Meld Metals with Welding and Brazing

By Steve Maxwell
Published on February 1, 2007
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You can master welding and brazing skills to take on a whole new world of projects and home repairs.
You can master welding and brazing skills to take on a whole new world of projects and home repairs.
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A stick-type arc welder joins metal parts quickly.
A stick-type arc welder joins metal parts quickly.
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An oxygen/propane torch provides sufficient heat for brazing.
An oxygen/propane torch provides sufficient heat for brazing.
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The kind and thickness of metal to be welded determine the proper choice of welding rod.
The kind and thickness of metal to be welded determine the proper choice of welding rod.
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A wire-feed welder’s grounding clamp and welding gun. Inert gas flows from the gun tip, shielding the molten weld from oxygen.
A wire-feed welder’s grounding clamp and welding gun. Inert gas flows from the gun tip, shielding the molten weld from oxygen.
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Welding is only one part of metalworking. You also can cut steel, using oxygen/acetylene equipment with a special head called a cutting torch. Cutting torches come as part of many consumer-grade gas welding sets. In addition to mixing the gases before they exit the torch tip and burn, a cutting torch has an additional lever on the top that releases a narrow, high-pressure stream of oxygen. Once you’ve heated the metal along the cut line so it’s red hot, you press the lever down with your thumb before dragging the torch tip along the cut line. The oxygen blast burns the steel away in a thin line — it’s actually ultra-fast oxidation. Cutting neatly with a torch takes practice, but it is fast and effective once you get the hang of it.
Welding is only one part of metalworking. You also can cut steel, using oxygen/acetylene equipment with a special head called a cutting torch. Cutting torches come as part of many consumer-grade gas welding sets. In addition to mixing the gases before they exit the torch tip and burn, a cutting torch has an additional lever on the top that releases a narrow, high-pressure stream of oxygen. Once you’ve heated the metal along the cut line so it’s red hot, you press the lever down with your thumb before dragging the torch tip along the cut line. The oxygen blast burns the steel away in a thin line — it’s actually ultra-fast oxidation. Cutting neatly with a torch takes practice, but it is fast and effective once you get the hang of it.
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Inert gas flows from the wire-feed welding gun tip, shielding the molten weld from oxygen.
Inert gas flows from the wire-feed welding gun tip, shielding the molten weld from oxygen.
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Welding is perfectly safe as long as you use appropriate equipment and follow safety procedures. This welding mask features auto-darkening lenses.
Welding is perfectly safe as long as you use appropriate equipment and follow safety procedures. This welding mask features auto-darkening lenses.

There’s never been a better time to add brazing and welding skills to your homesteading repertoire. Brazing and welding are all about joining metal parts quickly, permanently and with great strength — you’ll find that they can revolutionize the way you maintain and improve your homestead.

Brazing requires only simple equipment that costs less than $100. And welding equipment is more effective, easier to use and more affordable ($175 and up) than ever before. Anyone with a handy streak will find that today’s metal-melding options offer a huge boost towards self-sufficiency, cost savings and hands-on satisfaction.

Most of my metalwork involves repairs, but welding and brazing also offer endless possibilities for artistic and decorative projects. I’ve fixed gates, mailboxes, tractor drawbars, broken muffler mounts and a favorite garden trowel whose blade broke off the shank. You can build utility shelves and workshop tables; restore machinery; build marine docks; or convert the back end of a pickup truck into a trailer (a favorite project here on Manitoulin Island in Canada).

Brazing

Brazing, often discussed with welding, actually is a fundamentally different process. It’s more like heavy-duty soldering using bronze rods instead of solder. The underlying metals are not melted, so it requires substantially less heat than welding processes, which do melt and fuse underlying metals. Mild (low carbon) steel and cast iron include a large percentage of iron, and their composition makes them ideal candidates for brazing.

If you’re brand new to metalwork, then brazing is a good way to gain experience without spending a lot of money. It’s useful for repairing lightweight machinery parts, thin metal railings and gates, or sheet-metal items such as wheelbarrow pans or steel lawn mower decks.

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