George Goehl - Brazing Metal Sculpture

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Introduction

This is a beginners guide starting with the equipment youll need, setting up your equipment, lighting the torch and on to brazing.

Here the emphasis is on brazing steel to steel in the range of 1/16th to 3/16th thickness. With a little practice you can begin building your own sculptures using brazing as the joining process.

Ive taught many people to braze so Im well aware of the questions you may have. Along the way Ill add some TIPS that will speed you on your way.

Sit back, relax and begin imagining all the amazing things that you can create through brazing.

With the Oxy/Ace torch you can:

Braze

Silver Solder

Gas Weld

Heat for Forming and Bending

Tempering

Copper Annealing

Flame Coloring Copper

Cut Steel

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Before we go any further, le me just jump in here with a YouTube video which shows the basics. Once you've watched this video you will have a better idea of the process of brazing. This will make what follows easier to grasp.

Video:

An example of a basic application is heating two pieces of steel to dull red hot and melting a bronze filler rod between the two pieces. If the braze is done properly it will produce a strong joint. A brazed joint is much stronger than solder but not quite as strong as gas welding.

For the type of sculptures that I do, the strength of brazing is more than adequate.

For over forty years Ive made my living designing, crafting and selling metal sculpture. The most used tool in my shop is the oxygen acetylene torch. Although I also Mig weld, most of my work is done with the torch.

In my opinion the oxygen acetylene torch is the most versatile of all welding equipment.

The Gases - Oxygen & Acetylene

Acetylene is a gas. It is one of the hottest of all natural gases. When ignited it produces a flame. The addition of oxygen increases the temperature of the acetylene flame.

What do you need to braze?

Oxygen and Acetylene

Oxygen Acetylene Torch

Oxygen Acetylene Regulators

Oxygen Acetylene Hoses

Sparker

Tip Cleaner

Dark Brazing Glasses

Flux covered Bronze Filler Rod or bare bronze brazing rod.

The Oxygen Acetylene Torch Outfit

This is a Victor Performer Oxygen Acetylene Torch Outfit

Performer is the model name.