Rob, I purchased the Bullfinch AutoTorch following your video and have to say it is a fantastic bit of kit. I did my 1st brazed joint in over 30 years today and it was a joy to do. I had intended to get myself a new torch another torch and was considering one of the more traditional Bullfinch torches, but i am glad I saw your video because this is just marvellous. Many thanks, keep up your great videos. Mike
Hi Mike, They are excellent for sure. For small light fabrication they are unbeatable in running costs and ease of use. It does have a limit on what it can handle, but I have a second large standard LPG torch that I use to preheat in conjunction with the Bullfinch to extend it's capabilities a bit more. It's also good to be able to braze without UV/filter goggles as needed with oxy based torches. Check out my latest video to see the junction box I fabricated up for an old Century electric motor. I really like brazing. It's so unobtrusive and integrated into the job, unlike arc which burns and always leaves a visible weld bead. Thanks for the comment and happy brazing. Cheers Rob
Hi there, yes interesting using bronze braising. In dental orthodontics we used mostly turbine solder (silver solder) 625c ish. It was amazing how much corrosion and decay appeared on the solder joints in the mouth in a short time in the mouth. Using the bronze certainly maker sense, a lot more heat than silver soldering but a lot less than welding so a nice comprise for this job. Thanks for sharing. Kindest regards. Joe.
There is something to be Nobly said about those in the spirit of having a small lathe and other machine shop tools, being in the spirit of shaping metal, and their labors of love, putting elements together in a meaningful way of experience, for a better experience, in the experience of life of the spirit of ways of truth, that is comforting and rewarding, even making a more comfortable knob to use for fastening a tripod.
Thanks Harold. It's a great torch for small MAPP gas sized jobs. No other LPG torch can equal it. It's amazing there's no agent in the USA or Canada for these. They would sell like hot cakes. Cheers Rob
Very nice demonstration Rob. I almost forgot where you are, if you had come to my place I am not sure you would even need the torch. It is so hot here I think you could just lay the piece out in the sun and braze it :-) And BTW when you are using a parting tool in that way you want to be really careful it doesn't slip and cut your nuts off. :-(
Hi Glenn, That parting off tool is my go to item for that sort of close in job. You just have to be careful not to put too much side load on it. Purely for very fine/light work like that. "The worlds cheapest parting off blade holder" as seen, actually is way lower risk than my shop bought POB as it has as little overhang as possible. The shop bought one snags and snaps blades left right and centre. Gave up on using it - totally hair raising thing. Cheers Rob
Hi what backing plate or material can I use when brazing a hole so no bronze drops out of the hole. I know copper back plate is used in welding. Thanks
Hello Rob! I hope you show those parts put into use. I *think* I understand what you're planning to do with them, but I would like to actually see the application. BTW, I bought a Bullfinch that came up on EBay, and it turned out to be the wrong one. They make a whole range of them to reach different temperatures. I'm sure you know that already but perhaps some of your viewers don't.
Hi Rick, The pin goes where the cable would normally go, in the male part of a quick connector for a welder. That's the idea. I may have to turn down the bolt to fit. I don't have the welder yet so this is all theory ;) Should work OK. That's the only way I can connect my extra long 400 amp leads with plain old style connector tabs, to a modern compact inverter welder using bayonet type connectors. Getting this welder is some way off yet, and may or may not happen. Cheers Rob
Hi again Rick, If it's the same handle as the auto torch (4100) you can buy the burner tip ( 4104) separately and retrofit it. The whole burner nose is held on by the big hexi nut next to the hole for the brass jet you can see. The nut is left hand thread. Might be worth investigating. Cheers Rob
I had always presumed that workbench surface was some of the most oil soaked that could be found down under. Then I witness you placing red hot bolts on it without even a wisp of smoke. They must be cut from granite with a ground in old-wood patina.
Hi, Thanks for the Video. What is the small tool you used to cut the bolts? is it electric or air? I liked the fact that the cutting disck is smaller than an angle grinder, but bigger than on a dremel rotary tool? Thanks.
That is an air die grinder with a 75 x 1 mm friction cutting disc. Same as used in car crash repair shops. I have since bought an electric die grinder which can do the same thing without the need for an air compressor : ruclips.net/video/p2gk0SASA48/видео.html The Hilda is really good and can be mounted as a tool post grinder. It also can take a large range of tooling sizes as it has a drill chuck. I've done a few videos on this unit. Cheers Rob
Silicon Bronze is only for copper and brass metals - this is what plumbers use. In Australia it's often referred to as yellow tip. Manganese bronze is only for ferrous metals such as steel, stainless steel, cast iron etc. It has a much higher melting temperature and strength. Brass will melt long before manganese bronze will. Nickle bronze is the strongest of all bronze rods and is also only used for ferrous metals. It has an even higher melting point. There are a wide range of bronze rods available, but the above three are the most common types. You can braze steel with silver solder at a lower temperature similar to silicon bronze, but it must have a high silver content and is expensive as a result. Rob
xynudu very helpful, thanks for answering with some decent detail. sounds like I need some yellow tip to go with the mang bronze to cover all my bases. I look forward to your next video. regards Rob
lol, great timing, I was just thinking about brazing the teeth back on for my lathe gears and fixing the pulley on my hacksaw I got, lol. Have you dont much brazing on cast iron, and if so, how does it differ, and any tips for cast iron?
I've done some cast iron gear repairs. There are specialty rods you can buy to rebuild teeth for cast iron, rather than braze them back. It depends how big the teeth are whether you can braze them back on accurately. Often it's better to fill in the gap and recut the few missing teeth. Cast iron soaks up a lot of heat and you really need oxy for doing gear teeth from my experience. MAPP and the Bullfinch will struggle on anything solid over about 3/4 " diameter. Then after you braze the repair you will need to reface the teeth to the correct shape. This is easier said than done without a proper involute or single point cutter. I've been down this path a few times, and nothing beats a newly /fully cut gear to a repaired gear. They are never 100% right and likely to be notchy/noisy at the repair point. You might get lucky, but it's up to you. With cast iron you need to preheat the whole work piece evenly to avoid potential cracking. Definitely NO quenching. Brazing is very doable, and it will definitely bond strongly (unlike electric welding which may not take properly) but the finishing/shaping is the issue with any repair. Cheers Rob
I have seen a few of the other creators use silicon bronze rod then recut the teeth in a cast iron gear. First using a burr on a die grinder to roughen up the cast so the bronze will get a nice surface to bite into. Luckily I have never had to do such a repair :-) If your lathe is an Atlas the gears are Zamak....not sure how that stuff would braze...if at all 🤔
yea, I plan on grinding a single point tool to cut the teeth back out. The gear teeth that Im trying to reattach are fairly big and probably 3/16" wide, if not a little wider. The other gears and such, Ill just build them up and remachine them back out. I cant get replacement parts for the gears that are broken in the lathe, and if I leave them as is, it's far more noisy than if I were to just braze them up and single point them, and can cause even more damage as time goes on.
It's a coarse dry pink powder that you dip the heated rod into. It looks like wash up powder. Paste won't work in this application. It's meant for use on jobs that go into a furnace such as in factory production. I've had people get on to me saying the bronze rod won't stick and just runs off - it's always because they use the wrong flux. Get Eziweld 303 and you won't go wrong. You can get it off Ebay and through most gas and plumbing supplies. In a previous post I made a mistake when you asked about silicon bronze and I said it was referred to as yellow tip. Silver solder is yellow tip. I'm not sure what the colour code for silicon bronze rod is. I've not used silicon bronze, but I have used silver solder - I did a job today with some.. Both are mainly for copper and brass, unless you get high silver content yellow tip which can be used for steel. Even the 2% rods are hellish expensive, so I hate to think what 70% for steel would cost. That high % is mainly used in making jewelry. 2% is handy if you want to join brass items together to make a larger piece, like repair a brass bush by sleeving in a new centre section etc. Cheers Rob
@@Xynudu Dunno, just something I heard on about every machining g, handyman ,crafting , welding video on safety I've ever seen. I have no idea why they would say that . Just asking. Cheers.
Rob, I purchased the Bullfinch AutoTorch following your video and have to say it is a fantastic bit of kit. I did my 1st brazed joint in over 30 years today and it was a joy to do. I had intended to get myself a new torch another torch and was considering one of the more traditional Bullfinch torches, but i am glad I saw your video because this is just marvellous. Many thanks, keep up your great videos. Mike
Hi Mike,
They are excellent for sure. For small light fabrication they are unbeatable in running costs and ease of use. It does have a limit on what it can handle, but I have a second large standard LPG torch that I use to preheat in conjunction with the Bullfinch to extend it's capabilities a bit more.
It's also good to be able to braze without UV/filter goggles as needed with oxy based torches.
Check out my latest video to see the junction box I fabricated up for an old Century electric motor.
I really like brazing. It's so unobtrusive and integrated into the job, unlike arc which burns and always leaves a visible weld bead.
Thanks for the comment and happy brazing.
Cheers Rob
Hi there, yes interesting using bronze braising. In dental orthodontics we used mostly turbine solder (silver solder) 625c ish. It was amazing how much corrosion and decay appeared on the solder joints in the mouth in a short time in the mouth. Using the bronze certainly maker sense, a lot more heat than silver soldering but a lot less than welding so a nice comprise for this job. Thanks for sharing. Kindest regards. Joe.
I love your air of accomplishment, a damn nice job but it’s just another Tuesday.
There is something to be Nobly said about those in the spirit of having a small lathe and other machine shop tools, being in the spirit of shaping metal, and their labors of love, putting elements together in a meaningful way of experience, for a better experience, in the experience of life of the spirit of ways of truth, that is comforting and rewarding, even making a more comfortable knob to use for fastening a tripod.
Nice clean job. Thanks for sharing regards from the UK
I got a Bullfinch last year. Awesome heat for a propane torch!
Yes. Very handy torch and cheap to run.
Nothing else comes close in the LPG line - for bronze brazing.
Cheers Rob
Great video again Rob. I like the brazing torch.
Thanks Harold. It's a great torch for small MAPP gas sized jobs. No other LPG torch can equal it.
It's amazing there's no agent in the USA or Canada for these. They would sell like hot cakes.
Cheers Rob
I forgot to ask - how are you getting on with the wild weather in Texas ?
I hope you are not affected.
Cheers Rob
I got by with no damages.
Good to hear.
Excellent brazing.
Thank you. It's not difficult to do provided you follow the correct procedure.
Cheers Rob
Very nice demonstration Rob. I almost forgot where you are, if you had come to my place I am not sure you would even need the torch. It is so hot here I think you could just lay the piece out in the sun and braze it :-) And BTW when you are using a parting tool in that way you want to be really careful it doesn't slip and cut your nuts off. :-(
Hi Glenn,
That parting off tool is my go to item for that sort of close in job. You just have to be careful not to put too much side load on it.
Purely for very fine/light work like that.
"The worlds cheapest parting off blade holder" as seen, actually is way lower risk than my shop bought POB as it has as little overhang as possible.
The shop bought one snags and snaps blades left right and centre. Gave up on using it - totally hair raising thing.
Cheers Rob
Nice demo Rob :)
That's the ticket Rob , Great job man ! Thumbs up ..
Hi what backing plate or material can I use when brazing a hole so no bronze drops out of the hole. I know copper back plate is used in welding. Thanks
I would use a brick or similar. Also bronze will not stick to a rusty, carbonised or a powder coated surface. Cheers Rob
Hello Rob! I hope you show those parts put into use. I *think* I understand what you're planning to do with them, but I would like to actually see the application. BTW, I bought a Bullfinch that came up on EBay, and it turned out to be the wrong one. They make a whole range of them to reach different temperatures. I'm sure you know that already but perhaps some of your viewers don't.
Hi Rick,
The pin goes where the cable would normally go, in the male part of a quick connector for a welder. That's the idea. I may have to turn down the bolt to fit. I don't have the welder yet so this is all theory ;) Should work OK.
That's the only way I can connect my extra long 400 amp leads with plain old style connector tabs, to a modern compact inverter welder using bayonet type connectors.
Getting this welder is some way off yet, and may or may not happen.
Cheers Rob
Hi again Rick,
If it's the same handle as the auto torch (4100) you can buy the burner tip ( 4104) separately and retrofit it.
The whole burner nose is held on by the big hexi nut next to the hole for the brass jet you can see.
The nut is left hand thread. Might be worth investigating.
Cheers Rob
Top man.
Neat job👍
Thanks 👍
I had always presumed that workbench surface was some of the most oil soaked that could be found down under. Then I witness you placing red hot bolts on it without even a wisp of smoke. They must be cut from granite with a ground in old-wood patina.
It's a Jarrah hardwood top. It's a dark coloured wood, but also oil soaked from engine work.
You need something tough for hard heavy work.
Cheers Rob
Hi, Thanks for the Video. What is the small tool you used to cut the bolts? is it electric or air? I liked the fact that the cutting disck is smaller than an angle grinder, but bigger than on a dremel rotary tool? Thanks.
That is an air die grinder with a 75 x 1 mm friction cutting disc. Same as used in car crash repair shops. I have since bought an electric die grinder which can do the same thing without the need for an air compressor : ruclips.net/video/p2gk0SASA48/видео.html
The Hilda is really good and can be mounted as a tool post grinder. It also can take a large range of tooling sizes as it has a drill chuck. I've done a few videos on this unit. Cheers Rob
Hi can you do this with just a mapp gas?
Yes.
Hello! What bronze solder wire did you use?
Manganese bronze brazing rod.
Thanks for the quality vids. What's the difference between Mang Bronze and Silicone Bronze? When would you use one over the other?
Silicon Bronze is only for copper and brass metals - this is what plumbers use. In Australia it's often referred to as yellow tip.
Manganese bronze is only for ferrous metals such as steel, stainless steel, cast iron etc. It has a much higher melting temperature and strength. Brass will melt long before manganese bronze will.
Nickle bronze is the strongest of all bronze rods and is also only used for ferrous metals. It has an even higher melting point.
There are a wide range of bronze rods available, but the above three are the most common types.
You can braze steel with silver solder at a lower temperature similar to silicon bronze, but it must have a high silver content and is expensive as a result.
Rob
xynudu very helpful, thanks for answering with some decent detail. sounds like I need some yellow tip to go with the mang bronze to cover all my bases. I look forward to your next video.
regards
Rob
lol, great timing, I was just thinking about brazing the teeth back on for my lathe gears and fixing the pulley on my hacksaw I got, lol. Have you dont much brazing on cast iron, and if so, how does it differ, and any tips for cast iron?
I've done some cast iron gear repairs. There are specialty rods you can buy to rebuild teeth for cast iron, rather than braze them back. It depends how big the teeth are whether you can braze them back on accurately. Often it's better to fill in the gap and recut the few missing teeth.
Cast iron soaks up a lot of heat and you really need oxy for doing gear teeth from my experience. MAPP and the Bullfinch will struggle on anything solid over about 3/4 " diameter.
Then after you braze the repair you will need to reface the teeth to the correct shape. This is easier said than done without a proper involute or single point cutter. I've been down this path a few times, and nothing beats a newly /fully cut gear to a repaired gear. They are never 100% right and likely to be notchy/noisy at the repair point.
You might get lucky, but it's up to you.
With cast iron you need to preheat the whole work piece evenly to avoid potential cracking.
Definitely NO quenching.
Brazing is very doable, and it will definitely bond strongly (unlike electric welding which may not take properly) but the finishing/shaping is the issue with any repair.
Cheers Rob
I have seen a few of the other creators use silicon bronze rod then recut the teeth in a cast iron gear. First using a burr on a die grinder to roughen up the cast so the bronze will get a nice surface to bite into. Luckily I have never had to do such a repair :-)
If your lathe is an Atlas the gears are Zamak....not sure how that stuff would braze...if at all 🤔
Chirpy's Tinkerings , if you have TIG you can TIG braze. As Rob says, NO quenching! In fact, wrap it up so it cools as slowly as possible.
You can't braze Zamac as it is an alloy.
Rob
yea, I plan on grinding a single point tool to cut the teeth back out. The gear teeth that Im trying to reattach are fairly big and probably 3/16" wide, if not a little wider. The other gears and such, Ill just build them up and remachine them back out. I cant get replacement parts for the gears that are broken in the lathe, and if I leave them as is, it's far more noisy than if I were to just braze them up and single point them, and can cause even more damage as time goes on.
Great "how to" thanks for posting.
Hello Rob, I forgot to ask, is ezi 303 flux dry or a paste?
Thanks
It's a coarse dry pink powder that you dip the heated rod into. It looks like wash up powder.
Paste won't work in this application. It's meant for use on jobs that go into a furnace such as in factory production. I've had people get on to me saying the bronze rod won't stick and just runs off - it's always because they use the wrong flux.
Get Eziweld 303 and you won't go wrong. You can get it off Ebay and through most gas and plumbing supplies.
In a previous post I made a mistake when you asked about silicon bronze and I said it was referred to as yellow tip. Silver solder is yellow tip. I'm not sure what the colour code for silicon bronze rod is. I've not used silicon bronze, but I have used silver solder - I did a job today with some..
Both are mainly for copper and brass, unless you get high silver content yellow tip which can be used for steel. Even the 2% rods are hellish expensive, so I hate to think what 70% for steel would cost. That high % is mainly used in making jewelry.
2% is handy if you want to join brass items together to make a larger piece, like repair a brass bush by sleeving in a new centre section etc.
Cheers Rob
Rat shit? I'm going to add that to my repertoire!
Common saying down under for horrible, distasteful things.
Rob
Ive hearrrrrrrd you're not supposed to wear gloves when using a grinder. Don't know if it's true.
Sounds like BS to me. Why would gloves be an issue ?
@@Xynudu Dunno, just something I heard on about every machining g, handyman ,crafting , welding video on safety I've ever seen. I have no idea why they would say that . Just asking. Cheers.
Liked it but too far away from camera when brazing so thumbs down.