Terne Finish - How?
- Thread starter Hunter
- Start date
Farrell In Vancouver
Well-known member
Clean your gas line bright with some steel wool, brush it down with steel flux, and heat it up with a torch, run some solder (50/50?) on it and "Tin" the steel by brushing the hot solder in with the wool. Keep the heat, but don't over heat, you just need enough to keep the solder liquid and moving. Once you've done the entire pipe, cool it down and wash it thouroughly to get rid of any remaining acids from the flux. This might dull the finish a bit but its easily shined up with the steel wool.
Just a "cheap-cheat" but it might answer your question.
Something to ponder while your shopping at the auto part store for the elusive "Bundy pipe" (aftermarket fuel/brake line pieces)Cheers!
Just a "cheap-cheat" but it might answer your question.
Something to ponder while your shopping at the auto part store for the elusive "Bundy pipe" (aftermarket fuel/brake line pieces)Cheers!
MikeK
Well-known member
Terne Finish - contrary to popular belief.
Contrary to what appears to be popular belief,Terne is not tin plate. It is a more economical hot dipped or wiped finish that is about 80% lead and just 20% tin.
Many of the Terne resto jobs I've seen are way too much of a shiny white tin color. The closest you will get is by using 30/70 lead body solder, wiped with a fluxed rag while hot.
Do not polish it with steel wool, unless you want it to look like what everybody thinks it must have looked like, not how it actually looked when new.
Contrary to what appears to be popular belief,Terne is not tin plate. It is a more economical hot dipped or wiped finish that is about 80% lead and just 20% tin.
Many of the Terne resto jobs I've seen are way too much of a shiny white tin color. The closest you will get is by using 30/70 lead body solder, wiped with a fluxed rag while hot.
Do not polish it with steel wool, unless you want it to look like what everybody thinks it must have looked like, not how it actually looked when new.
Steve Plucker
BANNED
Just remember, the tube is "seamed"...any overheating on the tube MAY damaged it beyond repair...then what will you have?
Pluck
Pluck
MikeK
Well-known member
Hunter,
The tube needs to be cleaned of all oxidation with a red ScotchBrite first, then painted with flux. The original flux for Terne was tallow with zinc chloride, but you can use the paste flux sold for plumbing fittings. The wipe should remove almost all the solder and the base metal must be hot enough to keep the Terne liquid after the wipe. You do not want to work it in a plastic state, like body solder. Practice on junk tube first. Wear gloves unless you are very experienced in wiping lead.
Dale Fairfax
Senior Member
Terne plate is actually a lead coating. I spent 25 years in Chevrolet stamping plants and participated in the manufacture of Terne plate gas tankns and tin plated valve rocker covers.