Harris Brazing Alloy

[bateria]

Hello everyone,
first of all thank you everybody for your big help in EVERYTHING about framebuilding, this salon is an immense amount of information.

I was wandering if anybody tried the Alloy 170 from Harris (is much easier to get it here in Italy than the Gasflux C-04 or LFB from Cycle Design). I know I should be able to switch from one product to another but other bronze could be quite expensive.
I'm practicing fillet brazing with different tube size, brazing alloys and and I'm planning to build my first frame from scratch.

Thanks.

Massimo Ielmini

[Eric Estlund]

It will be much easier for you to shop by the AWS distinction.

LFB (low fuming bronze) is RBCuZn-C
C-O4 is a commercial name for high nickle low fuming bronze, or RBCuZn-B
Harris 170 is "nickle silver", or RBCuZn-D

I use all three alloys in addition to several silver alloys for different applications. In general, most fillets are made with C and B.

[Rody]

Good info Eric...I learned something today as well :)

rody

[Eric Estlund]

Just as a follow up for the European folks-

I know that Peter at Ceeway stocks and distributes some of the Cycle Design stuff. Gasflux also has international distribution, email them and ask for vendors serving your specific area.

I have used Sif LFB (they refer to it as SifBronze 101) in the past for both lugs and fillets- it's also nice stuff.

Bigger than the particular brand rod is the consistency of the mill it comes from. Having good quality rod that is the same within a package, and that is the same between packages, is pretty key. Harris, Sif, Gasflux, Aufhauser, Prince and Izant and the CD stuff is all really good, and it's made better in that it is consistently good. I can't say the same for the off brand or welding house brand stuff I've used that is sourced from multiple vendors.

[bateria]

Thank you very much Eric (I had to admit you're becoming an idol for me);
I'd tried LFB by Cycle Design in 2,4mm, which I learned with and I'm actually using Gasflux 04 in 1,6mm (which I prefer), but two different sizes so, no real comparison here.
I'll email Gasflux for Italy distribution, thanks for the suggestion.
And yeah, I always check for AWS classification, that's a lot easier.

Massimo Ielmini

[jon_norstog]

When I started building frames I used Welco 17. The guys at the welding shop were really pushing it. It is pretty nice, actually, the added strength of a nickel alloy rod, but easy to file, like bronze. It has some issues, particularly the flux-coated rod tends to get bubbles unless you really put the heat to the joint. Even with its flaws, it worked better for me than the flux-coated bronze they sold at the welding shop.

Later I got my hands on some good LFB - from Henry James, in fact - and that was a revelation. It was so much easier to control, it wets the steel with much less flux and much less aggressive heat, and it makes a much cleaner fillet. I still use Welco 17 places where I want that extra strength, like BMX dropouts or seatpost binder bosses.

Go Massimo!

jn

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