

 

[airamp]

Hi,

check out Muggy Welding.

It seems they have some incredable fluxes and alloys for soldering all types of metals at low temps with very acceptable bonding strengths..

Link:
http://muggyweld.com/stainless/

Not cheap though..

AirAmp

 

[Jared Eason]

Thanks. I have time to deduct a suitable point of attack. Will weigh out my options, now I have so many. Again thanks everyone .

 

[RT Bit and Spur]

Jared
I have soldered different metals to stainless using high temp silver solder. Usually 45% using Ultra flux it is Engelhard product I get at the welding supply store. Goes on like it would any other type of steel.
Rod

 

[Haraga.com]

Rt nailed it.