Soldering Tips Needed

[hddennis]

Just found something interesting in the parts that came with my Maxwell from it's 1960's unfinished restoration. It was a N.O.S. Carter float in a box marked #21-29S and an online search shows it fits late 20's and 30's brass bowl Carter carburetors. It's an almost perfect match for the cork float in my Maxwell K D Type B on my Maxwell except for the float hinge.

Anyone done soldering on these type brass floats? I need to unsolder the original hinge and re-solder my cork float hinge to it. I have a dual heat range older Weller electric soldering gun and wonder if this will work?  I'm worried about overheating and opening up a seam and also what type solder do I use. Any ideas or suggestions or tips greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Howard Dennis

[keiser31]

Keeping a cool, moist rag on the ring part may help ease the heat while soldering or "un-soldering" the hinge.

[Rusty_OToole]

There is a knack to getting just the right amount of heat in the right place at the right time. Fool around too long and you can melt everything. Unless you are experienced working with solder I suggest you send it to the Carb King or someone with experience. It's not like you can just pick up another one if something goes wrong.

[Guest]

Rusty's idea is probably the best if you don't do a lot of soldering.  I personally would wrap the float in a wet rag and somehow clamp it down to my bench.  Then using high heat I would touch the soldered joint with the iron at the same time pull up on the hinge part.  It should come off in just a second.  If you use low heat it will take longer and might loosen other joints.  In fact I would use the smallest iron in my set of "real" soldering irons rather than modern electric one.

[hddennis]

Thanks guys, Since I found out this float is available from several suppliers I decided to give it a try even though I haven't done a lot of soldering in the past. I clamped the new float in the vise and put a little pressure on the hinge while heating the end and it popped right off. I then tinned the whole area between the 2 solder spots on the float and the old hinge off my cork float. I put the old hinge on the new float and heated the hinge center with my Weller 325 watt gun and it just melted onto the float in an instant! I wished I had been filming it because it seemed like I really knew what I was doing and turned out perfect!

Thanks for all your suggestions,

Howard Dennis

[Bloo]

Congratulations! It sounds like it went well.

 

Be sure to sink it in a glass of water and look for leaks (streams of extremely tiny bubbles) before you install it.

[Frank DuVal]

Yes, the brass is very thin, so not much heat is needed. Real easy to solder on these floats with a Weller gun, even the 100/140 watt size. That's still my go to soldering tool, having been raised on tube equipment in the 60s.

 

Solder? 60/40 electronic rosin core works just fine. .062 or smaller diameter. But you already know what works!

[Bhigdog]

2 hours ago, Bloo said:

Congratulations! It sounds like it went well.

 

Be sure to sink it in a glass of water and look for leaks (streams of extremely tiny bubbles) before you install it.

 

Use hot water. That will cause the air inside to expand and slightly pressure the float making any  bubbles more copious and visable. If the water is colder than the float the opposite will happen and it will inhale water instead of expelling air................................Bob

[MochetVelo]

Here's a tool that might work, and a handy one if you do any electronic stuff. It has a adjustable heat soldering iron plus a tiny hot-air gun that will precisely melt solder. You can find more by searching eBay under "Hot Air solder rework tool".

 

Phil

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/878D-2in1-Soldering-Rework-Station-ESD-Iron-Welder-Gun-Hot-Air-Gun-Welder-Tool-/302052109428?epid=2074605530&hash=item4653b56c74:g:NOYAAOSw0UdXvm2G

[Frank Cerutti]

On 10/20/2017 at 11:45 AM, hddennis said:

Thanks guys, Since I found out this float is available from several suppliers I decided to give it a try even though I haven't done a lot of soldering in the past. I clamped the new float in the vise and put a little pressure on the hinge while heating the end and it popped right off. I then tinned the whole area between the 2 solder spots on the float and the old hinge off my cork float. I put the old hinge on the new float and heated the hinge center with my Weller 325 watt gun and it just melted onto the float in an instant! I wished I had been filming it because it seemed like I really knew what I was doing and turned out perfect!

Thanks for all your suggestions,

Howard Dennis

 

 

Howard

Good top on the heat gun.

Please post a picture of the finished job.

 

Frank Cerutti 

1909 LD9024

Townsville, Australia 

[hddennis]

Frank, I'd love to but I was so happy I solved my problem I quickly reassembled it without taking any pictures.

 

Howard Dennis

Edited October 31, 2017 by hddennis (see edit history)