How to Braze With a Mig Welder

MIG brazing joins metal by filling a gap between the pieces without altering the parent metal.

MIG brazing is a relatively new application of MIG welding technology. It is commonly used to join two pieces of high strength, heat treated steel. Because MIG brazing joins the steel sheeting using a much lower temperature than MIG welding, the brazing technique will not remove the treated metal's anti-corrosion properties or weaken the surrounding steel. However, since this method does not fuse the parent metals, the joint from the MIG brazing is not as strong as traditionally welded joints.

Things You'll Need

• 1mm spacers
• clamps
• wire brush
• MIG welding machine
• copper-silicone (CuSi3) MIG wire
• welder's mask
• welding gloves

Instructions

Preparation

1. Arrange the pieces of metal that you wish to join.

2. Place a 1mm spacer between the pieces to be joined so that there is a small, even gap along the brazing seam.

3. Clamp the pieces so that they remain stationary during the brazing process.

4. Clean any debris from the edges to be joined with a wire brush.

5. Feed the copper-silicone MIG wire into the MIG welding gun.

Join the Metal

1. Set your MIG welding gun to the lowest voltage setting but use faster wire feed speed setting.

2. Angle the brazing tip 45 degrees from vertical with the tip of the welding wire pointing forward.

3. Slowly push the welding tip forward in a straight line, filling the gap with the weld bead.

4. Continue the brazing until you completely join the pieces.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear a welder's mask and gloves while welding.

• Weld in a well ventilated area.

References

• MIG Welding, the DIY Guide: MIG Brazing
• Learn How to Weld: Mig Welding: Find out Everything About the MIG Welding Process
• I-Car Advantage: Brazing as a Substitute for GMA (MIG) Welding?