For the game of steel tip darts, I have some hammerhead moving points that thread into the dart barrel.
The point is basically a hardened steel pin, and the clip is a copper (I think) sleeve. The clip has an appearance like tarnished copper, and looks like fresh copper if I scratch it. The round cylinder back of the clip has 4 slots cut in it to make 4 leaf springs (sort of) which apply friction to the point as it moves in and out on impact and removal from the board.
I degreased the parts with spray carburetor cleaner, then acetone soak, then isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol soak, then blow dry. I then glued with Loctite 271 thread locker red. It didn't hold very well. One point came loose after a half hour of throwing the darts. The others have held, but if I take the point and place it tip down on a piece of Plexiglass and tap the sleeve with a hammer, it comes lose.
The technical report on Loctite 271
So, I'm looking for something that will do a better job of bonding the steel point to the copper sleeve. It has to withstand thousands of cycles of repeated impact during normal dart play.
For prep, and to remove the Loctite 271, I'm going to wire wheel and coarse sand paper the points to bare steel at the bonding surface, and scratch up the inside of the copper sleeves with a needle file.
I'm tempted to try soldering them. I don't want to add much weight and certainly don't want to add un-uniform amounts of weight across the three assemblies. I have some fine solder wire with flux in it that might do the job well. I could apply the solder at the slots in the sleeves and hope a thin layer wicks in around the pin. Not sure whether to use a solder iron or propane torch. I'll try the solder iron first. I'm afraid I'll warp or even evaporate the sleeve with the torch.
Another possibility is the clear Loctite that you see in most hardware stores.
Thoughts on these approaches? Other ideas?
Thanks, Paul S.