Backing Material for Brazing/Soldering

[monkeyracing]

Hi, I'm trying to find a suitable material to cover my bench and keep it safe while using heated tools in it. Most would be lightweight brazing work. I'm looking for something around 12" x 12".

Any ideas?

[C*H*U*D]

What about kiln bricks? My girlfriend used to use them for jewelry making.

[Tio Loco]

Here's what I got...

https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchan...id=9993&step=4

You could also drill the corners and make stand-offs so that it doesn't rest directly on your bench. It's handy because it's steel, so you can use welding magnets to position and brace your work.

[Szczerba]

I picked one of these up at an auto parts store years ago to sit on my wooden work bench when welding. You could get two for a splash back guard or bend it at a 90.

Rhino Gear Galvanized Drip Tray 11430: Buy the right Oil Change - Drip & Drain Pans at Advance Auto Parts

[wings_of_fire]

Google search `Fire resistant mat`. You will find the right material you need.

[GySgt Hartman]

Go to Home Depot and get a cheap ceramic tile.

12 x 12 or 16 x 16 for less than $2.

[bob1961]

I now do any brazing I can off the surface, other words my work is not laying on anything....I used to use a 3/8" thick alum plate, but I found that takes a lot of heat away from what I was brazing....now I'm using this board I made as a work area....



I just hang what joint I'm brazing off the edge ....



see the burnt edge ....

[chattinfarms]

I use a 1/8 think stainless plate I got from the scrap yard. It's around 2x2 ft and works great

[monkeyracing]

Thanks guys. I'm leaning towards a ceramic tile. Do they dissipate heat well? Would stand-offs be a good idea? My bench is an old, heavy duty desk. It has a very thin rubber-like coating in it.

[hotwheels000]

Be careful with the ceramic tile, it may shatter into shards/small pieces and cause you some harm. Most floor/counter tiles are not designed for the amount of heat they will see from brazing. A better idea is the kiln bricks chud mentioned. They are good at the higher temps and don't act so much as a heat sink. Red building bricks are no safer than tiles...don't make that mistake.

[Wade]

Work Surface


Cheers,
Wade

[BigSki]

I have this flame proof 'rag', for lack of a better description. I got it from Home Depot, it was in the plumbing section. It's designed to go behind pipes when soldering them together, it keeps the flame from setting anything on fire. It works really well.

[ghtpdm5]

Originally Posted by GySgt Hartman

Go to Home Depot and get a cheap ceramic tile.

12 x 12 or 16 x 16 for less than $2.

for electronics work i have a little 6x6 tile leftover from when we were building the house, works great. i think the tile is the way to go in the house.

in the shed i have a couple large work tables, one is 48"x48"x1.5" steel, works well for jigging large projects. also have a smaller welding table next to the welder for quick and dirty little jobs.

[ethernectar]

I use a 2x4' sheet of 1/8 or 3/16? steel plate, heavy but stable and magnetic.

[monkeyracing]

Thanks again for the advice. I'm leaning heavily towards either Homasote or a kiln brick. Can't go with metal, due to heat transfer and numb firearms and hands. I tend to lean on things and discover burns later!

[stelerzman]

Look for a brick and block supply store and ask for fire brick. There really cheep and around 1.5" thick, get 3 or 4 to make a good size area.

Here's what they look like.
https://a1-images.myspacecdn.com/ima...2299d/full.jpg

[toyota2]

I noticed the other day that the local ACE hardware had fire bricks. If you have one around you they should have them and they a they are not very expensive.

[Coda]

I just use an old wood cutting board and keep it wet, never had anything close to a fire, just charred it a couple places.

[Richterat83]

just picked up a portable harbor freight vise and i'll be going to a local metal supplier/welder and having them weld a 2"x2" steel plate to a larger 12"x12" plate so i can put it in the vise and use that as my brazing surface