Making Tin Can Toys

by Edward Thatcher

Fig. 19.

Remember: That the copper must be hot enough to make the solder glisten.

That a red-hot copper will not pick up solder.

That a red-hot copper burns away the flux, and that it destroys the tinning at the point of the copper; a red head also oxidizes the solder, making it brittle and weak.

That solder will not fill up a gap in a joint unless in very expert hands; joints should fit closely.

That a good joint should appear smooth; look as if painted on. A smooth joint is produced by a hot copper, clean metal, and good flux, but most of all, by leaving the copper long enough in the joint to heat it thoroughly.

That small joints are heated and soldered almost instantly.

That large joints require a longer time to heat up and that very heavy work requires a large copper and sometimes an outside source of heat as well—but we have nothing to do with such work in this book.