2

FORGE

applied to the surfaces. Paint it onto the parts to be
bonded. Try not to get flux on parts that you don’t
want soldered. Clamp the parts together with some
heat-proof clamps. We find welding clamps are
good for this task. Position the box so the joint is
flat, hot solder will flow downhill.
Heat the joint with a torch until it flows red. Keep
the torch moving so that the surrounding areas are
not heated too. You should see the flux melt and
bubble. Once the joint is red hot, apply the solder
along the edge of the joint, you should find it melts
readily and flows into the joint.
Once the joint is formed then leave the work
to cool naturally before removing the clamps or
they will come undone. Repeat this for each of the

corners and for the tabs on the lid. If any of the

joints are not bonded then wait till they are cool

before cleaning and refluxing.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Once you’ve finished soldering and the box and

lid have cooled, you’ll need to clean off any flux

residue. If this is excessive you can use an acid

cleaner but we find you can remove it with wire

wool or an emery cloth. Clean the box well and

apply a metal primer before adding the top coats of

paint. If spray-painting, lots of thin coats work best

and always work with suitable ventilation.

The box handles we found were already zinc-

plated so we did not want to solder those to the

box. They also had some handy holes in each

corner which are ideal for bolts or rivets.

Sheet Metal Work (Workshop Practice Series #8)

by R.E.Wakeford

Sheet Metal Work (Crowood Metalworking

Guides) by Marcus Bowman

Soldering and Brazing (Workshop Practice Series

#9) by Tubal Cain

FURTHER READING

Above

Aim for a dull red or orange colour

Below

Choose a suitable size and shape of clamp

Below

A sturdy metal

storage box

When working

with larger sheets,

a framing square

will be easier to

use than a smaller

engineer’s square

QUICK TIP