- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 5,233
I just wanted to give a big thanks to you Riverlandrobo for the tips. Before all I ever had was a rosebud to preheat with and no way to control the temp while brazing and no way to do a slow controlled cool down. It usually worked but I’d never done something like this cast iron “wheel” with 5 spokes and a heavy outer ring. This prove tricky because with the thermometer I could see the huge temp difference between the hub and the ring when I did my second try.
Two of the spokes were cracked at the base next to the hub. I V’d them out using first abrasive cutoff wheel and cleaned it up with carbide burrs. Then heated with the torch because I don’t have a BBQ and did the “buttering” with lots of flux. But one never seemed to flow like the second. Had a bucket of clean sand and buried it. One held and the other cracked right where the original crack was. So this forced me to consider all you said and made me realize I dont have a BBQ, but I have my oven I use for powder coat, duh! I also ordered a piece of 24x12x1 cerro wool. Re prepped the area, put it in the oven @500f, checked it with the infrared thermometer, put on the bench with the cerro wool covering most of it and things went a millions time better getting the brass to flow. When done stuck it back in the oven @500 for 45min, then 350 for 45, then covered it in the cerro wool and left it in the off closed oven over night. Good to go this morning, no cracks. Now I can move on with the rest of the repair!
Two of the spokes were cracked at the base next to the hub. I V’d them out using first abrasive cutoff wheel and cleaned it up with carbide burrs. Then heated with the torch because I don’t have a BBQ and did the “buttering” with lots of flux. But one never seemed to flow like the second. Had a bucket of clean sand and buried it. One held and the other cracked right where the original crack was. So this forced me to consider all you said and made me realize I dont have a BBQ, but I have my oven I use for powder coat, duh! I also ordered a piece of 24x12x1 cerro wool. Re prepped the area, put it in the oven @500f, checked it with the infrared thermometer, put on the bench with the cerro wool covering most of it and things went a millions time better getting the brass to flow. When done stuck it back in the oven @500 for 45min, then 350 for 45, then covered it in the cerro wool and left it in the off closed oven over night. Good to go this morning, no cracks. Now I can move on with the rest of the repair!