LA:My recollection isn't bring up the name of the rod but I used a different gas source.
One thing that helped at the time was following professional advice that getting the cast iron body hot before brazing was wise. You may try a little spell in the oven first to accomplish that. Someone on RCM would know on the rod.
Hey, I am not a welder, but I was a pipefitter and I worked with welders on a daily basis. I have been involved in a few cast iron repairs and Mapp gas is not the answer. You want an oxy-acetylene torch with a brazing tip. And like the other poster said, you want the cast to be hot (the oven thing won't do it). Use the torch to heat it up. A plane is not that big and will heat up nicely with a torch.
Take a look at this site:
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info than you will ever need and what kind of rods to use.
It's not worth the time and effort. There's a strong possibility that the heat from the brazing will distort the body and it will be a nightmare to get the plane to work properly. Salvage whatever parts you can and toss the rest.
If he's never brazed anything before and likes to try new stuff then brazing the plane is worthwile as an exercise--if it ends up unrepairable he's no worse off and has learned a new skill. If it ends up usable then he's ahead of the game.
I have a nice old Depression era Stanley #4 that has a piece broken out of the side. It has been repaired by riveting the broken piece back in with a steel backing plate. I love the plane, it is filed smooth, works well, and it means something that a previous owner cared enough about it to go to a lot of trouble with the repair.
Why, because of the quick heatsinking of the stuff? I've seen several nicely brazed plane repairs, so I know it's doable. And MAPP will easily get a small cracked section of a plane to red-hot temps. I don't see the big deal, clare. Heatsinking might be a problem on a thick tablesaur top, though. I think a second MAPP torch would fix that if push came to shove.
From
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"MAPP gas is also used in combustion with air for brazing and soldering, where it has considerable advantages over competing propane fuel due to its high combustion temperature of 2,020°C (3,670°F)."
-- That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. -- Doris Lessing
With a mapp/oxy torch it would be do-able, but I've attempted brazing with my turbo-torch on MAPP with much less than successful results. I just haul out the oxy-acetylene for most brazing jobs - and for finer stuff, haul it out to the hanger to the TIG torch.
Note that MAPP no longer exists in the market. The patent holder went under and the patent has another 10 years or so to run before somebody else can start making it. I believe the replacement is propylene, which supposedly burns about 50 degrees cooler.
If you're looking for a MAPP torch and can't find one that's the reason.
Did you remove the wooden pieces and toss it in the oven at 400 degrees to warm up the casting first, just before brazing?
-- "I probably became a libertarian through exposure to tough-minded professors" James Buchanan, Armen Alchian, Milton Friedman "who encouraged me to think with my brain instead of my heart. I learned that you have to evaluate the effects of public policy as opposed to intentions." -- Walter E. Williams
I suppose I could try that one day when SWMBO is not home...
I tried using an older BernzOmatic TS4000 that is good for MAPP and propane but does not have the newer 'swirl' tip. Could not get the bright red color needed on the thicker piece. I have googled but have been unable to find a source to buy just the screw on tips. Does anyone know where I can buy just the screw on swirl tip?
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