BRAZING.. What would you like to know.

[crawlbe4youwalk]

bazur, just practice man it will come to you!!

[bazur]

I've just find a nice simple guide that helped me understanding how to regulate the flux of the oxy-acetilene mix to get a nice hot flame to use for brazing:

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1459038

I also think I'm using too big silver/flux sticks... I bought the only ones I could find at the store, but I guess I'll have to look for smaller ones to get things done well.

[crawlbe4youwalk]

I have plenty at the store!

[bazur]

Originally Posted by crawlbe4youwalk

I have plenty at the store!

yeah I know your store but I'd like to find a store that sells them here in Italy :P It would bother me having to buy something like that from the other side of the world...

[bazur]

every day I try something new :P

today I've been able to braze together two brass rods, 4mm. but I think I'm heating them too much cos I've almost seen the brass melting!

then I tried again with two steel bolts and it was a bit better, the silver flowed more nicely and the result was quite good.

I can't quite get the silver to flow inside the space of the two parts I want to join tho. is it beacause I'm using those silver rods with the flux already on them? or is it cos I'm not good at brazing yet? or both? :P

should I keep trying with those or should I get the silver rod and the flux separately?

I'll get some pics tomorrow to show my crappy brazing experiments

[TheHeadHunter]

I did start my first joint with 8mm stainless ...thats all I could get here (in Japan)

but its worked OK I think , slightly odd looking but it may work

#1 Why is my flux dry ? #2 how am I supposed to spread it on? #3 is it normal that its dry like this ? it looks like it was a paste that has dried up ...seemed to work should I exchange it?





can you please tell me if this looks OK ? I may have added too much silver...

the stainless 8mm is very tough to fish mouth with a file

last thing >>>I dont have a dremmel how can I clean the ends?

thanks !

[crawl rookie]

What is used to fishmount tube is firts use a triangle shaped file so you get a notch and than work your way with a smaller file so it gest rounder.

Did you see the flux bubble when i got hot? if so wait for a bit and than when ist tempered down and the metal is red hot add some silver solder between the flame and the red hot material, the connection should be good when the silver solder 'shoots' in the places where you put the flux before brazing.

Dont know if i said it with the right words but this is how i braze and it's rock solid!

Hope this helped headhunter

Edit:
you only have to add a little silver rod, when you see it folow the gap between the tube, add a tiny bit more for strenght. Just a little but enough to fill up the little gap bewtween the tubes ;)

[TheHeadHunter]

Originally Posted by crawl rookie

What is used to fishmount tube is firts use a triangle shaped file so you get a notch and than work your way with a smaller file so it gest rounder.

Did you see the flux bubble when i got hot? if so wait for a bit and than when ist tempered down and the metal is red hot add some silver solder between the flame and the red hot material, the connection should be good when the silver solder 'shoots' in the places where you put the flux before brazing.

Dont know if i said it with the right words but this is how i braze and it's rock solid!

Hope this helped headhunter

Edit:
you only have to add a little silver rod, when you see it folow the gap between the tube, add a tiny bit more for strenght. Just a little but enough to fill up the little gap bewtween the tubes ;)

Thanks budI got the joints spot on I guess the fish mouth is perfect fit to the second pipe but I found a weakness in these 8mm pipes
since the wall on them is thin they base they are brazed to is too soft and that means the frame will bend:-( looks like I'm on a Sunday pipe hunt tomorrow

[crawl rookie]

Originally Posted by TheHeadHunter

Thanks budI got the joints spot on I guess the fish mouth is perfect fit to the second pipe but I found a weakness in these 8mm pipes
since the wall on them is thin they base they are brazed to is too soft and that means the frame will bend:-( looks like I'm on a Sunday pipe hunt tomorrow

Well atleast you tried and did some practice

[rcr3fan29]

I want to thank Double J and Mr. Pink for all the great information in this thread. I'd always been scared to braze and envious of the guys who could. Well guess what? If you follow the guidelines they're telling you, you CAN do it. I've never been one to proceed cautiously, so I jumped in with both feet and tried to make a rear bumper for my Bruiser. Here are the results. First time to ever use MAPP gas and 1/4" brake line. Feel free to critique.

[crawlbe4youwalk]

Very nicely done!!

[TheHeadHunter]

Some Questions for the experts;

#1 Can over heating one area over a few times on the brake line make that section weaker then normal??????

#2 If I used a room in the house which is not greatly ventilated should my 1 1/2 year old be OK to enter like a few hours later? This is not a work shop and the tube is galvanized

#3 How toxic is flux?


Thanks !!!!

[wonder squirrel]

Originally Posted by rcr3fan29

I want to thank Double J and Mr. Pink for all the great information in this thread. I'd always been scared to braze and envious of the guys who could. Well guess what? If you follow the guidelines they're telling you, you CAN do it. I've never been one to proceed cautiously, so I jumped in with both feet and tried to make a rear bumper for my Bruiser. Here are the results. First time to ever use MAPP gas and 1/4" brake line. Feel free to critique.

How did you go about building up the joints?

My joints are always thin (they feel plenty strong) to the point where you can see the two pieces joined together without any excess built up material.

[wonder squirrel]

Originally Posted by TheHeadHunter

Some Questions for the experts;

#1 Can over heating one area over a few times on the brake line make that section weaker then normal??????

#2 If I used a room in the house which is not greatly ventilated should my 1 1/2 year old be OK to enter like a few hours later? This is not a work shop and the tube is galvanized

#3 How toxic is flux?


Thanks !!!!

#1 in my experience, the metal is not weakened enough to make any kind of noticable difference in strength. Typically you don't need to keep reheating an area over and over. Although if you kept heating the same spot over and over many times, I'm sure it could cause a failure point.

#2 You should pretty much never braze indoors. The fumes from the mapp gas alone are harmful to you, and brazing galvanized metal gives off a poisonous fumes that can poison you or kill you. Not to mention, even if you wait hours to let pets/ family in the room, your harming yourself in the mean time and coating everything in the room with toxic junk. Even outside you should avoid breathing any of the stuff your burning

#3 Do a search for the MSDS on your type of flux on google, it should tell you about the health risks and other info about it.

[rcr3fan29]

Originally Posted by wonder squirrel

How did you go about building up the joints?

My joints are always thin (they feel plenty strong) to the point where you can see the two pieces joined together without any excess built up material.

I just fishmouthed/filed until the tube sat flush. Once heated, I applied the silv until I thought the joint was covered. I had to file a few areas to where too much silv accumulated.

[crawlbe4youwalk]

Originally Posted by wonder squirrel

#1 in my experience, the metal is not weakened enough to make any kind of noticable difference in strength. Typically you don't need to keep reheating an area over and over. Although if you kept heating the same spot over and over many times, I'm sure it could cause a failure point.

#2 You should pretty much never braze indoors. The fumes from the mapp gas alone are harmful to you, and brazing galvanized metal gives off a poisonous fumes that can poison you or kill you. Not to mention, even if you wait hours to let pets/ family in the room, your harming yourself in the mean time and coating everything in the room with toxic junk. Even outside you should avoid breathing any of the stuff your burning

#3 Do a search for the MSDS on your type of flux on google, it should tell you about the health risks and other info about it.

Please do all brazing outdoors and if you do braze indoors please use adequate ventilation. Also MSDS sheets come with every can of flux. You should rec 1 every time you buy a jar. Same goes with 45T or and brazing Alloy.

[crawlbe4youwalk]

Originally Posted by TheHeadHunter

Some Questions for the experts;

#1 Can over heating one area over a few times on the brake line make that section weaker then normal??????

#2 If I used a room in the house which is not greatly ventilated should my 1 1/2 year old be OK to enter like a few hours later? This is not a work shop and the tube is galvanized

#3 How toxic is flux?


Thanks !!!!

Overheating will cause a weak joint. For the most part it will not factor into a joint breaking, but if you hit it right you could take that chance!

DO NOT SUBJECT YOURSELF OR CHILD TO FUMES!!!!

[TheHeadHunter]

Thanks guys , shit I should have waited to do it outside...oh well live and learn, Its been a couple of weeks.My daughter has been in my room a couple of times since but still scary:-(.