I have some little stainless steel pots in a heated tank, one of them recently sprang a leak and if I hold it up to the light I can see 3 little pin prick holes in it.
Am I likely to be able to repair this by filling the holes with solder?
If not would welding sort it?
It is certainly possible to solder stainless steel. I used to use a flux comprising one half Baker's fluid No 1, one quarter hydrochloric acid
36% and one quarter distilled water.Whether the solder would survive whatever it was that caused holes in stainless steel is another matter. In any case, I suspect that any repair will only be a temporary fix. Multiple pin holes suggest to me that the pot is probably nearing the end of its useful life and really needs replacing.
Colin Bignell
They are little square half litre pots and the supplier wants £30 each for them!
Epoxy works.
NT
I'd expect electrolytic corrosion to occur around the solder so any repair would be temporary.
TIG welding SS is pretty straightforward.
Yes, but you need a pokey flux for dealing with stainless. Phosphoric acid can do it.
Easiest though is a Lumiweld kit, which comes with the right flux and a better solder.
Either that or it was made in China.
Naaah, it's made in stainless steel, didn't you read his post :)
Never had that problem in several decades of soldering stainless steel surgical instruments.
Colin Bignell
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