Solder pallion: what it is and how to use it

A pallion (Spanish paillón; also called a solder chip) is a small piece of solder, cut from sheet or wire, that is placed on the joint before heating with the torch.

What it is for #

It lets you control exactly where the solder goes and how much enters the joint. With the joint clean and covered with flux, the pallion melts, flows by capillary action and fills the seam.

How to use it #

1. Cut pieces about 1–2 mm on a side from solder sheet with snips or shears. You can cut many at once and keep them in a small container.
2. Apply flux to the joint and to the pallions.
3. Place the pallions with a damp brush or tweezers, touching the joint and not away from it.
4. Heat the piece first, not the solder: solder flows toward the heat.
5. When the solder turns bright and silvery and runs along the seam, remove the flame.

Pallion, wire or paste #

• Pallion: the most precise; ideal for small joints and several solderings in a row.
• Wire: handy for snipping as you go on long joints.
• Solder paste: powdered solder mixed with flux; applied with a syringe and useful on awkward joints.

Common mistakes #

• Too much solder: leaves a ridge that has to be filed away.
• Pallion away from the joint: it melts into a ball and does not flow.
• No flux or a dirty joint: the solder balls up.
• Heating the pallion instead of the piece.
• Using the same hardness for successive solderings: work from hard to medium to easy.

Related #

Soldering glossary · Torches · Pickle · Workshop safety