How to Solder Copper Sheet Metal

[NETWizzJbirk]

Solder on top is unnecessary. Personally, I would clean one side of each and flux that side. Place the clean sides tightly together then clamp the edges. I would apply the iron on an overlap piece getting the copper hot then feed in solder just like on a pipe letting it follow the heat and pull into the joint with capillary action. You could confirm it is good looking at the other side. If you see solder on the other side then it pulled all the way into the joint. Either way it would be very strong and not a waste of solder

[Bryan-ndik]

My favorite part is when he picked up the Copper and burned his hands at the end

[lass-inangeles]

Thanks for the great demo! I'm assuming you applied flux onto the tinned copper sections prior to final soldering?
Can I buy a flat tip for my soldering iron or do i need a whole new iron?
If I have a copper pan for cooking, where the previous tin coating has worn off, is it possible to recoat it with tin this way? I wonder how you recoat a pan with tin easily? Common problem.


With regard to your soldering, there is a visible difference in metals. If I want to make jewelry, how would i hide that silvery tin coating and keep it all copper?

[roiq]

I was expecting you would show the other side at the end but anyways very informative. Thanks.

[Synthematix]

Its all about heat, im currently building a heatsink for my 7800GS agp graphics card, i use a pencil torch for this, both sides of the 2mm copper sheets are tinned just waiting for them to cool down, then apply flux to bond the 2 surfaces again using the mini blow torch, the surfaces have to be mega hot for it to work, oh and wear a mask if youre working with leaded solder and glasses.

[Monkeywrench]

Or ask a plumber and He'll do it in less then a minute...Lol

[jonmichaelroberts]

As I understand it that's a lot of solder for tinning, don't need much as glops will hold the copper about though can certainly remelt so not too big of an issue.

[andyboylett]

Totally unnecessary to do much of that and that way gives a joint with massive amount of solder where it is not needed and doing nothing.

[royevetts]

soldering copper together with a lead/tin base solder or non lead/tin based solder would be good only if the copper sheet is kept at a constant temperature and is not subject to expansion and contraction, the higher the tin content the more likely the joint would crack. As you know judging by your hot potato hand action, copper is a great conductor of heat.

[austinstewart-brown]

Did you overlap the two sheets or put them edge to edge

[michaeldelavega-kr]

Copper is extremely difficult to adhere to another medium due to the nature of copper and it's conductivity

[ryokou]

Is it air tight? Cause I'm planning to make a customized phone case. I will try to make my own vapor chamber a size of a phone 😁
Yes I am crazy to even think about that lil project 😂 I already have phone cooler but it can't reach the part where the chipset are located because the of camera, I just wanna increase the surface area

[dazthemod]

Id just welt and hammer it. If necessary, use the rothy to run a bead down one edge, top and bottom of the welt. Easy, no solder clean up, no electric iron needed. Maybe a bit of annealing beforehand.

[billymacktexasdetective]

That looks really bad...
The copper is ruined with such a huge joint like that...