welding/brazing qqq's

[stampedecrawler]

hey guys just some help thanks!

ok so q;
1; what metal tube/rod do you guys mainly use for roll cages bumpers tubers etc..???

2; what size metals? 1/4? 1/8?

3;what metals will thin silver solder weld?

4; my dad has a mig welder in the garage not the gas type just plug in one- i made a table at school with metal for outdoors and not to brag but i had better welding skills then both my prac tech teachers! haha anyway, can i just weld the rod with this then clean it up or will it be to messy or hot?

5; is it cheaper to get the metal and solder from my rip-off lhs or towerhobbies?

6; i have a pencil torch i think it wont be hot enough? i also have a blow torch in case haha
7; what metal rube/rod needs the lowest temp to solder?

8; i heated up metal tube and 60/40 solder for electrics solder melted but just ran down the tube to the floor instead of sticking? i know i didn't use the right solder but was just wondering if the tube was to cold or hot etc..?

thanks guys!

[Big Mike]

ok so q;
1; what metal tube/rod do you guys mainly use for roll cages bumpers tubers etc..??? -- Automotive Brake line, 1/4" and 3/8". 1/8" solid rod sometimes. Depends on what you're making.

2; what size metals? 1/4? 1/8? -- and 3/8"

3;what metals will thin silver solder weld? -- This is a huge subject. To keep it simple, if you stick to steel brakeline and brass tubing/rod, silver solder will work provided everything is clean and you have good flux.

4; my dad has a mig welder in the garage not the gas type just plug in one- i made a table at school with metal for outdoors and not to brag but i had better welding skills then both my prac tech teachers! haha anyway, can i just weld the rod with this then clean it up or will it be to messy or hot? -- Too messy. Even the neatest beads are going to need to be ground down smooth to look right in small scale. Stick to brazing methods for scale work.

5; is it cheaper to get the metal and solder from my rip-off lhs or towerhobbies? -- Probably not. I'd guess it would be more expensive. I'd also guess they only have electronics solder. Automotive parts place like NAPA for brakeline (Get straight lengths. Don't let anyone talk you into buying a coil of tubing cause it's cheaper - it's impossible to straighten it out!) and a welders supply house for brazing rod or Safety-Silv. For brass stock I do go to my LHS though, hobby shops are probably the only sources for small brass stock. Or McMaster-Carr on-line.

6; i have a pencil torch i think it wont be hot enough? i also have a blow torch in case haha -- If you have a butane powered mini torch, no it ain't gettin hot enough. If by "blow torch" you mean an oxy/acetelyne rig, that is perfect as long as you have a small brazing tip for it.

7; what metal rube/rod needs the lowest temp to solder? -- Brass

8; i heated up metal tube and 60/40 solder for electrics solder melted but just ran down the tube to the floor instead of sticking? i know i didn't use the right solder but was just wondering if the tube was to cold or hot etc..? -- Steel tube? Either not hot enough, or too "dirty", or both. (60/40 melts long before steel reaches a good heat. It is primarily designed for copper pipe joints) Did you use any flux of any kind? if no, that's why it didn't stick. Flux is acidic and cleans the metal and preps it for the solder. Makes the solder "wet" so it flows onto the metal instead of just laying on top of it if that makes any sense.

thanks guys!

[stampedecrawler]

^wow that was very helpful! looks like ill be going for brass and silver or steel. one last question though, for brass would say 1/4 tube bend in or a crash/roll? or should i use a slightly thinner solid rod?

[ultimateoffroad]

Great info. I was about to post asking the same info!

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by stampedecrawler

^wow that was very helpful! looks like ill be going for brass and silver or steel. one last question though, for brass would say 1/4 tube bend in or a crash/roll? or should i use a slightly thinner solid rod?

The only reason I don't really like brass is the scratching. When you roll and scratch the paint it shows yellow instead of silver, which looks weird to me.

Strength-wise, 1/4" brass tubing is plenty strong structurally. Depending on configuration of course. Proper bracing and triangulation helps...