SOLDERING & WELDING

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Define metal joinery
b. Explain the different methods of joining metals
c. State the differences between soft soldering, brazing and welding
d. Explain the procedure for soldering and welding

Metal joining is the process of fastening metals together either permanently or temporarily with the use of
fasteners.

Methods of Joining Metals

1. Soldering
Soldering is a method of joining metal surfaces together with a filler metal.
a. Soft soldering
Tools and Materials Required for Soft Soldering
i. Soldering bit
ii. Soldering iron
iii. Filler metal(solder)
iv. Flux (some fluxes are olive oil, candle grease and resin)
v. Heat source (electrical or coal)
b. Hard (silver) soldering or Brazing
Tools and Materials Required for Hard soldering
i. Brazing hearth (the straight bit heart and the hatched bit hearth).

ii. Gas torch/coal

iii. Oxy-acetylene/Calcium carbide and water
iv. Flux (borax)
v. Gas tank
Procedure for soldering/brazing
i. Clean the area of the metals to be joined.
ii. Apply flux to clean up and remove oxides from metal surfaces.
iii. Clamp the workpiece in place before applying heat.
iv. Apply the filler rod to the joint and heat it up.

Safety Precautions to Observe During Soldering/Brazing

i. Avoid inhaling fumes from molten flux by not leaning over too close to the joint being brazed.
ii. When the brazing operation is complete, wash off your hands and the spots where flux was applied.
iii. Ensure that the workshop is properly ventilated for the free flow of air.
iv. Do not allow borax or any other flux to rub your skin. It could be dangerous.
2. Welding
Welding is the process of melting a metal workpiece and a filler to form a pool of molten strong joints at upto
50000 C.
Types of Welding
a. Arc Welding: This is the use of an electrode and a base material to melt metals at a welding point.
The electrode may be consumable or non-consumable.

b. Gas (Oxyacetylene) Welding: This is the combustion of acetylene in oxygen to produce a welding flame of
about 31000C. It is widely used for welding pipes and tubes and for cutting metals or panel beating in vehicles.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOLDERING, BRAZING & WELDING

PARAMETERS SOFT SOLDERING HARD SOLDERING WELDING

(BRAZING)

Temperature Below 4500 C Above 4500 C Up to 50000 C and above

Source of heat Electric soldering iron/coal - Gas torch/coal/hearth Electric arc/gas torch

Filler metal - Filler metals melt but - Filler metals melt but - Both the filler and the
joining metals do not. joining metals do not. joining metals fuse.
- Solder (lead and tin) - Brass (Copper and Zinc) - Electrodes.

Flux Oil, grease, candle wax etc Borax (sodium borate, Slag(carbonate and silicate
sodium tetraborate, or materials)
disodium tetraborate)

Application In fabricating electronic circuits In joining pipes and leaked Shipbuilding, Automotive
or printed circuit boards roofs. industries, Construction
industries & Mechanical
industries.

3. Mechanical Fasteners
Mechanical fasteners include screws, bolts and nuts, taper pin, rivets, stud and split pin etc.

4. Riveting
Rivets are permanent mechanical fasteners with a head and a buck-tail used in joining metals.
TYPES OF METAL JOINTS

Types of welding and their applications