The Home Machinist!

Thanks Big Dave for the reply. I am building this boiler for the possibility of "working" use is why I want to be at the 100 psi level. I don't want to limit myself to just table top use.

Doug

To Echo other builders here with more experience than I, the temps that solder flows and softens is most important to the strength at pressure, and must be considered when finishing off a boiler. Most commonly, a high silver strong solder is used for the shell, and further piercings and fittings may be attached at lower temperature solders to prevent movement of the original pieces. Particularly in built up pieces where they are sealed with solder this is handy. This may be true in unstressed parts where we can be a bit more reckless with temperature, like an Oil lamp for an American, where many parts my be assembled with several heats and diferent temp solders, that prevent separation of previous work.

Melting points of various common solders are referenced in The Machinists Handbook, and other works. This book is a must for builders with its references to alloys of all types, and commonly needed information. I cant see how any shop can function without one, and older copies are just as usefull as newer, with the exception of the ever changing machine thread forms. Not alot has changed as far as standards in weights, measures, and materials.