BRAZING WITHOUT A BLOWPIPE

Northern Advocate, 17 September 1927, Page 15

BRAZING WITHOUT A BLOWPIPE

There are sometimes cases where a part of a motor vehicle has to be brazed, and no proper blowpipe or blowlamp is at hand. In such instances it is necessary to improvise some substitute for the correct outfit, so a mechanic describes how he has made • shift without a blowpipe on more than one occasion, and succeeded in making satisfactory jobs. He procured a fivegallon oil drum, and made 1 holes in it so as to form a brazier or “devil,” to the bottom of which he fixed a piece of gaspipe with the end turned upwards, and with about 18in. leading from the drum. To this pipe he'fixed a pair of ordinary domestic bellows by means of a length of rubber,-tube and was able by vigorous blowing to bring his fire to a bright red heat. His fire was built up of small clean coke, and was allowed to burn up well before the job was placed pu it. He says that a good motor foot pump will answer the purpose quite well, and had-the advantage that one man can then manage the job. It is, perhaps, not generally recognised now that an ordinary blacksmith’s forge can be used for brazing, as that was the only means of heating before the blowpipe became common, and is even now much used in some places where a gas supply is not available. The blowpipe is more convenient, as the heat can be directed to the exact spot where the brazing is required, but it must be remembered that, although with the blowpipe the heat can be applied to the top of the work, instead of underneath it, ,as with a forge, it is useless to melt the brass and expect it to adhere to metal that is of a lower temperature; the job itself must be as hot as the melted brass.