TIG welded copper boilers versus silver soldered boilers

TIG welded copper boilers versus silver soldered boilers

This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 18 January 2026 at 10:48 by Nigel Graham 2.

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18 January 2026 at 09:55 #833018
Greensands
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@greensands
I an looking to purchase a copper boiler for a 3 5ins gauge locomotive I have taken on as a fill-in project and have been considering the options available. My previous experience has been with silver soldered boilers but recently my thoughts have turned up TIG welded as a possible cheaper alternative. First impressions are that silver soldered boilers appear to be neater to the eye, expecially in the smaller gauges but are the any there considerations to bd taken into account?
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18 January 2026 at 10:48 #833030
Nigel Graham 2
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@nigelgraham2
Dispensing with the aesthetics first, there is no real reason for either method to look “neater” than the other, but you see very little of the boiler itself on the completed locomotive anyway. Most is buried under the cladding.

The only major joint likely to be visible is that round the backhead, which is not usually clad on models, and there you could argue a TIG-welded joint being more realistic.

As you are purchasing the boiler, you can trust it whether assembled by silver-brazing or welding as it has to meet appropriate standards and be supplied with a test and conformity certificate.

So really the question is as crude as mere cost!
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