Hello.
I need to make a rather large Pulpit along with handrails and a ladder. I've chosen Brass solid round bar as it's an awful lot easier to bend and shape than S/Steel but I want to have a S/S finished look.
I have made a test piece to see if my idea worked and it seems to be not too bad.
The larger Pulpit rail is 3.5mm and the smaller stanchion is 2.5mm which I milled the end to a profile so it would sit flush without gaps. I used hard Lead free solder comprising Sn3, Ag3% and 0.5% Cu. That gave a quite hard solder, also, the paste was mixed with a powerful liquid flux which was applied to the bottom of the stanchion, just enough so as it could just be seen coming out of the joint. I then heated it using a fine Mapp Gas torch as my small Proxxon Butane lamp couldn't supply enough heat. Very little tidying up needed. I have tested the strength of the joint and it's more than strong enough for the job. Finally, painted with a very close match to S/Steel.
3 photos show finished piece... 1. as soldered 2. tidied up 3. Stainless Steel finish.
Mike.