Posted by Lee Stofer on October 13, 2002 at 16:13:48:
In Reply to: Repair question posted by Chuck(G) on October 10, 2002 at 13:53:16:
One of the main underlying principles of a bottom bow cap is that there is a void in the middle, allowing the bottom bow cap to have some give, and even sustain some dents without the actual branch tubing being damaged. The bottom bow cap is actually worked to where it has slightly more curvature than the branch, so that when it is secured to the bottom bow with binding wire rings, spaced about 1 1/2" apart all the way around, then the cap fits tightly with no discernible voids between it and the branch. When fluxed and soldered this way, it will go together looking as good as new. To try and solder any more than the outer 1/2" of the cap to the branch will start to defeat the purpose of the cap - to protect the bottom bow. If you want to prevent corrosion underneath the cap, it could be tinned, but the two most important aspects of keeping corrosion down are 1) limiting the amount of flux under the cap, and 2) make sure that the solder joint is airtight, with no tiny holes anywhere. I have seen a technician use the low-temp silver solder to solder the cap, then go back with the low-temp to fill in the tiny holes. It results in a very strong, perfect-looking repair job.
Lee Stofer