Tried Natural Gas + Oxygen Brazing?

[Jim N]

Has anyone here used natural gas + oxygen to braze a steel bike frame?

The heat output is less, but on paper still hot enough for brazing. There are other factors as well, and I'm wondering if anyone here has done it.

Thanks,

Jim

[Doug Fattic]

Natural gas should work for brazing using the same tips that are designed for propane. If I remember right the challenge is that there is not enough natural pressure coming out of the wall so it needs to be enhanced. Google lampworking equipment (a term used to describe working with molten glass. Lamps used to be the source of heat). Some of them use natural gas as a fuel.

When I was learning to build frames in England (this week is the 40th anniversary of when I left the States to go over) they did some of the main joints by hearth brazing. This was a giant natural gas flame made hotter with air supplied from a squirrel cage

[Jim N]

Thanks Doug. I figured you would have some knowledge here. Good tip on lampworking. I will see what I can find.

They sell a device called a torch booster to up the pressure of natural gas coming out of the wall. The price is north of $1000, however.

[Mark Kelly]

Google lampworking equipment (a term used to describe working with molten glass. Lamps used to be the source of heat). Some of them use natural gas as a fuel.

Lampworking refers to the technology of making glass envelopes for lamps and particularly valves (tubes for Septics), one of the largest and most technically advanced industries in the world from the 30s to the 60s. As an example, Philips was originally Philips Gloeilampenfabreik ( = lightlampworks), the largest industrial firm in Holland in its day.

As an aside, the technology that went into these things was incredible: not only Borosilicate glass but a metal alloy (Kovar) that had the same CTE as borosilicate glass so a fusion joint of the two would survive thermal cycling.

[Will Outlaw]

Lampworking refers to the technology of making glass envelopes for lamps and particularly valves (tubes for Septics), one of the largest and most technically advanced industries in the world from the 30s to the 60s. As an example, Philips was originally Philips Gloeilampenfabreik ( = lightlampworks), the largest industrial firm in Holland in its day.

As an aside, the technology that went into these things was incredible: not only Borosilicate glass but a metal alloy (Kovar) that had the same CTE as borosilicate glass so a fusion joint of the two would survive thermal cycling.

One of the things I love about this forum are the absolutely crazy, random bits of knowledge people here have stuffed in their heads that have nothing at all to do with bicycles but are utterly fascinating.

I'm just poured a tall IPA and am off to research CTE, Kovar (didn't he play quarterback for the Browns back in the day?) and Boro-whatever. This is gonna be a good Friday night.

[EricKeller]

ok, so I finally realized that Mark was talking about what we call "tubes" (not pipes), as in "tube amp" (not pipe amp)