Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

I have a Ryobi conversion with wacker parts. I want to weld/braze/solder the tubes into the muffler. They are threaded in--and need to be permanently fixed so that I don't loose them.

Will brazing rod work on aluminum?

What about Sta-Brite Silver Solder?

Thanks

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

[link=http://durafix.com/]Check this stuff out[/link]

We used that in the machine shop I used to work at when we messed up a part and needed to add material. You flow it on like brazing rod. Works really well.

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

Aluminum brazing rod works very well. I have used this stuff many time to repair or create a muffler. It is available at the local hardware or welding store for about 7 bucks. No flux needed. The general comment is to use a stainless steel brush to clean the surfaces before brazing. I don’t worry about getting a perfect bead during application. If it isn’t pretty, I use a piece of cloths hanger wire as a paint brush to flow the material in and wipe it up the edge of the surface for a broader fillet. It really works great.

Multiflyer

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

multiflyer,
What temperature do you need to get the brazing rod to work? What tool do you use?

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

If the tubes are threaded in now, all you need is a little JB weld. If you're not familliar with JB Weld, it's like epoxy and you can get it at any hardware store

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

I have not had much luck with JB weld over the years. I gave up on it. I was using the stuff that takes overnight or at least 1 day to fully cure. Not the quick cure.

In my experience--it just won't hold up to the heat and vibration.

I'm gonna get some of that aluminum rod. I forgot that I'd used it in the past. Works good--expecially with a mapp gas torch--HOT.

If that won't work--the local welding shop said he'd put a tig weld on it for $15.[8D]

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

GO with the local weld shop. you won't be sorry. thats his business. dick

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

darock,

I just use a cheep plumbing propane torch. It is just hot enough. I think 600 degrees? It says on the package. Aluminum melts at 750 degrees or something like that. The propane torch is cool flame so easy to avoid melting the aluminum, but hard to lay a bead with, but no problem. Just get the material on the joint then "paint" it where ever you want with a piece of wire used as a brush like I mentioned previously.and you have to heat soak everything to get up to working temp. A much finer hotter flame might be better. but for fixing mufler pipes the propane works fine. Aluminum brazing is not as good a weld but much better than JB weld. So quick and simple.

Multiflyer

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

I tried different rods and even bought some flux. Nothing seemed to work quite right or "easy" until someone here at RCU told me to go to Harbor Freight Tools and get some of their alum brazing rod. Then.... bingo!..... my aluminum mousse can pipes were fun and fast to make. No flux is needed! I am just using a little hand held micro torch (butane) for the mousse cans.

Ernie

RE: Can I Braze Aluminum?
 

Had to hunt around town here (it's not a city, it's most assuredly a town) to find aluminum brazing rod. Matter of fact, good ol' everyday brazing rod wasn't exactly easy to find around here. Been having a ball screwing around with junk in the basement. Jeez, aluminum has always had this "it takes a magician to weld it" mystique and I know it ain't welding, but it's close enough for gummit work.

BTW, JBWeld is like just about everything in our hobby. It works excellent when it's done right. I've used it since I first found it in ??? 1965??? some time now..... Threaded joints really require serious methods to clean them adequately. And even the stickiest glues can't overcome surfaces that have some types of residual contamination. Matter of fact, some glues tend to spread the contamination as they try to pull themselves into the two surfaces that're to be joined, making little spots of contamination far more damaging to the joint strength than they first appear they would be.

Every thing in our hobby that requires technique almost always has some who can apply/use/do it like magic, some who can do it ok, and some who think it's not worth doing. The different successe rates usually boil down to some simple step that's being done differently.