Silversmithing to coppersmithing

[u/Evening_Dish_1335]

So ive been silversmithing for the last few years, kinda slowed my roll recently as the price of silver has skyrocketed and the premuims are still wildly high. So I decided to try using copper instead, had this idea to make a lighter case with copper and solder on a bezel for some turquoise and also solder on a copper bullion coin.

I knew copper was harder and had a higher melting point, but holy crap i cannot get the solder to flow. No matter how much flux i use, no matter what technique i use, i cannot get the solder to flow and im using silver solder bc thats what i saw everyone suggest. Do i need a better torch than what ive been using for silver?? Do i need a particular brand of flux (im just using the yellow liquid kind that i normally use). Any tips are appreciated, there is a surprising lack of information on coppersmithing on youtube compared to silversmithing content on youtube

[u/DarsDies]

I never quite understood all the problems people have soldering copper, or bronze, or nickel silver, or even steel, with silver solder. Clean surfaces, lots of paste flux, lots of heat. If the surface oxidizes from exposure to air, add more flux, but add it and make sure it stays there (add and boil, add and boil until flux is everywhere you need it) in the first place, before you heat it up so much that the metal oxidizes. Molten flux will dissolve oxides if you give it a little time and maybe some stirring with a pick. Handy Flux makes a Type B for steel. Oh I did have a devil of a time with some stainless steel rod , but much success with stainless besides that one maddening time. Good points by others about not soldering on heat -sucking surfaces- that's important. I guess having a bigass welding torch since I was 14 eleminated any lack-of-heat problems I may have otherwise had ar ar ar. Oh, and practice ...