I don't want to belabor this point, but I feel compelled to speak up on this
one. It is agreed that a joint that has been _properly_ silver soldered is
considerably stronger than a joint that has been soft soldered. However,
this brings up two points:
1. It has been demonstrated empirically that the Midwest boiler, when soft
soldered, is a safe and reliable pressure vessel. The potential additional
strength of silver solder is not warranted and would far exceed the material
strength of the boiler components.
2. Due to the extremely thin materials used in the construction of the
boiler, overheating of the parent material is very difficult to avoid unless
you are a highly experienced worker. This could cause a significant
weakening of the entire structure.
I can not recommend the use of true silver solders in the construction of
this particular boiler. The use of a 4% or 5% silver bearing solder (still
classified as a soft solder) is fine, as the temperature requirements are
much lower.
I hope this sheds some light on the subject.
VR Bass wrote:
> That's actual silver solder, so your boiler should be quite sturdy.
>
> -vance-
--
Michael Martin
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
