A little silver solder job

**Mike W** · 09-16-2005, 09:08 PM

If you have never tried silver solder, it is real handy for jobs like this. The acme nut and feed screw was worn out on my project lathe cross slide. I made a new nut and bought a piece of precision acme rod. I bored a recess in the side of the nut for the locating post. These were made out of SAE 660 bushing stock. I cut the worn out threaded portion off the shaft and made a steel sleve to connect the new threaded portion.

**tailshaft56** · 09-16-2005, 10:22 PM

Just curious about where you bot you acme rod. I'm going to buy a stick and try to make a new leadscrew for my 12" atlas lathe.

Dennis

**Mike W** · 09-16-2005, 10:37 PM

Dennis, I got the rod from MSC. They have both the regular and precision. A 3 foot length wasn't very expensive. They also have nuts but I decided to make my own to get a tighter fit.

**tailshaft56** · 09-16-2005, 11:08 PM

I found it on their website. I need a piece thta a little over three feet so I'm going to have to buy the six footer. It's almost $80 for 3/4 8 size I need.

Thanks
Dennis

**Mike W** · 09-16-2005, 11:18 PM

10-4, I remember seeing different alloys and prices so you may double check. I had to go above the plain steel to get the left handed 1/2" 10 tpi.

**Dave Merdian** · 09-17-2005, 10:00 AM

Check out Enco. They have Acme threaded rod on sale all the time. 3/4"-6T x 6' is $12.69. Part number DL408-0226. (www.useenco.com)

**toolaholic** · 09-17-2005, 11:59 AM

is that silver solder or brazed ?

**Mike W** · 09-17-2005, 12:20 PM

It is silver solder, expensive stuff but well worth it. I have made long drill bits by drilling a 1/4" hole in the back of a twist drill and soldering in a length of music wire, never had one break.

**own6volvos** · 09-17-2005, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by tailshaft56

I found it on their website. I need a piece thta a little over three feet so I'm going to have to buy the six footer. It's almost $80 for 3/4 8 size I need.

Thanks
Dennis

I found that for 47 for a 6 footer, at a different site of course

71 for the one in precision thread.

**TOMWELDS** · 09-17-2005, 06:16 PM

Once you get the hang of it, silver solder is neat stuff...

**TJButler** · 09-17-2005, 06:52 PM

I took a jewelry fabrication course back in 1992 from the Houston Gem and Mineral Society. We did a lot silver soldering with brass wire. I have always enjoyed doing it and have pulled off a few cool repairs. I made my nephew a rope hoist frame for his model helicopter. The hobby brass you see at the model shops just begs to be silver soldered. The gentlemen above mentioned that it was expensive but it's not that bad when you buy it at the jewelry supply shop. In jewelry class we used a tiny oxy/lpg torch and would cut very tiny flakes of solder from a small say 22 gauge sheet about 2" x 2". We would then use the little third hand clips to hold and position the work and then flux the joint. We used a tiny little pointed tool called a solder pick(like an ice pick) to heat the get the small flake of solder to stick to it and bring the solder pick and the torch into the work about the same time and watch it flow.

They make 3 different grades called soft, medium, and hard and they have about a 30 deg difference in melting temperature. You can join up two pieces of work with the hard, then add a third with the medium and a fourth with the soft. You have to develop the technique of pulling the heat away just in time not to melt the previous solder.

I made a custom power connector to my TIG outfit a while back.

Good Luck