Tinning Copper saucepans - again!

I've read the previous threads on this subject and need some help making them come together. Bought my pure tin, tallow, and Bakers No5, Scoured my pan with de-greaser and dipped in caustic soda to be sure of getting rid of the grease, Wire wooled the surface Applied the Bakers No 5 flux by poring it in the bottom and wiping around the sides with an old rag. First tried to heat the pan with a blow torch - but couldn't get the all-over heat. So put the pan on the stove. When hot enough put a tin stick in the pan and it melted easily on the bottom. However the molten tin went into pools and wouldn't adhere to areas of the pan bottom or the sides - it just flowed over these areas Any suggestions on what to try next would be greatly appreciated Are there any web-sites with step by step pictures ? DO I need more heat

thanks

Denis

Reply to
denis.wicking
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I will watch with fascination - I might want to do this.

On the heating aspect, I wonder if you might be better off using a barbeque with a *big* pile of charcoal - hollowed out in the middle and some metal sheet/bricks around the side so you can get most of the pan down into the hot coals. It runs the risk of over-heating but it might give a quicker and more useable heat source?...

On an aside, but vaguely relevant, I used a barbie and a hoover in blow mode to melt a load of old lead piping down when I was a lad (probably explains my current senility!) - worked a treat, so I would expect some success with tin.

BTW - where did you buy the tin?

Tim

Reply to
Tim S

Tallow and Bakers? WTF's that for? Buy a decent flux like Laco and have a go with that, put it on a rag as well as on the pan. Don't get it too hot, just hot enough is best or you'll burn the flux.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

Ahh - Bakers. The flux for everything. Last tin I used was probably made in 1950 - didn't know they still did it.

The only caution I'd have is: are either fluxes suitable for cooking utensils, assuming the OP is going to make things in said pan? Don't want to use something grossly toxic unless you can be sure of removing it 100% afterwards.

Tallow is obviously safe...

Just my 2p's worth.

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim S

He's going to tin it. I assume he's going to wash it up afterwards.

Sigh. Also, Laco flux is extensively used in plumbing of potable and non-potable supplies. It's water-soluble.

And it doesn't work very well compared to a decent flux.

An old bronze one, or a new copper plated one?

Reply to
Chris Bacon

I doubt it, tin can be toxic, that's why they put lacquer on the inside of "tin" cans.

Reply to
Nigel Molesworth

You can buy new tinned copper utensils with tinned insides, and they're nice and expensive. The solder used in plumbing potable supplies is now virtually pure copper. If lacquer is applied to the insides of tins, why use tin at all? Tin doesn't last wonderfully well, so it needs replacing. I prefer stainless steel pans, myself, although I've got some Stellar laminated ones, which are OK, but a PITA if you want them bright on the outside. See:

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Reply to
Chris Bacon

snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com brought next idea :

I don't know what the purpose of this is, but I would suggest the problem is too much heat in the wrong places - in other words burnt flux. Burnt flux will prevent tinning.

If if were trying to do this, I would be trying to wipe the solder on a small area at a time - just as they used to plumb lead pipes. Clean the entire area, then heat a small area and apply the tin just as soon as the surface is hot enough for it to become plastic. Then gradually wipe the tin around, chasing it with the heat source and cloth.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Assuming the stuff is water soluable.

Double sigh. I haven't heard of Laco - therefore the caution is perfectly reasonable to raise - and is now answered.

True enough.

New one - they're great if you run out of large washers and have a drill handy.

Reply to
Tim S

Well, if it's properly tinned there'd be no problem. There'd be no free flux.

Don't bet on that!

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

You did right to apply the flux all over, otherwise the metal would quickly oxidise and be untinnable. But heated flux goes manky, overheated flux goes very manky, and sticks to the metal. Hence the tin never even touches the metal. To get the tin to stick you have to scrape the metal while its got molten tin on it. When the tin sees the Cu it'll stick. Lots of scraping ahead, and I take it you know you wont get an even shiny finish, but it will get tinned. It'll be a bit ripply/bobbly.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Goodness Gracious! Defacing the Queen's currency! Mr. S., I'm shocked.

P.S. Didn't mean to sound ratty.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

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