Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Brazing, Oh the Fun, and This year is looking upI mentioned before that I am working in the metal shop on my sculpture. But what I think I neglected to convey was that I am not using the conventional wedding instruments, and by this I mean I am not doing TIG, MIG, Arc, or what not. What I am doing is Brazing. Well I guess that is the conventional welding, I do believe that it did come first.
To process of brazing is a lot like soldering, yet on a bigger scale. What you do is heat up the pieces of metal that you want to join. Once you get it to the right temperature you take a brass rod and the heat from the metal should melt a bit of brass off and suck it up into the joint, thus forming a fairly strong join. Bicycles have been made this way for a very long time, from what I have been told.
To tell the truth I am really having a good time with this. There are little ins and outs that people seem to forget to tell you when they are teach it to you. For example it help to keep the brass rod close to the torch when you are heating up the metal. If you don't do this when you place the rod on the metal it take to long to melt the rod and you do not get a good joint.
Enough about the metal work believe it or not there is more to my life then that right now. I got things like "drinking" to do (surprise surprise (^_^). Not really, but for my third year in the International Student Association I am accually doing things. I have to say it good. I have already found a few new drinking partners, and more importantly people with house where we can drink. No more paying those big bar bills for me this year. Yeap i shout have fun this year, and maybe I will learn a bit, you never know.
