Hello, I have an 8 post mounted key flute that is marked London Improved D, with a crown. The long C key is broken at the hinge tube with a small piece of the bottom of the key still atttached to the hinge tube. I assume it is hard soldered since that small piece broke off from the cast nickel silver key and stayed attached to the hinge tube(I could be wrong there). Would I need to remove that small piece and reclean everything to solder it? Would it be possible to put the two sides of the key with the hinge tube as is, which all fits together nicely, and clean it and flux it to solder it as is? I assume I would need high temperature flux and silver solder. Thanks in advance to anyone who has experience with this.
It has to be silver soldered with hard solder. Soft plumbing solder is not strong enough. It is also a good idea to solder a piece of sheet under the break, to reinforce it. Nickel, or German silver can get very brittle, especially where it has been soldered.
Thanks Jon. I’ll look for an old nickel silver fork or spoon to make a piece to solder on. I’m glad I asked.
If you can post a picture of the broken pieces (off the flute) we can perhaps give more precise advice - though you have the gist of it.
If you can hammer it out, so it is a thin strip of metal lay it across the break flat and solder it on, then you can file it down, it helps reinforce the break.
Like Jem says, a photo would help, to get a better idea, but it sounds like the usual location, by the tube.
This is a picture:
http://tinyurl.com/27sh9fg
I’m going to order some solder and flux, and look for something to hammer down to reinforce it while I’m waiting. Thanks, Jon and Jem.
Also order some heat sink paste,you can put it on the spring to prevent it from heating up, and losing it’s temper (spring)…