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[rayna]

Hi I am trying to silver solder stainless steel welding rods 2.5 mm diam into handrail assemblies.
I have a MAPP torch with silver solder "easyflo' and Johnson Mathey Easyflo flux.
All new just purchased. Anyway first few joints went well now am having issues.
Heating past cherry red almost to light yellow and solder is forming balls on metal like it is not wetting.
Clean off grinding with dremel drum and trying again but same result.
Occasionally seems to adhere and rest of solder just migrates to that spot and cannot get it back into general joint area.
Joins are simple cross over joints at 90 degrees.
Have tried adding flux to rod while underway but previously just fluxed the cold joint before hand.
Any tips appreciated.
Rayna

[rayna]

Wahile scouting about a few other web sites it seems that I should.
Not be direct heating the joint area where the flux is AND
Only heating to dull red and letting the heat move to the joint area from a distant point of application.
Will try that next.
Rayna

[BarryM]

Rayna,
Is this any help? http://www.wikihow.com/Solder-Stainless-Steel
BM

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

I would say, too hot...

I hate it when that happens... 

[rayna]

Thanks Barry and Umi.
Yes too hot is certainly the case. Have had more success taking it slowly and seems to work at dull red and slightly higher. Main skill to learn seems to be control of the heat levels in all of the sides of where the wire crosses and not burning off all the flux before it acts. More practise needed but have managed to "glue" up all this first set of handrails at 1:15 scale that I needed right now. Not exactly a pretty sight but can see an  improvement Much more practise needed. I tried with 1.5 mm to 2mm joins using Propane instead of MAPP and though much slower but therefore more controlled I was able to silver solder a couple of the joints.
Next challenge is to do same exercise with smaller wires that are closer together for 1:50th scale. 1 mm and 0.9 mm. Maybe solder might work easier with those.
thanks again
Rayna