Comsol Flux

[durhambuilder]

Just a quick question,

I need to order some comsol and flux to seal a couple of hard to get to boiler pinholes but most suppliers seem reluctant to post the flux. A few suppliers hint that Zinc chloride is the flux and seeing waggy's post it would appear that Bakers fluid is also zinc chloride, now I can get this at my local hardware shop so can I use it or is there a difference?

Thanks

[goldstar31]

Failing getting Bakers Fluid, perhaps you should use an ordinary torch battery.

How's that? Choose any prize from the middle row?

Don't faint with surprise, you could always use smelling salts and give unused stuff to the nearest old biddy.

[steam4ian]

G'day

I recently bought some high melting point solder which is flux cored. The metal composition is the same as Comsol which I could not get in Australia.

The flux in the core is an acid flux and since the key constituent of the HMP and Consol solders is lead then an acid flux like Bakers would do.

We are model engineers a title that carries with it an air of scientific pretention. It is only right to experiment. Give Bakers a go on a test piece.

Regards
Ian

[goldstar31]

Respectfully, I have no pretensions of science. I had one day of science in 1941 sometime before almost all the science teachers went to war.

I suppose that whatever I gleaned came from usually bitter experience.
The Bakers Fluid is essentially killed spirits of salts which is merely dilute hydrochloric acid reacting with zinc bits and giving off hydrogen. Once the acid fails to react, you have the flux.
Hydrochloric is generally what dissolves the cal( cal) from limey areas. Smelling salts is Ammonium Chloride which is another acid flux.

An ordinary torch battery also has ammonium chloride inside.

Engineer? No, that was explicitly forbidden in my family.

And there we have it- or don't. I do make models and have since I made my first balsa Spitfire in 1938 or 9.

Regards

Norman

[steam4ian]

G'day Norm

I am sorry that being an Engineer was not allowed in your family. It was encouraged in mine if not at my school where I think I was the first for some years to go from my school to engineering at Uni. I actually started a bit of a procession which later included my brother and many of his year.

I was only trying to encourage people to "give it a go".

Regards, warm as always
Ian

[goldstar31]

Greetings oh exalted one!
'We' didn't have such things as Uni or really school. We were too poor. I actually grew and sold spinach to earn a few coppers to pay for a bit of learning after 14.
I tend to laugh a bit about it now. As I said, I made models and that really was my training.
Perhaps, having iron fillings somewhere in the genes does help.
Clearly, your comments about 'having a go' is what counts.
At 80+, I still mess on( my wife's comments) and I hope that others will be taught a little and learn a little more- and a bit more.

I was taking advice from a wise Chinese neighbour. He said 'if you are not enjoying what you are doing,give up' I'm still hanging on- just!

Best wishes from my side of things

Norm

[russell]

According to the COSSH data for Fry's Bakers Fluid No.3 it contains Zinc chloride (20 - 50%) and Ammonium chloride (1 - 5%).

Either Bakers Fluid or Zinc chloride (killed spirits for us oldies) will work just fine on copper.

Note however that the fumes produced when heating are irritant.

Russell.