Thread: braze welding copper

Hi Folks

Any tips on braze welding copper wire please, I am trying to do some wire art.
What brazing rod should I use?

You have a few options available to you. Phos Copper, which doesn't require a flux. Tobin Bronze, or Comcoat T in it's pre flux coated form, Nickel Bronze, or Comcoat N if pre coated.
Have you considered soft soldering or even silver soldering the joints? A 2 or 5% silver brazing alloy should work quite nicely I would think.
This may be a lot easier to achieve than full on brazing with the sort of thickness wires I am envisaging you to be using.

Soft solder will be soooo much easier!

Thank you very much for the feedback. Appears, soft solder / silver solder will be the best.

I notice a couple of youtube videos where the person uses a product called RG45. This is a copper sheaf mild steel rod. Any thoughts.

Keeping in mind he uses this stuff instead of copper to build his models.

cheers
Dave

Originally Posted by daf

I notice a couple of youtube videos where the person uses a product called RG45. This is a copper sheaf mild steel rod. Any thoughts.

Keeping in mind he uses this stuff instead of copper to build his models.

RG45 are gas welding rods. A lot stiffer than straight copper wire. Generally only available in approx 600mm lengths (or around that size, I'm estimating). Available in a few different diameters (1.6mm, 2.4mm, 3.2mm, etc).

Not sure how it would soft solder (might be ok), but I expect it could be silver soldered and/or brazed.

The other option for steel/aluminium wire would be TIG welding.

Ok, I have been able to source some R45 copper sheathed gas welding filler rods. I believe these will be good to use for making figures.

Good thing is I can silver solder them or even spot weld (tac) using the MIG.

Will have to play around and see which gives best results.

cheers.

I'm not sure if it matters (from the point of view of corrosion), but something to think about - if tack weld you will lose the copper coating at the joint. Silver soldering will actually protect the joint and prevent corrosion (if you clean the flux away properly).