I wouldn't weld a keg with flux core wire you really need to back gas your welds when you weld a keg it will make a mess on the inside otherwise.
Pat
I am trying to put a couple in a keggle using a propane torch and some silver solder prepping it with some liquid flux.
I don't have the ability to tig weld so I thought this should work for stainless steel. What do you think?
Silver soldering absolutely works providing you have the right flux and your torch gets hot enough.
I have used the SafetySilv 55% silver- no cadmium type silver brazing material for thin wall stainless connections, the lower silver percentages will often contain toxic levels of cadmium as an alloy component to reduce melt temperature. You will need StaySilv flux to go with the silver filler material, a white paste that you apply to both the inside and outside of work area to keep metal from discoloring. The Mapp gas torch is more than adequate for the silver brazing, the main thing to watch for is keeping the metal temperature no hotter than the dark red color, hotter and the chrome starts to oxidize and will not accept solder. If you overheat an area, cool it down and sandpaper it back to clean metal, apply paste, and try again. If you have the top from keggle conversion, practice on that then do the keggle.
There are 2 types of silver bearing solder, the low temp ~430-450 degree alloy that is mostly tin, and the high temp brazing alloy.
If you have the low temp solder you should have a clear liquid flux to go with it. Prep solder joint with sandpaper to take off the oxide coat on the stainless and apply coating of the liquid flux and heat metal gently and test for solder melting. You may have to apply the flux and reheat area until solder flows over work area. Place coupling or fitting that has been prepped the same way and apply heat until solder melts and add more solder to fill gaps.
With the high temp silver brazing prep area with sandpaper to remove oxide coating, apply white paste flux at joint and outwards at least 1/2" to protect the stainless, match work area flux application on inside to protect that side. If you want you can make a ring of the solder and place it in joint then heat until solder flows, of feed it by hand. The high temp silver solder will follow the heat, so if the area you heat is not where you want the solder to go be forwarned that it will migrate to hotter area. The main trick to this is applying the heat to the thickest/highest mass item first then sweep flame onto thinner material while trying not to overheat work area.
I'm looking around YouTube. Is there a good how-to video or write up on how to silver solder a coupling onto a repurposed keg?
The you tube video shows the low temp solder method, the high temp is nearly identical, and no you do need to solder inside of keg. The reason to apply solder flux to inside is keep stainless from changing colors and oxidizing when heat is applied to outside.
Sorry for the confusion, should have taken more time to proof response before submitting it.
Hi, I'm thinking of using silver soldering on my keggle to stop the leaks the crop up frequently using nuts and orings. Locally I've found 2 silver solders and I curious if anyone has any experience with them or any comments regarding their suitablity or food safety. The 2 silver solders are:
1. Forney Self Fluxing Silver Solder
6% silver (no mention of other metals in the alloy)
20,000 PSI tensile strength
400-700 degree F temp range
product number 38116
2. Alpha Fry Silver Solder and Flux
98% tin 2% silver alloy
8,000 PSI tensile strength
450 degree F melting point
zinc chloride flux tube
product number 53982
Any info would be a great help!
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