Fillet Brazing Practice Question

[Will Neide]

Why?
Was it stainless?
- Garro.

Top tube and down tube were stainless (all the rest were S3), dropouts were Paragon Rockers, internal cable routing. I think I may have used bronze on one braze-on. I also did some practice with the Fillet Pro on some scrap stainless to get a feel for it before I did the frame. It was my first experience with Fillet Pro.

I could have gotten away with using bronze in a few more spots, but I have an all stainless frame to do and I wanted to know how much it would take to do a complete frame......plus it was good practice.

[steve garro]

I could have gotten away with using bronze in a few more spots

Meh.......
You would have had to do a weird build sequence to keep from melting the silver alloy.
- Garro.

[steve garro]

IMG_2132.JPGIMG_2129.JPGIMG_2135.JPGIMG_2137.JPG
Here is some I did yesterday.
The HT is a #3 victor x 3/32nd rod
the ST/TT is a #1 x 1/16th
BB I used the 3/32 between the stays & for the big puddle, and did the smaller edges & runs with a 1/16 x #1
- Garro.

[Will Neide]

The HT is a #3 victor x 3/32nd rod
the ST/TT is a #1 x 1/16th
BB I used the 3/32 between the stays & for the big puddle, and did the smaller edges & runs with a 1/16 x #1
- Garro.

I think I recall you saying you use(d) 1/16 almost exclusively. Any reason for the change to 3/32nd?

[steve garro]

I think I recall you saying you use(d) 1/16 almost exclusively. Any reason for the change to 3/32nd?

Yep.
44mm HT's = you gotta get some metal on there for a smooth transition or you are polishing a tiny fillet around the belly of the tube.
I'm really stoked on it - makes polishing easier.
I saw some pics of Steve Rex's fillets and a light bulb went on.
Keep Learning!
- Garro.

[Mtblucas]

You can get a pound of LFB for about $15 at your local Airgas store. They will also have the flux you need.

So I picked some up today to play around with. The flux I got was the type that adheres to the heated braze when you stick the braze into the can of flux. I thought it was more like the paste type that I've used for silver. Really, you essentially just make a flux coated brazing wire with the stuff I got. Oh well. Anyway, it definitely did work better than the Home Depot stuff I previously used. I even burnt a hole through a tube as someone suggested a few days ago. Apparently I haven't been heating up the metal nearly as much as I thought I was. I didn't realize how bright it would glow as you really get it hot. I thought I was overheating it before but now realize now that it really was just a dull glow. I'll keep working on it and maybe post a few pics when I get a chance.

[EricKeller]

I think that's borax powder, which is evil stuff. I've built frames with it though, it does work. It will stick to stuff that isn't all that hot, so you can put some on the tubes after warming them a little

My LWS doesn't have brass flux. You have to watch out for welding shops, they don't know what they don't know. There have been a couple of newbies that have been burned by the LWS selling them the wrong temperature flux.

[Ryan Christbaum]

FWIW, my local shops really don't seem to know much about O/A other than filling tanks and selling new hoses. They're all about electric welding and can't offer much help with thin tubes and gas. Call Hank @ Henry James or Dave at Cycle Designs for the proper stuff and advice how to use it. Seriously.

[seankanary]

I think that's borax powder, which is evil stuff. I've built frames with it though, it does work. It will stick to stuff that isn't all that hot, so you can put some on the tubes after warming them a little

My LWS doesn't have brass flux. You have to watch out for welding shops, they don't know what they don't know. There have been a couple of newbies that have been burned by the LWS selling them the wrong temperature flux.

I was one of them. LWS sold me silver flux...my fault for not reading everything first though.

[Todd Mosley]

FWIW, my local shops really don't seem to know much about O/A other than filling tanks and selling new hoses. They're all about electric welding and can't offer much help with thin tubes and gas. Call Hank @ Henry James or Dave at Cycle Designs for the proper stuff and advice how to use it. Seriously.

I guess I'm spoiled, there is one guy at my local Airgas that knows his stuff about O/A work.