Silver Solder case hardened steel.

So, can you silver solder two steel parts together, one case hardened and one soft, without destroying the case on the first part? I am creating half of a thrust race and need to solder a shaped arm to the outer diameter. There is no other way of joining the two.

Any idea? Rob.

My understanding is that the silver soldering process anneals the case, so you have to quench it from red hot to restore the hardness then temper. This could be difficult if using a silver solder that melts below or at red heat!

What about making it then hardening it?

Neil

"can you silver solder two steel parts together, one case hardened and one soft, without destroying the case on the first part?"

Not likely, only way is try it and see to what degree hardness is lost. A hot torch and fastest water quench possible afterward will give best chances of least lost hardness.

TIG welding may give better results but disctortion and some loss of local hardening would still happen.

For best results if a hardened race is needed with an extended arm, the whole thing should probably cut from tool steel or gauge stock and heat treated as a single piece afterward.

In an industrial application I would try and design a non hardened race-carrier piece with the arm as part of it, and press in the case hardened thrust race. That way a worn race could be removed and replaced without having to make and heat treat a costly one-piece arm and race.

JD

Rob, You may like to remake the thrust race in a steel suitable for nitriding.

Silver solder the arm, made of any steel, to it then have the assembly nitrided.

At 510 deg.C the silver solder will not become plastic and the atmosphere will prevent scaling of your job.

Graham