How to Braze

Like soldering or welding, brazing uses heat and another metal to join two pieces of metal together.

Things You'll Need

• Hand-held torch .

Instructions

1. A steady hand and a relatively inexpensive brazing torch can heat the metals enough to braze. You can purchase a smaller torch at the local hardware store. The larger oxy/acetalene tank setup is still less expensive than an arc welder.

2. Hold the flame on both pieces of metal until the metal glows a bright red. The metals should be evenly heated and then the brazing alloy should be applied.

3. Most braze joints are variations of one of two basic types - the butt joint and the lap joint.

4. To form a butt joint, the two pieces of metal are positioned edge to edge

5. Lap joints have a larger bonding surface because the two metals overlap each other. Because of this overlap, they are stronger.

6. Copper, nickel and silver and the most frequently-used base metals for brazing alloys. Brazing rods make it easy to direct flow over the junction and moving them in small circles helps evenly spread the alloys.

Tips & Warnings

• A flux paste is easy to brush over the ends of the meatals to be fused.

• Be careful of the heat, it can burn a person very easily

• Always heat evenly

• Make sure all flux is washed off or the braze can be weakened.