Ok...first try was...bad. Learned proper aluminum temp is sneaky tricky! The way to determine proper temp is as follows: Absent direct torch heat, If dragging the rod across the metal seam to be brazed makes the rod melt, you've got the aluminum at the right temp.
Alloy rods melt at 700°F. Aluminum melts at roughly 1200°F. Aluminum oxide melts at much higher temp (3,762°F!) so with thicker gauges, you can have a piece hold its shape in spongy fashion, but inside, beneath the oxide, it's liquifying!
After few failures, poor application on test pieces, first success pic below, prior to cleanup.
Ok
after cleanup, this looks decent... not bad for a 'dry' application. All about creating a 'V' divot in the joint, making sure seam is oxide free and acetone cleaned before laying-in filler:
Finished test pair. They'd work fine going in the console, but they are kinda ugly, and I'd prefer to wait for attempts with flux.
I'm guessing flux will make joints look nicer with less post cleanup, and wick better for more strength.
October 13, 2006, 10:33:12 AM
