Filling cut-out cover pits with solder

[Colonel Biggs]

I have an original cut-out cover that is perfect, except for a few small pits in places. I used some plumbing solder that I had available, flux, and a butane torch (heating from inside the cover) to melt some solder into place. This worked until I went to sand it smooth after cooling. The solder would tear away in pieces. Is this a function of the type of solder, or am I missing something else? This would seem to be a no-brainer (it says here).

I also want to fill some pits in an instrument panel that I plan to plate. I'm not sure that the copper plating stage of the process will be sufficient to hide the pits though.

Gordon

[SSsssteamer]

Proper tinning on a properly prepared surface should keep the lead from flaking away on the cutout . For your dash panel, lead sold will not take a plating like the parent metal. Instead use silver solder on a properly prepared surface and it will plate over beautifully matching the rest.

[Colonel Biggs]

Thanks for the response. Minor questions for the purist:

Are all silver solders alike, or is a Home Depot brand adequate?

Any trick to the preparation; flux just before heating?

Any other preparations to the metal that you recommend?

Do you use a high heat to melt the solder (e.g., propane), or would a butane torch suffice?

Is it necessary to spread the melted solder with any kind of paddle, or would a wooden popsicle stick suffice?

Lastly, sand smooth with a fine file, or 400-grit sandpaper?

Thanks.

Gordon

[Tom Wesenberg]

For filling the cutout cover I would use a good heavy duty soldering gun, like a WEN 250, or a heavy duty soldering iron. Sandblast the cover with Black Beauty grit to get all the rust out of the pit. Use a good rosin flux and 60/40 electrical solder.

Instrument panels with pits can be very labor intensive, as I've done one. I won't do another, but instead buy a better panel, or a restored original panel.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

...

Instrument panels with pits can be very labor intensive, as I've done one. I won't do another, but instead buy a better panel, or a restored original panel.

Get one of Don Turley's restored original panels. They are probably the best around. Mine looked like "Brand New" when I got it.

[SeaSlugs]

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question: are you planing to have the cutout replated as well? if not and your just plannign to paint it - sandblast it, prime it, then use spot putty to fill the pits, sand, then topcoat.

[Ulysses6]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

For filling the cutout cover I would use a good heavy duty soldering gun, like a WEN 250, or a heavy duty soldering iron. Sandblast the cover with Black Beauty grit to get all the rust out of the pit. Use a good rosin flux and 60/40 electrical solder.

Instrument panels with pits can be very labor intensive, as I've done one. I won't do another, but instead buy a better panel, or a restored original panel.

which of the black beauty products, do you recommend ?
coal slag
glass abrasive
iron / copper slag
and which grade ?

[Tom Wesenberg]

I always buy the coal slag from Menards. Don't know the grade, but think they only sell the one grade.

[Colonel Biggs]

Thanks for the posts. I plan on having the cover plated, otherwise I would use JB Weld and a razor blade to eliminate the pits.

My instrument panel is in excellent shape, except for the few pits. Hence, I like the challenge of preparing it for plating myself. I guess that I will experiment with some silver solder.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Colonel Biggs

Thanks for the posts. I plan on having the cover plated, otherwise I would use JB Weld and a razor blade to eliminate the pits.

My instrument panel is in excellent shape, except for the few pits. Hence, I like the challenge of preparing it for plating myself. I guess that I will experiment with some silver solder.

Are you going to use that Cad plating company over in the Park Place area?? (Cant remember the name.)

[JonC]

Black Beauty comes in three grades fine-med. etc. I have have excellent results using tinning butter from Eastwoods when using lead on my projects. The paste is grey in color but when heated turns to a chrome like finish when using a damp rag wipe the area, it will show you where the adhesion is and body solder will stick to it very well. It has it's own flux mixed in.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Any rust left in the pits will cause adhesion problems with the solder.... it won't "flow-over" the void, but instead will flow around it, leaving a little pin-hole.

[Colonel Biggs]

Hey, Brent! It's been a while. Convey my best to your dad, by all means.

For cad plating I've used Delta Specialty Coatings on Heiser here in Houston. They acquired Electro Specialty Coatings, whom I had been using, back in 2005. They have a minimum charge for plating ($100?), which means some pooling in most cases.

I will have Bright Metals of the Heights do the instrument panel. They apply a brushed nickel finish, which is an excellent replica of the original Butler finish. (Bryan Perkins has two of my oval instrument panels in such a finish.)


As to the plating posts, thanks for the suggestions. I will try some flux and electrical solder and see how it flows. I should get a tentative reading from the plating shop tomorrow as to how successful the copper layer might be in hiding the small pits.