I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

--
Chris Green
·

On 15/06/2019 12:11, Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Still looks a bit small to me, although I agree that MAPP will give you
some more "oomph".

My "big" propane torch has a nozzle about an inch in diameter and I
suspect that this might struggle with your transaxle. I'm making the
assumption here that aluminium casting alloys "suck" heat away faster
than iron or steel.

My other "secret weapon" for brazing ferrous or cuprous bits is a
selection of vermiculite "fire bricks" as sold for solid fuel stoves,
with these you can build some containment and reflection for many shapes
(although a transaxle is probably quite difficult).

I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I might
be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

newshound wrote:
On 15/06/2019 12:11, Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Still looks a bit small to me, although I agree that MAPP will give you
some more "oomph".

My "big" propane torch has a nozzle about an inch in diameter and I
suspect that this might struggle with your transaxle. I'm making the
assumption here that aluminium casting alloys "suck" heat away faster
than iron or steel.

My other "secret weapon" for brazing ferrous or cuprous bits is a
selection of vermiculite "fire bricks" as sold for solid fuel stoves,
with these you can build some containment and reflection for many shapes
(although a transaxle is probably quite difficult).

I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I might
be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

I have an inverter welder too, and a MIG, but the crack I'm mending
looks a real candidate for brazing as one is much less likely to melt
the surroundings.

--
Chris Green
·

On 15/06/2019 13:08, newshound wrote:
On 15/06/2019 12:11, Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult).Â* I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough.Â* The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)

is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Still looks a bit small to me, although I agree that MAPP will give you
some more "oomph".

My "big" propane torch has a nozzle about an inch in diameter and I
suspect that this might struggle with your transaxle. I'm making the
assumption here that aluminium casting alloys "suck" heat away faster
than iron or steel.

My other "secret weapon" for brazing ferrous or cuprous bits is a
selection of vermiculite "fire bricks" as sold for solid fuel stoves,
with these you can build some containment and reflection for many shapes
(although a transaxle is probably quite difficult).

I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I might
be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

IIUC you need an inverter than can do AC output to be able to
successfully TIG ali.

(although you could use ali wire in MIG machine with pure argon -
although you either need a good wire feed and a PTFE liner for the torch
lead, or a add on spool gun)



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

It kind of makes me think if its a one off job you might find some
engineering company that would do it for you at a reasonable cost.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 15/06/2019 12:11, Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Still looks a bit small to me, although I agree that MAPP will give you
some more "oomph".

My "big" propane torch has a nozzle about an inch in diameter and I
suspect that this might struggle with your transaxle. I'm making the
assumption here that aluminium casting alloys "suck" heat away faster than
iron or steel.

My other "secret weapon" for brazing ferrous or cuprous bits is a
selection of vermiculite "fire bricks" as sold for solid fuel stoves, with
these you can build some containment and reflection for many shapes
(although a transaxle is probably quite difficult).

I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I might be
tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

John Rumm wrote:

My other "secret weapon" for brazing ferrous or cuprous bits is a
selection of vermiculite "fire bricks" as sold for solid fuel stoves,
with these you can build some containment and reflection for many shapes
(although a transaxle is probably quite difficult).

I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I might
be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

IIUC you need an inverter than can do AC output to be able to
successfully TIG ali.

(although you could use ali wire in MIG machine with pure argon -
although you either need a good wire feed and a PTFE liner for the torch
lead, or a add on spool gun)

Yes, as I said I do have a little inverter welder *and* a MIG welder
but looking at the extras needed (and skills probably) to use them on
aluminium I decided that brazing was the way to go.

Also, as it's a repair of a crack, *not* having to melt the aluminium
itself is a big plus for brazing. I don't even need it to be
particularly strong, just oil proof.

--
Chris Green
·

Brian Gaff wrote:
It kind of makes me think if its a one off job you might find some
engineering company that would do it for you at a reasonable cost.

If my (relatively) cheap aluminium brazing doesn't work then that's
exactly what I'll do. Having the ability to braze aluminium and other
non-ferrous metals would actually be very handy around the place so it
will probably become more than a 'one off'.

--
Chris Green
·

On Saturday, 15 June 2019 12:16:05 UTC+1, Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Sounds like all you need is a £2.50 Chinese torch. Point them both at the workpiece.


NT

In article ,
Chris Green wrote:
Yes, as I said I do have a little inverter welder *and* a MIG welder
but looking at the extras needed (and skills probably) to use them on
aluminium I decided that brazing was the way to go.

I've done some basic ally welding with a domestic MIG. I needed a boss in
a bit of 3" diameter tube for a sensor. Didn't need any extras - simply a
reel of ally wire and an argon cylinder. You might need to pre-heat
something that large with a gas torch, though.

--
*ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 16/06/2019 00:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 15/06/2019 13:08, newshound wrote:


I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I
might be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

IIUC you need an inverter than can do AC output to be able to
successfully TIG ali.


Don't think so, TIG is basically DC, normally with the opposite polarity
to MMA (stick) welding. Professional TIG welders have a high frequency
AC for striking the arc, without that you have to scratch-start.

You can't TIG with a "transformer" stick welder, you need the better
constant current supply of an inverter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_tungsten_arc_welding

Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Well, I bought one of these, partly because it was cheap, partly
because it coud be delivered on Sunday (it was) and partly because the
reviews seemed mostly OK.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dickie-3617...s%2C166&sr=8-1

.... and it's *excellent*. It's way hotter than my Bernzomatic TS2000
and did the job I needed on my transaxle with no problems. I'd also
recommend the "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit, I found it really
quite easy to braze neatly over the crack.

--
Chris Green
·

On 16/06/2019 19:12, Chris Green wrote:
Chris Green wrote:
I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but
I need some sort of way of working out what gas brazing torch I need
to do something.

I want to fix a small crack in a transaxle casing from a mower, the
casing is maybe 8" in diameter and made of 1/8" thick (or a little
thicker) aluminium.

I have a "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit and my trial on a bit of
1/8" thick aluminium angle worked pretty well (I'm used to soldering
and welding so something sort of half-way wasn't too difficult). I
did that with a Bernzomatic TS2000 torch which I bought a long while
ago for odd plumbing jobs.

However the Bernzomatic TS2000 won't get the transaxle casing hot
enough, it's fairly close but not enough to get the material to 'tin'
nicely.

So, would a bigger/better torch which uses the same gas canisters as
the TS2000 be enough. The Bernzomatic site seems to suggest that the
TS4000 (which Screwfix sell -
https://www.screwfix.com/p/bernzomat...ng-torch/71976)
is quite a lot beefier than the TS2000 and it can use the MAPP gas
bottles which are also hotter I believe.

Well, I bought one of these, partly because it was cheap, partly
because it coud be delivered on Sunday (it was) and partly because the
reviews seemed mostly OK.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dickie-3617...s%2C166&sr=8-1

... and it's *excellent*. It's way hotter than my Bernzomatic TS2000
and did the job I needed on my transaxle with no problems. I'd also
recommend the "laser 4707" aluminium brazing kit, I found it really
quite easy to braze neatly over the crack.


That's good to know. Added to my Amazon wish list for future reference

On 16/06/2019 11:06, newshound wrote:
On 16/06/2019 00:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 15/06/2019 13:08, newshound wrote:


I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I
might be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

IIUC you need an inverter than can do AC output to be able to
successfully TIG ali.


Don't think so, TIG is basically DC, normally with the opposite polarity
to MMA (stick) welding. Professional TIG welders have a high frequency
AC for striking the arc, without that you have to scratch-start.

You can get basic TIG DC machines (some with HF start as well), but you
can also get AC/DC TIG. I tend to see people doing TIG on ali using AC
machines since you get a cleaning effect every half cycle - not just
because they have HF start.

E.g. decent DC TIG with HF start:

https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/tig-...40v-dc-160amp/

cf, higher end machine with AC as well:

https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/tig-...-ac-dc-160amp/



You can't TIG with a "transformer" stick welder, you need the better
constant current supply of an inverter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_tungsten_arc_welding


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 16/06/2019 23:15, John Rumm wrote:
On 16/06/2019 11:06, newshound wrote:
On 16/06/2019 00:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 15/06/2019 13:08, newshound wrote:


I do have the cheap Lidl inverter welder, if I had your problem I
might be tempted to get a TIG torch for it.

IIUC you need an inverter than can do AC output to be able to
successfully TIG ali.


Don't think so, TIG is basically DC, normally with the opposite
polarity to MMA (stick) welding. Professional TIG welders have a high
frequency AC for striking the arc, without that you have to
scratch-start.

You can get basic TIG DC machines (some with HF start as well), but you
can also get AC/DC TIG. I tend to see people doing TIG on ali using AC
machines since you get a cleaning effect every half cycle - not just
because they have HF start.

E.g. decent DC TIG with HF start:

https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/tig-...40v-dc-160amp/

cf, higher end machine with AC as well:

https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/tig-...-ac-dc-160amp/




Thanks, didn't realise that. I'd only ever looked at lower end TIG.