Solder/braze cast iron?

[John Hill]

I am planning my next masterpiece and need to fit a cast iron piston into a cast iron sleeve.  The sleeve will be of the kind used in dry sleeve car (tractor in this case) engines.

I am afraid that the sleeve will crack when brazing the piston in to it.  What about oven brazing?  Would that be safer?

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

John -- As you are brazing CI to CI, the coefficients of thermal expansion should be (nearly) the same.  The issue is the evenness of the heat distribution.  Oven brazing would be safer as a general rule.  Now, having said that, I have brazed a fair amount of CI over the years and, with reasonable care in heating, I have never had a problem.

Your mileage will vary...