rlbaker Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I've got a problem brazing a drain tube to some deep drawn stainless vessels.I've got no experience with thin stainless so I just don't know whats going on.The stainless looks to be about 26 ga and the drain tubes are 3/8 od with a wall thickness of 1/8. I braze the tube in place and then complete the connection by running a drill bit down through the middle of the tube through the stainless flat material. and it gives me a nice neat connection but everytime I end up with fractures in the thin stainless through the zone where the brazing was done. I tried silicon bronze rod and had the same results.The stainless is paper thin and I know it has a lot of stress on it from the forming operation and the tubing is of a relatively thicker cross section, could the differental cooling be the problem? I started off trying to TIG it but I end up blowing holes through the base material.Any suggestions? Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 The only thing I could suggest is to try silver solder. When you were TIG welding did you use a argon purge? What was yout torch set up? I would be using a .045 tungstung and a gas lens and a very low amperage setting. I think you should be able to TIG weld it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 If you can't TIG it I second the silver solder. Many years ago I did piece work on stainless maple syrup evaporator pans and we got our best results using silver solder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I would Tig weld it with 308 -.30 tc rod heat mim low amps also if can use 1/16 tunstun or smaller I do this all the time though getting hard to see that small of a weld :wacko: you can also solder it they make a spical rod + flux kit for that never have tried it yet ?? but its on my play with / try list Steve's Welding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlbaker Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Thank you all for the advice, maybe the silver solder would be easiest for me to try next, I called the local supply house and they said they have got a Harris product 56FC that is designed just for good flowing with stainless used in food industry. I also wonder about the cracks I was getting on the thin stainless , the cracks werent at the joint but 1/4 -3/8 " from the tubing connection. I wonder if the thin material is cooling too fast in relation to the tubing. Maybe I'll bed it all in sand and the second I'm done with the torch pour more sand over it all for a few minutes to cool. Maybe with the brazing rod I was over heating too long while fiddling with it trying to get a nice clean flow all the way around the tubing and the proper silver solder will make all the difference.Thanks again for the advice,Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlbaker Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Picked up the high content silver solder and it worked like a charm, couple of minutes per unit and no fuss no muss done deal. No cracks in the thin stainless, an aggravating job became a piece of cake.Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 the thin to thick pull sounds like what was giveing you a proublem I ran into that to today on stainless art piece cut power & went to .030 build up ever weld a SS beer can :) been there ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Glad to see you got it fixed . TIG is NOT a beginner form of welding though. Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Glad to see you got it fixed . TIG is NOT a beginner form of welding though. Sam I agree.... But tig welding what you describe CAN be done, just so it's known.... Definitely not an easy task but it's done everyday. Silver solder would've been my second choice for this. -Hillbilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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