Guest
I have a powder flask that was given to me and the seams at the bottom need resoldered. What type of solder do you use and any tips out there! thanks!
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
The safest thing would be JB weld then cover it with leather :v
skinner biscuit said:
*TIP* Wash it out thoroughly and dry it first, make sure you get out all the powder residue before you apply heat to it, otherwise you could end up with a flash detonation of the remanding black powder dust inside the flask.
paulvallandigham
Passed On
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Messages
- 17,537
- Reaction score
- 89
Any soft solder will work on the flask. Its not going to bearing much weight, nor is the seam subject to much stress. The real problem will be preparing the flask seams for the solder. Do clean out the flask and dry it completely to remove any and ALL moisture from it. You will want to use some kind of acid flux, but getting into the seam is the hard part. Use very thinned needles to push the flux into the cracks.
It would work better, if the flask were opened up so that the edges over the entire seam could first be cleaned with fine emery clothe, and then flux added. Then each side could be flash soldered. When the two halves are put together, then heat could be applied to melt the soldered surfaces so they adhere to each other. That technique will give you the best seal.
It would work better, if the flask were opened up so that the edges over the entire seam could first be cleaned with fine emery clothe, and then flux added. Then each side could be flash soldered. When the two halves are put together, then heat could be applied to melt the soldered surfaces so they adhere to each other. That technique will give you the best seal.
Use a high tin content solder, or low-temp solder for soldering. After the seam is cleaned as much as possible and flux worked in to it, clamp it securely (but LIGHTLY), possibly in a vise with wooden blocks. I would use a smallish soldering iron so you just heat the area affected enough for the solder to melt, and not enough to loosen the rest of the seam. Good luck!
You did not say what the flask was made of (Brass ”¦ Zinc). If the flask is grey looking “Zinc” resoldering is BEST LEFT TO A PROFESSIONAL. As heating with a soldering Iron will melt the metal. If you still intend on working on a Zinc flask, perhaps the JB weld would be the best way to go.
T.J., I think that a zinc repair would be possible IF he is familiar with soldering, and the above precautions observed. Zinc melts at about 780 degrees and solder somewhere in the 400 degree range. Still nothing to be attempted by a first-timer.
