Welding Metal With FIRE!... and a Blowtorch - A-BRAZING Success!

In this video, I will attempt to unravel the arcane and mystifying art of brazing metal with fire!
Brazing is a skill that I've always struggled to master.
So, recently I decided to take some time to knuckle down, practice, and figure it out.
Along the way, I discovered 2 fundamental "Keys to Success" that changed everything for me and finally unlocked this useful skill.
So, join me as I share how I went from scorched metal and wasted bronze to confident success with a torch!

My Lathe: MSC / Prince 9517350 - 13x40 Manual Metal Lathe
My Milling Machine: Bridgeport Variable Speed Series 1 "J Head"
My other Milling Machine: Brown & Sharpe No. 2 Plain "light type" Universal Milling Machine

CREDITS:

0:00 Intro
1:44 What is Brazing?
3:28 Supplies & Tools
7:52 Silver Brazing
9:54 Bronze Brazing (Cast Iron Vice Repair)
14:35 Outro

[Threadexpress]

Good video David! Learning from a modest newbie encourages us to give it a go also! Cheers, Cliff

[zoltannagy]

You are to be commended for stepping out of your comfort zone....and sharing the experience. We are all learning. Thank you.

[jasonhull]

One tip I received many years ago that helped me wrap my head around this type of brazing is to remember the filler material ( brazing rod aka bronze) goes to the heat. Meaning it will always try to go to the hottest point. Flux will help it get there faster. That, and also understanding that the approach angle is what I try to focus on when brazing.
I do ALOT of brazing with 45 and bronze is what I use the majority of the time. But your video was still very informative and entertaining. 😊

[rjordans]

Great explanation, I'll need to start trying this myself too soon. I have some broken cat iron (architectural decorative bits) that needs fixing. What size of acetylene torch tip did you end up using?

[StripeyType]

Oh wow - first of all: highly-relevant video.
Second: IDK what you've done here, but your video production quality is very high - not that it was bad before or anything, but that you've clearly been working at something - maybe writing ahead of time, maybe editing, IDK. whatever it is, it works. this is great.

[Dogfather]

I am by no means an expert in oxyacetylene processes but the gas flame in the vise repair sequence appeared to me to be carburizing rather than neutral. Once again since I am no expert I couldn’t speculate whether introducing more carbon into the surface might have any effect but just wanted to throw that out there in case someone might weigh in. I have a little experience with TIG brazing using Silicon Bronze but have no idea if that method is applicable to cast iron. Thanks for posting your experience.

[a-k-jun-]

Pro-hobbyist tip, run a slightly hotter flame than you think you need. Then, hold the tip slightly farther away to spread the heated area out a little farther. This helps prevent hotter than needed spots and a more even heat to the part, which in turn reduces the cracking probability when it cools. It also helps the filler material flow out better as more of the area is evenly heated.

[Paul-FrancisB]

For a first go at brazing cast iron you did really well, you are right practice is the key but looks like you are on the right path. Before i had acess to oxy or tig my first attempts were with a carbon arc torch on the wife's mini fixing bodywork many years ago. Not pretty but it worked 😂

[lonnywilcox]

Brazing is an art, not that I have any skill with it, I don't, but it takes practice and once it comes together it just works. My 8th grade shop teacher was a brazing Jedi. Why? Because he had done it a lot. The tip he gave me that helped me the most was to melt the rod with the piece you are trying to braze together. Melting the rod with the torch will never work.

[TradeWorks_Construction]

I taught myself cast iron bronze brazing with the exact same lincoln portable torch kit you have. Never had any experience before diving in.

SUPER HELPFUL TIP - Get the flux coated bronze filler rod in 3/32” … If you try and use 1/8” on a small part you’re going to struggle, only time I’ve ever found myself “needing” an 1/8” over a 3/32” was for a LARGE VISE crack which required the crack to be ground down for 4” and ran 6” across (part weighed 70+lbs). For almost all bracket repair or common cast iron part repairs weighing under 20lbs, the 3/32” rod will be perfect. The ease of use is night and day between heating & dipping your rods in flux… the ease and results you’ll see will be night and day just like when you try brazing with Harris Safety Silv 45 or 56.

For brand I would go Hotmax or Lincoln, I tried US Forge but for some reason I had more trouble with that brand(batch?). Hobart, Forney, Harris would probably be fine too but since I can only speak from experience …which is I loved the HotMax 36” rods they made the process as user friendly as I could ever have hoped.

[RustyInventions-wzir]

Very interesting. Nice work sir. I don’t have much experience on brazing.

[mattsan]

great tips. Maybe consider adding flashback arrestors to the cutting torch. Just in case

[robertharper]

thank you for another great video. wish i could produce what i do but i don't have the temperament!

[MyLilMule]

I need to get better at this myself. Need to find some junk to practice on.

[rjay]

Thank you for doing this video. I have a brand new oxy/acet torch setup which I had purchased for the sole purchase of learning how to braze. I have hesitated trying because I really didn't know where to start. I now have some beginning ideas. So, here is my situation. I have a '62 Impala that has some rust holes in parts that are not available in the aftermarket. They are also very complex as far as bends and curves and would be very difficult to reproduce. Since this is in sheet metal which is already thin from the rusting, it appears I should try the silver/bronze vs. the straight bronze because of its ability to flow at a lower temp. I'd be interested in your thoughts since you just brazed razor blades.

[ninomaiorano]

Would it help to apply flux to the joint of the cast-iron vise you braised? Just wondering.

[williamebert]

The part that you fixed on vice, you can't put alot of torque on it when tightening it down, wouldn't been better to TIG weld it instead ?
TIG welding is stronger weld than Brazing .

Either way interesting video, keep it up and thank you, William, MN

[Warpeder]

Thx for the vid., and as another commenter stated, melt the rod with what you're trying to braze not the torch.

[camillosteuss]

Sup m8? First!

-edit-
Damn, you just invented an actual ``safety razor``... What a remarkable feat of engineering! Not just one, but two safety razors in one... Shiet man, that`s some business mind right there in action :P

Also, nice job... Yeah, brazing is fucking disgusting... I prefer tig above all other methods, even tig brazing, but that shit doesn`t fly with everything... Brazing is just the worst, right after painting...

Cheers!
Steuss

[ellieprice]

Finished silver and bronze braze looks very good. You’re much too modest in declaring your lack of experience.