I'm in the process of learning to tin plate copper and have seen reference to using "whiting" or a mixture of Calcium Carbonate and salts as a resist. I cant find any recipes or further directions for the proper use and handling. It is surprising to me that such an age old tradition as tinning has very little information available online.

 

Anyone here know how to make, apply and remove whiting while tinning copper?

 

Thanks for any help-

Bringing this back to the top. Hoping someone knows how to do this and is willing to share...

Hey fe,
I don't know but I've herd yellow ocher paint makes a good resist for soldering .
Good luck

Whiting is simply powdered chalk.  For use as a resist for tinning you would apply it as a paste or slip mixed with water normally.  It must be dry before tinning but stay in place through the process.  Any thing that will cook away or bubble, curl or flake would not do the job.  Simple powdered yellow ochre (also usually applied as a paste) will work as will plain old mud... the tin (or solder) will not stick to any powdery substance.  Waxy things make good fluxes though and would have the opposite effect of a resist.  Lampblack or soot also makes a resist... sometimes applied with areas to be tinned masked off by holding above a smokey lamp or candle.  Whiting would simply wipe away with a damp cloth or by washing, ochre also.  Soot is sort of oily and clingy and you might have to wash with soapy water to clean it off.  If you have a tricky application, do a small scale test or two until you are confident of your techniques.

When silver soldering in past during jewelry making I have used  and had great results with liquid "White-Out" sold in office supply stores to cover typing errors.

 

Just brush on any areas you want a resist for solder and flux - allow to air dry a while B4 applying any flux or solder.

 

As with many other things - what works for me may not for others. :ph34r:

 

I too strongly suggest you do some trial testing yourself.  :D

 

Stan

Hey, Thanks for the replies!

 

Looks like experimenting is in order. I have talked with several people and all the suggestions you all suggest are what I have been told works in a veriety of "other" applications. Nobody I have talked with has had first hand experience... I think I will start with Calcium Carbonate (whiting) and see what happens. 

I used liquid dish detergent ( dawn ) full strength wiped on and let dry.

This was used on copper skillets ( on the outside to keep any Tin that might stray in that direction from sticking )

Thanks Mike! Thats the kind of tip I am looking for.