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General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: hortonstn on March 27, 2019, 11:00:49 PM

Title: darkening silver solder
Post by: hortonstn on March 27, 2019, 11:00:49 PM
how do you darken silversolder ?
Title: Re: darkening silver solder
Post by: bama on March 27, 2019, 11:40:00 PM
Liver of sulfur will darken silver and would probably work on silver solder but it is not a permanent color, it is more like a tarnish. If possible it would be best to remove the silver solder that is not in the joint and color the metal where the solder was. If it is around a sight or repair the only place the solder is doing any good is in the joint. All else should be removed.
Title: Re: darkening silver solder
Post by: deepcreekdale on March 27, 2019, 11:46:38 PM
I once bought a bottle of something called Novacan, which seems to work on Brownells Silvaloy which is a true silver solder. My one small bottle will last  me and my family for generations, it doesn't take much. I presume  you can still get it from jewelry suppliers. Properly used however, silver solder should be a very thin joint, almost invisible. The "thicker the glob the better the job" philosophy definitely doesn't work with silver solder. Lead/tin solders seem to darken pretty quickly on their own but the Novacan seems to work on that as well although I don't routinely use it for that.