how to tin a nail head?

[Steve S.]

I am trying to tin steel nail heads that I am using as rivets on a pair of Wisby gauntlets.

I have applied paste flux to the nail head, and heated the head with a torch and touched silver solder to it. It forms a bead of solder on the head but does not flow onto the top and bottom of the head.

Do I have to dip them in tin to make this work?

Steve

[Jason Grimes]

Sounds like they are not clean enough or you are not getting the nails hot enough. You could also roughen up the surface a bit to give the solder some purchase, at least that is what I like to do.

[Mac]

From here.... viewtopic.php?f=16&t=149735&hilit=Mac+tinning+flux

OK. Here's the protocol.

---Put the ironwork into full strength muriatic acid until all the fire scale has come away.
---Remove and blot dry. If you are not moving on directly to the next step, you should probably rinse them and neutralize them in a baking soda solution.
---Dip the work in an aqueous, acidic soldering flux. I am now using this stuff, http://panthereast.com/prod/amco_blitz which I bought from the roofing dept. of a local building supply place. They recommended it for soldering up my lead counter flashings. Amco Blitz is "Da' Bomb". It contains zinc chloride, and ammonium chloride, as well as hydrochloric acid.
---Blot the work dry with a paper towel.
---Place the work in the molten tin. (you are wearing eye protection....n'est pas?) The tin should be just barely molten. This is important.
---Use a bent wire (or whatever, but this works well for small stuff) to remove the work. If the tin coating is smooth and shiny, go to the next step. If the tin coating is thick and granular, put it back in and let it get a bit hotter.
---Give the work a brisk shake or a nice steady swing to fling off the excess tin. (Be sure that there is nothing you value in the path of the spatter)
---Let the work cool. If it is small work on a hook, you will have to keep it moving on the hook for a few seconds so it does not solder its self to the tool.
---If there are any un-tinned spots, return the work to the flux, and repeat the process. (you are still wearing eye protection....n'est pas?)
---Rinse the work in water and neutralize with a baking soda solution.
---Rinse again and dry.
---Use a baking soda solution to neutralize the drips and spatters around the work area.

The big change in the protocol is the use of the Amco Blitz in place of muriatic acid for the tinning flux. It just plain works better than the acid alone. I don't know if its the zinc chloride, the ammonium chloride, or both; but it definitely works better.

Please note that the flux is quite corrosive. In addition to all the usual safety precautions, (you were wearing eye protection....n'est pas?) you will want to keep it away from of any iron or steel objects in the shop. Failure to do so will result in a surprising and distressing amount of rust....guaranteed.

Mac

Mac

(edited to make the link work)

[Steve S.]

Wow, this worked slicker than owl shit! I should have known the HCL was the key. I had been talking with a guy named Axel who makes Civil War tinware, and he, as well as Sinric, had said acid was the key to tinning before.

I figured just the flux would do. Nope.

I did not buy the Amco Blitz, but I went to Lowes and got a bottle of Muriatic acid (HCL). I also picked up a 1-1/4 pipe cap. First thing I did was give the pipe cap a little bath-ola in the HCL to eat off the galvanization.

Then I clamped it in my vice, melted some tin in it, and then pickled the nail head in a little HCL, and then dunked it in my regular old Oatey flux, hit it with the torch until the flux ran, flung off the excess flux, and dunked it in the tin.

Wow! It wetted out on the head like water! I now have a perfect tin-plated nail head.

All I have to do now is set up a little production line and make about a hundred of them and I'm ready to proceed with my Wisby #4 gauntlets. I'm making them out of 1075. They will be heat treated.

Steve

[Steve S.]

I've now tinned up a few dozen. The acid is the trick for sure.

Biggest problem now is sometimes a glob forms on the shank, which may make it hard to pass through the holes in the plates. I can usually make it go away by hitting the glob with the torch and making it flow out a bit.

Steve

[Ckanite]

Small question not meant to derail the thread, after you tin the heads, how do you peen over the rivets? Does that mess up the tinning?