Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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Can you weld or braze steel fittings to brass fittings?
- Thread starter Finalreminder
- Start date
Drains
Yeah, nah.
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You can braze. Careful on the heat input cos you will more than likely melt the brass fitting.
I'd use a very fine flame, and be quick about it. Get the steel up to temperature rather than the brass, then a very quick wash of heat over the brass and apply the brazing rod.
You can also solder/silver solder at lower heat.
I'd use a very fine flame, and be quick about it. Get the steel up to temperature rather than the brass, then a very quick wash of heat over the brass and apply the brazing rod.
You can also solder/silver solder at lower heat.
Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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- Denbighshire
I'll try the silver solder way first.
I did try brazing once and managed to achieve nothing at all.
A complete zero result with 5 brazing rods.
If solder fails I'll try cellotape
I did try brazing once and managed to achieve nothing at all.
A complete zero result with 5 brazing rods.
If solder fails I'll try cellotape
Drains
Yeah, nah.
- Messages
- 7,716
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- Sefton, South Island, NZ
You didn't forget the flux did you?
Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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- Denbighshire
No, I used flux.
Well I tried it but the bond wasnt good. a little light pressure with a spanner broke the solder instantly.
Well I tried it but the bond wasnt good. a little light pressure with a spanner broke the solder instantly.
rtbcomp
Moderator
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Soldering steel can be a pig.
You need the correct flux, the more aggressive the better and tin the surface first. Make sure the steel is perfectly clean (remove any zinc or you'll get zinc poisoning
) coat the steel with flux. If possible heat from the opposite side to stop the flux burning and introduce the solder. The more tin in the solder the easier it is to tin the steel.
Once the steel is tinned you should be able to solder the brass to it.
I've used one of those old fashioned copper irons that you heat in a flame to spread the solder around to get it to tin.
Many years ago I used a product called "Selflux" this had the appearance of fine powder in teacle, I think it was pure tin in a very strong flux, gave off evil fumes but worked very well.
This is a copper pipe I soldered into a steel vessel.
You need the correct flux, the more aggressive the better and tin the surface first. Make sure the steel is perfectly clean (remove any zinc or you'll get zinc poisoning
) coat the steel with flux. If possible heat from the opposite side to stop the flux burning and introduce the solder. The more tin in the solder the easier it is to tin the steel.Once the steel is tinned you should be able to solder the brass to it.
I've used one of those old fashioned copper irons that you heat in a flame to spread the solder around to get it to tin.
Many years ago I used a product called "Selflux" this had the appearance of fine powder in teacle, I think it was pure tin in a very strong flux, gave off evil fumes but worked very well.
This is a copper pipe I soldered into a steel vessel.
crayefish
Landy modifier extrodinaire
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- 109
about four years ago i sucessfully brazed some sintered bronze bushing material to a steel frame on the downhill mountain bike i made. it had minimal conection area, but still worked quite well (although it did break a couple of years later when i lent it to my dumb ass mate who managed to f*** up the bike)
its been a while so ive kinda forgotten the process, however simondrains is right about heating the steel up then quickly washing over the brass
its been a while so ive kinda forgotten the process, however simondrains is right about heating the steel up then quickly washing over the brass
Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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- Denbighshire
(remove any zinc or you'll get zinc poisoning
You think!! lol!
I didnt realise there was different fluxes, I thought flux was flux.
I'll talk to my local merchant and see what he suggests then try the method outlined.
Cheers!
Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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- Denbighshire
If you want to go down the silver solder route then have a look at www.cupalloys.co.uk. Very informative site and the owner of the shop is very knowledgable.
Finalreminder
Professional amateur
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- Denbighshire
Spot on, cheers
crayefish
Landy modifier extrodinaire
- Messages
- 109
borax is a brand name (or prehaps generic type like Hoover has become for vacuum cleaners) of a flux that contains a compound of the element boron. think the stuff in it is boron tetra something, but im sure someone on the forum will know
