[off topic] brazing SS with copper or brass?

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kd2
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[off topic] brazing SS with copper or brass?

Post by kd2 » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:42 pm

Can I braze stainless steel with copper or brass?
I need this for a bike muffler repair.
I know i can take this for a TIG welder but i have all the equipment for brazing.

thanks
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Irvine.J
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Brazing

Post by Irvine.J » Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:36 pm

Hi KD2,
Yes you can braze SS to copper or brass quite easily as long as you have the right braze. What you need is a brazing rod with very high silver content (up around the 45% mark) to get it to stick properly. You don't need a special torch just your normal burnzomatic or equivalent...AND YOU WILL need flux, any kind of high temperature flux will do, and you can buy additives if necessary if it doesn't work properly on your stainless.

What I'd suggest is go indoors and shut the garage door so there is no breeze, nothing to blow the flame cause you'll want to start off concentrating it, then very slowly arc it about 1/2 and inch to heat up an area at the point where you wish to start the brazing. Full torch heat with stainless, right at the tip of the blue flame. Now because your sealing a crack, you will basically need to use your rod as if you were welding. When its red smoking hot, when you touch the rod you'll notice it just flows. But since you've fluxed the entire area, let the flow run down each side of the crack. keep dabbing and build it up about 1/2 a mm. At this point take your rod and nearly have it resting right across the crack, then just keep heating it till the rod melt but not enough to run and pool on your toes. Gently keep feeding the rod till it becomes basically a big blob over the top of your crack. It might take a few goes to get it as brazing is quite an art, though I've fixed plenty of ramjet holes with it now, and its great and enjoyable when you get it right.

Some grinding will be required. If I have the time I'll make a video of the procedure, after I finish making this crazy video i'm working on atm.
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kd2
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Post by kd2 » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:19 pm

why not using copper/brass without silver?
the silver rods cost so much it is cheaper to weld it with Tig in the local welding shop.
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kd2
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Post by kd2 » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:22 pm

listen to this - with your recommendation i went to my welding supplier.
Guess what?
175 $ per KG for a 30 % silver.
wont sell less then 1/2 KG.
I dont have any experience with silver brazing, so i will need a few only for practice.
are you sure that brass/tin/nickel bla bla bla combination wont do it for half the prize?
If not im very close to convert my equipment to acetylene ( running on oxy/propane now).
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Jim Berquist
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Silver Solder.

Post by Jim Berquist » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:15 pm

Damn! The price of Silver and Gold are way up but you should be able to do better then that! Try going to your local welders shops. See if they will sell you a stick or a few inches of wire.....

Jim
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Irvine.J
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What the!?!?!

Post by Irvine.J » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:12 am

Dude thats a freaking rip job! I always check the commodity market now before any major purchases for exactly this reason...
Silver is dirt cheap, theres plenty of it, make more phone calls and try to locate them cheaper.

You could try the el-cheapo version but I really don't know if it will work,
just try it and see what happens I suppose, I use normally 15% silver braze where you get 10x3 foot rods for 30 bucks, and they last AGES.


This kinda thing annoys the hell out of me though.
The other day I went to buy some SS nuts and they want 22 dollar for 5 nuts "Because the price of nickel went up" he tells me, not 50%!!!! The last time I was there I paid 12 dollars. Watching the commodity market a few days later nickel dropped 6.5% over night. I went back down to buy more nuts, showed him the paper with the info. He said it didn't matter the price wasn't going down...
I glared at him then told him "So much for buying Australian when your all a bunch of dodgey %#ks, I'll buy from China." And then they complain all our jobs are going overseas I wonder why.... wow sorry got a bit fired up there!

Anyway a couple of quick calls, then and saying on the phone I'm aware of the drop in nickel prices and want to support an Australian business but they all thus far have been ripoff merchants and I'm not going pay stupid prices on something as simple as an SS nut. I found a place where I can buy them for 61cents each. GARR it makes me angry!

As Jim B said thats freaking stupid prices! You should be able to buy little packs of rods too, we have lots of different ones here, look at plumbing suppliers too. Try your idea, but if it doesn't work there will be people willing to give you a better deal, my advice on those guys are just never go back.
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kd2
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Post by kd2 » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:36 am

the price is from one of the the biggest suppliers , he should be the cheapest one.
(Cause of that he wont sell less then 1/2 KG )
I will look for another one who can sell it in a decent price.
Im from Israel, everything is overpriced here.
I will try Plumber Solder, maybe i can get it from an A/C tech guy or a plumber.
what is the weight on thus 10X3 foot rods ( approximately )

thanks guys
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Jim Berquist
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Post by Jim Berquist » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:42 am

Check out the Jewelers as well , They use silver Solder. Your only looking for a little bit!

Jim
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Mark 42
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Post by Mark 42 » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:52 pm

You can get silver solder, and silver brazing rods at places like Home Depot.

If I understand right, you are brazing SS to SS, right?

I would try ordinary brazing rod & see if it holds unless
it is a critical application.

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