Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

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N.R. Davis
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Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by N.R. Davis »

I've been Lining Stevens Favorite Barrels with basically a Propane Torch. Need to line a 29" Winchester barrel. Liner is .562 dia so a lot more to heat up. I need something that puts out a lot of heat but with a Soft Broad Flame. So far all the Torches have a Focused Intense Flame. Any suggestions? Thanks, David.

Not interested in a Glue In. I'm somewhat allergic to Epoxy.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by Bill Shields »

Build a brick furnace and use something similar to a large sieverts heating tip.
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JackF
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by JackF »

Maybe a rose bud. Google "welding rose bud."
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10KPete
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by 10KPete »

I haven't used solder on liners for almost 20 years now. Been using epoxy. But let me suggest the use of 94/6 tin/silver solder. Sold by Harris as "Stay Bright". It melts at 430* F, flows really well. Swab the liner with the flux and tin the liner. Swab the bore then warm the bbl to about 450* and start sliding in the liner. Play the torch up and down the bbl until the liner is all the way in. Feed a little more solder from one end.\
430 is very high strength and harder than tin/lead. Much easier in my experience than tin/lead. Try to avoid directly heating the flux or solder so heat only the bbl.

Pete
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Bill Shields
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by Bill Shields »

Knowing nothing of this business...

Is barrel warpage a concern if unevenly heated?

It is interesting because I have a 1/3 scale black powder cannon with an epoxy held liner.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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10KPete
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by 10KPete »

Yes, it can, Bill. The usual lead solders melt approx. 800* F. which is three hundred above where tempering temperatures start and, if there are strains still in the bbl. they can relax with the resulting distortion. The 430* solder takes away that danger. Provided the operator is able to maintain less than 500* F evenly through the bbl ( required for lead solder also ) yet assure complete melting. Household oven can go to 500*F and sometimes the bbl. can be placed diagonally on a rack. Works well for me.

With epoxy these days most any of the hardware epoxies will perform quite well even in center fire applications. In those applications one must assure no voids, or at least extremely tiny tiny ones! And a pot life of at least 20 minutes 'cause you must not just quickly shove in the liner. Epoxy is viscous and will spread in the thin gap very slowly. I'd guess about 2 inches per second. At normal temps the epoxy cure time is based on "thin film" layers. Pot life is the mass in the pot. Epoxy is exothermic curing so the more the hotter! Quick epoxies in one cup masses have started on fire from this heat!
But spread it out and the cure stays slow so you have way more time than the pot life time to push in the liner.

I'll shut up now,

Hope this adds to the confusion...

Pete
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N.R. Davis
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by N.R. Davis »

Thanks for the replies. Got the liner 2/3 in. May have to try a Rose Bud as I couldn't get the barrel consistent hot. Pete, Stay Bright is what I'm using 😊. I'm scared to death of having a liner "Grab" with epoxy or Locktite. Besides it's still Winter so the shop gets a little warmer. Found out I can use "NoCorode Flux" rather than an Acid Flux if I go gently. David
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10KPete
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by 10KPete »

The usual problem: enough heat over the whole length all at once! I did one once in a gas bbq. Another I did using the pipe burner from under a bluing tank. I've seen a fellow line up a few of those propane burners that screw onto bottles.

Where there's a will....

Good luck!

Pete
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N.R. Davis
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by N.R. Davis »

Been a rough couple of weeks. A few things I found out that helps.
Big problem is getting the Barrel and Liner heated evenly. Still working on a 40" Pipe Burner that runs off my Gas Line to the Furnace. Neighbor will loan a Tank from his Barbecue about 120 psi. versus 3 psi. Getting that working will help.
Big discovery for me involved Surface Temp as opposed to Core Temp. Heat treating Articles mention a time for everything to get up to temp based on Thickness. My Magnetic Thermometer told me surface temp. I had to slow down and let the Barrel soak till the Liner was hot. Rotating the Barrel really helps as the bottom exposed to the Flame would be fine but the top would lag behind. So I managed to pull the Liner back out and can start again once my Pipe Burner is up and running.
Heat and Beat is saying: Not up to Temp!
Hopefully others will learn from my trials. David
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Bill Shields
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by Bill Shields »

Build a brick furnace and put the entire barrel in it to get warm.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
N.R. Davis
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by N.R. Davis »

Bill, if I ever do another you can be sure I'll build a Brick Furnace. Then the possibility of using an Electric Heating Element is tempting. David
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Bill Shields
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Re: Heat Source for Soldering Barrel Liners

Post by Bill Shields »

You could even heat it indirectly with a propane / air torch.

We go through similar problems building larger copper boilers
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