# Solder or JB Weld or ?



## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Among the G projects I have been fooling with, been working on a somewhat of a Class A Climax/early Shay shop built type locomotive. The boiler is out of copper plumbing pipe. I ordered a Trackside Details firebox door for vertical boilers and it fits nicely against the copper pipe. Now I want to adhere it to the pipe and having trouble deciding what to use. JB Weld comes to mind and is easy. But I have also thought about soldering it on even though I have never soldered for model making, just plumbing. And then I would also have to find my torch. So what would you guys think would hold the best?

And any idea on what to use for gauges?

Doug


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Depends on what the detail part is made of, something soft like pot metal and your torch will turn it to a blob... is it brass? 
I'd solder brass and glue the rest 
I made gauges by slicing off ends of brass tubing and soldering it to sheet brass, paint the inside white and use a hair to paint the needle. 
Tin the sheet, flux the ring, drop it on the sheet and heat from below.... mine were 1/8" so I omitted the glass cover. A drop of Acrylic Matte Medium should make a clear coat covering, but I've not tried that. 

Happy Rails 

John


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

I have used JB for many projects including gluing builder plates on to smoke boxes which get up tp 450 degrees 
It is not as strong as solder but is more heat resistant and easier to get it just where you want it. 
If it is just a decorative door, I would JB it 
Make sure you wait 24 hours for it to fully cure


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

If you "stress" two similar joints, one with a thin layer of JB Weld and one with solder, the one with JB Weld will crack under strain before the soldered joint.


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

One reason I hesitate on solder is that I tried a chemical blackening solution for guns on the copper plumbing parts and it worked very well. Gave me a nice matte, dirty look that I want. I suspect the solder won't be affected like that. Guess that can be hit with flat black paint. 

I bought and watched the video shown in the last Garden Railways form p-l-b and they used different products but know that was a video from the 80s and products have changed. I looked at what they offered in solder and flux and wasn't sure what to order. I had also wondered if I could just go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy some of that past solder in a syringe and use that or some other plumbing solder supplies they sell? 

So you experienced soldering guys, what would you use? And think the old propane torch will be good enough? And the plumbing parts are brass and the parts from Trackside Details are also brass. 

Doug


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Still not sure exactly what you are going to solder but for most G size things, I use a 1/32" solder. You can get it at Radio Shack. try to get the solid core, not the rosin core. The Home Depot paste flux works ok. 
Cut snippets of the solder so it surrounds the part you will be soldering. The paste flux will hold the solder in place. 
To solder it, start by heating up the base (boiler) and before it starts to melt the solder, train your torch on the door. Then move towards the solder snippets between the two pieces and you will see the solder disappear into the crack between the two pieces


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## Jonnychuffchuff (Dec 24, 2010)

Brass to brass, I'd use solder every time. Haven't had enough experience? Play with scrape of brass and solder until you're feeling confident. Torch or iron? Invest $15 bucks in an 80-watt iron. Once this sucker has warmed up completely, it'll put out enough heat to do theis and most other jobs before the parts even know what hit them. 
How do I know anything about this? I've been building brass locos since I was about 18, 47 years ago. 
Disclaimer: FWIW I'm a great fan of JB Weld, but a metal to metal bond is just plain more honest, as well as stronger - more satisfactory, less amateurish all 'round..


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't know why you are worried about a chemical blackener; solder or JB should be completely inside the joint. Either one outside is wasted, not to mention ugly. And non-prototypical.


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## Jonnychuffchuff (Dec 24, 2010)

Blackener will blacken solder though, FWIW. I find it a very expensive way of coloring things and so I only use it very sparingly. 
When I looked at the cost of a bottle of blackener, and did an inventory of how very little stuff I was actually able to blacken with it, I was amazed at what a poor value per buck it really is. 
Admittedly there are places where it's the right stuff and nothing else will do, but these places are pretty rare, IMHO. Most of the time I'll just prime and paint metal.


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