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Metal inlay technique using solder
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Metal inlay technique using solder
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Metal inlay technique using solder
Here is a technique that I developed to make a metal inlay with solder. I used soft lead solder for this project
because it's easy to melt, and I am currently out of silver solder. I imagine the results will be slightly better with
silver, since it is harder and will have a better shine.
I attached a piece of .030" thick brass sheet to a thick acrylic spoilboard with double-stick tape (Permacel). Using
a 3/64" stub end mill, I CNC cut lettering. I started this cut with WD-40; however, the chip buildup was so large, I
switched to water-based flood coolant to get the chips out of there. Cutting specs are: 4000 RPM, about 2.5
inches per minute, .020 depth of cut, 2-flute.
Some edges turned out very clean. For unknown reasons, other edges had a big lousy burr where the cutter
pushed metal out of its path (instead of cutting it).
I used a MAPP gas torch to heat small sections of the brass and applied solder after fluxing the piece with acid
paste.
I sanded the piece starting with 60 grit (just until I hit the brass), then worked up through each grit until I was
using 600 with water. Yes, I use water with the orbital sander, it actually works pretty well! I reattached the piece
to the spoilboard with more tape. This makes sanding much easier.
I made a custom polishing tip from aluminum, and a foam-padded piece of felt that was intended to be placed on
the ends of table legs. First I used rubbing compound with the custom tip, then white rouge with a loose cotton
wheel. I learned that using brown rouge on a spiral-sewn wheel was too aggressive on the soft solder. It
preferentially chewed away the solder, leaving the piece uneven and not attractive. I developed the custom tip to
distribute the polishing force as much as possible.
The biggest problem is the voids in the solder. I think these are bubbles caused by boiling flux or impurities while
the solder is molten. They might also just be low spots where I did not apply enough solder. Oh well, I think it
turned out pretty nice. I have also done this technique with acrylic and epoxy instead of brass and solder.
Posted by Ben Krasnow at 9:05 PM
Labels: brass, inlay, metal, solder
2 comments:
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Daniel L. said...
The little burrs you got on parts of the machining is due to the direction the spindle is spinning vs the
direction of travel. I don't know exactly how it works but I know that's what does it.
May 14, 2014 at 12:35 PM
wethecom said...
Climb Cut Vs Conventional Cut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzC9ax6FDtc
May 14, 2014 at 3:16 PM
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