Silver Tips on Patchboxes

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Hello all,

I have seen several builders with a metal patchbox and at the very tip of the box there is a flower that is silver. It does not seem to be sitting on top of the box but connected to it.  I have not provided an image of what I am talking about because I do not have one that is mine and I do not want to post other folk's images.  But I think you can get an idea of what I am talking about. 

Anyway, my question is.  How do you do that?

Cory Joe Stewart

[jerrywh]

 Before I cut out my patchbox, I lay the brass sheet down on a piece of  fire brick and high temp silver solder the silver piece onto the brass sheet from the back side, then cut out the pattern.  At other time I just silver solder a small piece on to whatever I'm working on using the same technique. Other solders will work but they are not as strong. I use easy or extra easy silver solder. It flows at about 1200°F. 
 That is 4 or 500° below the melting temp of the brass or sterling.

[James]

Before I cut out my patchbox, I lay the brass sheet down on a piece of  fire brick and high temp silver solder the silver piece onto the brass sheet from the back side, then cut out the pattern.  At other time I just silver solder a small piece on to whatever I'm working on using the same technique. Other solders will work but they are not as strong. I use easy or extra easy silver solder. It flows at about 1200°F.  
 That is 4 or 500° below the melting temp of the brass or sterling.

Jerry, do you scarf the pieces and overlap or are they soldered just butted together?  Or is the silver just soldered on over the brass and that area remains thicker?

[draken]

Essentially the same thing jerrywh said, with pictures

http://www.hootalrifleshop.org/installing_patchbox.htm

[jerrywh]

 Silver solder is so fluid that it doesn't need anything except to be extremely  clean and use a good flux. I like batterns flux and after cleaning positioning and fluxing the two pieces I place a small piece of wire solder on top of the seam and heat slowly.  silver solder will migrate towards the heat. Therefore if you can use two pieces of fire brick or something similar and try to place the two pieces so you can heat them from the bottom. That way the heat will draw the solder into the seam.  You can practice on some sheet brass.  Brass melts about the same temp as sterling.
 Just butt them close together.

[Mark Elliott]

A tripod that you can buy from Rio Grand really helps with many soldering and brazing jobs.   The trick is that solder will only go where there is flux and heat.  The joints need to be very tight.  Don't think you can fill a joint with solder, at least not much. 

[David Rase]

Cory Joe,
I am getting ready to make the patchbox for my iron mounted Sheetz rifle.  It will have a sterling silver edelweiss flower silver soldered to the steel finial.  I will try and take some photographs of the process if you would like.  Should be in the next couple of weeks.
David