[TowerTalk] Aluminum...Soldering to..

[K4SAV]

Pat Barthelow wrote:

>AA6EG, Pat needs confirmation:
>
>I have been told that if you need to solder to alumium, using ordinary 
>solder, and rosin flux,  that it is possible to take an aluminum object, lay 
>a small squeeze of  motor oil on it, keeping the surface away from oxygen, 
>and aggressively burnish the aluminum with a scraper, file, or other 
>scraping tool...through the oil, keeping the newly burnished surface from 
>developing a micro oxide coating. Then, taking a large soldering iron and 
>some solder, heating the aluminum through the oil, and simultaneously 
>applying your solder through the  oil (which now, I am guessing is probably 
>smoking (:-> )to the aluminum surface, and the solder will 'tin' the 
>alumunum. Once tinned you can then solder to in conventionally.
>
>Can anyone confirm this technique?
>
>Tnx   Pat Barthelow    aaa6eg at hotmail.com
>
>  
>

This is easy to test.  Why don't you try it.  
It doesn't work for me.

SOLDER-IT  makes a paste they claim will allow you to solder to aluminum.  
That doesn't work either.

Jerry, K4SAV

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