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Welding silicon bronze -- am I doing something wrong?

I'm just beginning to play around with silicon bronze. I tried TIG welding some sheet (.065") and noticed that the bronze does not behave like any other metals I have welded (steel, stainless, copper). The molten bronze seems to be much more viscous with a much higher surface tension; it doesn't flow nearly as readily as the other metals and it has a tendency to pull itself into blobs. Is this just the nature of the beast, or should I be doing something different, like using a flux, or a different shielding gas (argon), or a higher gas flow rate (15 cfh)? Any tips or tricks? Or do I just need to practice more and learn how to compensate for these characteristics? Thanks for any suggestions.

Bert

Reply to
Bert
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Reply to
Phil
10 CFH should be plenty of gas , use 100% Argon and absolutly don't use any Flux . Phil
Reply to
Phil

As Phil says, you DO NOT MELT THE BASE METAL! On a fillet joint, holding the rod in one hand, lay the rod in the joint and run the TIG arc along over it, melting and flowing the filler, wetting the base metal.

Reply to
Ipeak

Hey Phil,

Sounds like you're talking about brazing with bronze -- i.e., using it to join a different base metal (steel). I'm talking about welding with it -- i.e., the base metal and filler metal are both Si bronze.

Bert

"Phil" wrote:

Reply to
Bert

I am working on a project with architectural bronze alloy 385. There is a national organization of copper-www.copper.org or .com, but I couldn't find relevant info on welding or brazing bronzes.

I've heard that brazing is the process to use for joining brasses or bronzes, though I think they can be welded too. Anyone know for certain?

Patrick

Reply to
patrick

Greetings Patrick, Generally, when people say brass they mean a copper alloy with zinc in it, and when they say bronze they mean a copper alloy without zinc in it. However, this is technically wrong and many copper alloys called bronze contain zinc. Some bronze alloys can be welded with bronze filler rod. Silicon bronze is one that welds particularly well with silicon bronze rod. TIG welding that is. I personally have no experience using other methods of welding silicon bronze. TIG welding bronzes that contain zinc is tough because the zinc boils at a low temperature and actually vaporises from the high temperature of the electric arc. Bronze alloy 385 is another name for copper alloy C38500. Look at this link:

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't try to TIG weld it. It is 40% zinc. However it can welded, or, if you prefer, brazed, with a torch. Brazing rod comes in many different alloys. Pick one that has a lower melting temperature. Cheers, Eric

Reply to
Eric R Snow

Hi Patrick, I have exclusively welded silicon bronze with the TIG as well and it is one of the easiest form of TIG welding I have found. The filler metals I have used were identical to the parent metal, no fluxes, get puddle of molten metal and off you go. Most of the work has been on sculptures with a large thickness. Good luck

Reply to
Rod Day

Curious why someone welds brass rather than braze ? Since brass isn't used in high stress applications anyhow.

Reply to
Shadowland

and i recommend ac

Reply to
cmignacco

I prefer DCEN with a helium argon mix gas. Helium makes copper allows very happy.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

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