Small Brazing

[chole]

Is there a good way to hold small parts square? I am talking about panel mounts and other very small pieces.

[grapegoat]

Originally Posted by chole

Is there a good way to hold small parts square? I am talking about panel mounts and other very small pieces.

yes there is. you just gotta think of it. use whatever you can find. duct tape, clamps whatever. i took some thick card board and cut it to a square and then cut a U shape out of the corner so i could braze it without setting it on fire. and held that in between the two pieces of tube with duct tape. brazed it, let it cool, removed tape and cardboard and BOOM! it was square. make sure you cut the cardboard square using a compass or other angle tools. you can even cut a triangle piece out and tape it to the back of the card board so you can stand the thing up (at an angle so the molting solder doesn't hit the cardboard) and then you can move around it better without having to flip it over. be creative

[grapegoat]

oops my bad, i didnt see the panel mounts part. do you mean little nuts to screw the panels on with? i found that the best way to hold them together is lay the nut flat on the surface that you are brazing on and move the chassis around it. hold the chassis sideways using whatever and butt it up against the nut and braze it. small pieces of metal are good to use if you need to raise the nut up some. but bottom line is i found it easier to put the small part stationary and move the big piece (the chassis) around it.

[KSCrawler]

Try threading an old bolt into the panel mount, then use needle nose vise grips to hold the bolt. Then position the chassis around it as grape suggested.

[mrpink]

1. mark where you want the nut.
2. flux where you marked.
3. heat and apply a small amount of braze where you marked.
4. thread the nut onto a long piece of all thread
5. flux the nut (only on the outside)
6. holding the all thread, put the nut up against the small amount of braze on the tube
7. heat the nut and the braze untill it bonds.
8. let it cool (maybe 10 seconds.)
9. unscrew the all thread.

[chole]

Thanks, I will have to try some of these out.