Brazing: what to buy in the UK?

[andyf]

Well, the header’s a bit misleading – it should read  “Brazing: what should brother John get me for Christmas?”

This question is been prompted by today’s struggle to braze two 2.5” long pieces of 1 x 1 x 1/8” angle to form a 1 x 2 x 1/8” channel, using a blowtorch with a screw-on cylinder of butane/propane mixture. This proved impossible with the parts sitting on a fire-brick; they just wouldn’t get hot enough. The problem was solved by arranging them on one of the gas rings of the hob in the kitchen, so they were heated from below as well as with the blowtorch from above, which gave a good sound joint.

But I do need something capable of delivering more heat. It seems (but please correct me if this is wrong) that a blowtorch connected to a rented propane bottle (or is MAPP readily available?) via a regulator is the way to go. If that’s right, are there any recommendations as to makes and models? Prices seem to vary from Sievert at the top end down to “Silverline” at the bottom. Is there a big difference in “useability” between cheap and expensive?

John is not a very practical soul, so when on Dec 23 he starts asking me what I want to find in my Xmas stocking, it woud be best to present him with chapter and verse as to a good set-up. Otherwise, I’ll end up with something better suited to burning weeds or fixing asphalt roofing.

Andy

PS  While I'm here, has anyone any ideas on a present for a 59-year old younger brother whose main preoccupations are chartered accountancy  and learning German to degree level    ?

[Sorekiwi]

PS  While I'm here, has anyone any ideas on a present for a 59-year old younger brother whose main preoccupations are chartered accountancy  and learning German to degree level    ?

A hooker?   

I cant answer your question as to UK specific equipment, but I am really surprised that you could get that brazing done at all with just a butane/propane torch.  I would have thought that you would need oxy/acetylene to get enough heat into a piece of 1/8" angle iron.  I usually use oxy/acetylene to silver solder 1/16" copper tube into brass castings at work.

[arnoldb]

Andy, exactly what type of brazing ?  If you mean Silver Brazing - also called "silver soldering", then propane is fine, and though expensive, a Sievert torch is highly recommended from my own experience.

If you mean brazing where bronze/ferrous alloy filler rods are used, this needs a lot of heat, and oxy-acetylene is the way to go.  I don't know about in the UK - but here in Southern Africa, one distributor also sold an oxy-butane kit; I have one of these as it does away with the outrageous costs of acytelene, and works nearly, but not quite, as well.  For braazing it's OK, but it struggles with flame cutting.

As to a present for an accountant type of person, they seem to use pens a lot, so a custom turned one should do the job 

Regards, Arnold

[Bogstandard]

Andy,

Sievert are in fact very good but sooooo expensive.

Myself, I use the Silverline type, and the one from Machine Mart is perfectly acceptable, but get the type with a control lever on. That way it is not at full wack all the time, a tickover flame until you pull on the handle.

We silver soldered Stews boiler up with a pair of them, Stew with the large nozzle providing background heat, and me with a small nozzle for controlling the flow of the solder. We had no trouble getting it up to soldering temperature.

Small kit

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/fs555-gas-torch-kit/path/gas-torches-soldering-irons

Big kit

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/fs560-gas-torch-kit


John

[andyf]

Gentlemen, thanks for the responses.

Arnold, silver soldering is all that's needed, so I'll avoid the complications of oxy-acetylene and oxy-butane.

Sorekiwi, I was surprised too, especially as it took so long to get up to heat that I thought the flux might have lost its fluxiness. But perseverance paid off and the end result, after the job was cleaned/trued up by milling, was a nice continuous slightly golden line of solder along the join on both sides.

John, many thanks for the sage advice. Your point about the control lever is a very good one, and there's a Machine Mart 3 miles away in Altrincham, so I'll send my brother there with your shopping list 

Andy