Can I braze without flux?
Fluxing is an essential step in the brazing operation, aside from a few exceptions. You can join copper to copper without flux, by using a brazing filler metal specially formulated for the job, such as Handy & Harman’s Sil-Fos or Fos-Flo 7.
What metal can be brazed?
Brazing is used to join metal parts and can be applied to a wide array of materials, like brass, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc-coated steel, and ceramics. Laser brazing offers some distinct advantages in applications that require the joining of non-similar metals.
What is capillary action in brazing?
When you bring two pieces of metal together, these imperfections and irregularities create channels along which a liquid can move. In brazing, that liquid is a molten filler metal, and the force that pulls it through the microscopic “pores” is something called capillary action.
Can you braze with a propane torch?
Brazing permanently joins two metals using a torch. You can use a propane torch to braze most metals you want to join. Propane torches are widely available in your local hardware stores, plumbing supply houses as well as at metalsmith and jewelry supply companies.
How does brazing stick to the metal?
If brazing doesn’t fuse the base metals, how does it join them? It works by creating a metallurgical bond between the filler metal and the surfaces of the two metals being joined. The principle by which the filler metal is drawn through the joint to create this bond is capillary action.
What is the purpose of flux in brazing?
A “flux” in metallurgy (derived from the Latin word fluxus – meaning “flow”) is the agent used for cleaning, flowing, or purifying. Their function can vary but are an essential component in brazing. Essentially, fluxes remove oxides and other contaminants in order to create solid, high quality brazed joints.
What kind of torch is used for brazing?
These torches used for these applications are the air-natural gas and air-acetylene. Torches that provide excellent results on many brazing applications are oxygen with natural gas, or other gases such as propane or butane.