HOME CANNING 299 



It is used for cleaning the irons and for brushing the 

 tin and solder surfaces so as to make it possible for the 

 solder in its melting condition to adhere to the tin. Pow- 

 dered resin is sometimes used instead of the soldering flux. 

 A soldering paste is also manufactured which is very 

 serviceable. The following soldering preparation or flux 

 has been found to be very desirable, and is cleaner than the 

 old flux : 



Zinc chloride 3.6 oz. 



Ammonium chloride 72.0 grains. 



Water 1 quart. 



Tinning a capping iron. Purchase 5 ( or 10 cents' 

 worth of sal ammoniac at the drug store. Melt in this a lit- 

 tle solder. Heat the capping iron enough so that it will melt 

 the solder easily. Place the iron in the vessel containing the 

 mixture of sal ammoniac and solder. Rotate iron in this 

 until the soldering edge of the iron has become bright or 

 thoroughly covered with the solder. 



Tinning a tipping copper. The tipping copper is 

 tinned very much the same as the iron. Sometimes it is 

 desirable, however, to file or scrape the tipping copper a 

 bit so as to make it smooth and to correct the point. Heat 

 the iron and rotate the tip of this iron in the mixture of sal 

 ammoniac and solder until the tip has been covered with the 

 melted solder and rendered bright as silver. The copper 

 should be filed to nearly a sharp point. All particles of 

 smudge, burned material, etc., should be removed from 

 iron before tinning. 



Capping a tin can. When capping full cans, ar- 

 range them in rows upon the table while the capping 

 and tipping irons are in the fire heating. Take a handful 

 of solder-hemmed caps and place the caps on all cans, ready 

 to be capped. Then take the flux jar and small brush. 



