Would someone like to make clearer precisely what we mean on each side of the Atlantic by the terms silver soldering and silver brazing? I am not a frame builder, but I do use silver solder to fasten the end fittings on oil pipes on vintage motors. The reason for that is that the whole assembly of copper pipe and brass fittings can be annealed after a period of use without the fittings falling off as they would do if they ere soft soldered. Now I am aware that it is a form of brazing and as a complete amateur I have always assumed that the difference between silver soldering the fittings and brazing them was the materials used in the filler rod and the temperature at which they melt, silver solder becoming liquid at a lower temperature. In the event of a complex assemby being necessary, on a car or a firearm for example, silver solder of different melting points is used to allow the part to be built up part by part. I look at the melting point when I am buying the rod or wire.
Why is it that every time this is raised an American contributor feels it necessary to patiently expain that silver soldering is not soldering. We know what we are doing for God's sake. We speak slightly different languages and if we on the old side of the pond are capable of understanding your useage, why can you not understand ours?
I feel much better for getting that off my chest. Sorry for the display of petulance and pique.
Stuart Tallack in West Sussex
PS Someone has read this over my shoulder and reminded me that Clive Lones' Brooklands Morgan had its tubes silver soldered into the lugs rather than brazed. Articles at the time made that point as though they felt it to be important. And in case you are wondering, he would have known what soft soldering meant as the large lug at the back of the chassis was usually soft soldered so that creep could be corrected. Good God, now I have started another hare. We'll all go off chasing the possibilty or otherwise of lugs creeping round tubes under the influence of torque and impact..