Member postings for Brian John

Were you tapping into brass or aluminium ? You can dissolve a broken tap by putting the whole thing in an Alum solution.

Edited By Brian John on 15/09/2021 04:59:36

This brand of flux I use is one of the most popular in Australia. I had never heard of meths based flux. Doesn't it burst into flame when it is heated ?

Mixing the dried out flux with water has worked well. Here is my latest boiler. Note that the chimney is only cosmetic and it is not open to the firebox as this results in too much heat loss. I thought the boiler looks a bit strange with no chimney. The other hole in the top is for a Mamod safety valve.

Edited By Brian John on 11/09/2021 14:24:30

What is the purpose of fluxing previously soldered joints ? Does this stop them remelting ?

Okay, thanks for that. It is probably not necessary but I will give it a quick pull through some emery paper anyway.

I have some 2 year old silver solder which has been hanging on the wall inside the house. It is good quality silver solder with cadmium which I use for soldering copper boilers. It has lost its bright and shiny new look ; it is a bit ''tarnished'' for want of a better word. Should it be cleaned before use by using steel wool or something similar ?

NOTE : I always make sure the copper surfaces to be soldered are clean and bright and I use plenty of flux.

If I was just cutting one or two sheets then I would use a saw but as I intend to cut 24 pieces or more than the small hobby/ table saws seem like a good option. Most of them are designed to cut wood so I need to make sure I can get a metal blade to fit.

There are quite a few for sale from China. I am sure the quality varies though !

table saw - Buy table saw with free shipping on AliExpress

This ebay model looks quite good :

Hyuda Delux Mini Table Saw 200w | eBay

Edited By Brian John on 02/09/2021 13:39:42

Edited By Brian John on 02/09/2021 13:41:37

I used to order my 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm thick brass sheet from ebay/China and they were always happy to cut their 10 cm X 10 cm sheets to size for me : 9 cm X 7 cm and 7.5 cm X 7 cm. But it has a been a few years since I purchased anything and now I cannot find anybody who will cut it to size. Many of them don't even understand the request !

What is the best way to cut brass sheet that will give a nice straight edge and still result in a flat sheet of brass ?

Edited By Brian John on 31/08/2021 13:36:03

Edited By Brian John on 31/08/2021 13:36:31

Edited By Brian John on 31/08/2021 13:37:01

Advice from one beginner to another : try and make something. Buy a kit with plans and the proper materials and have a go. If you muck it up then you can easily replace that piece of material and you will have learned something in the process.

This is the silver solder flux I use for soldering copper and brass.

silverBrazing Flux 602 (nationalwelding.com.au)

I have not done any model engineering for a while as I have been too busy with full time work but now we have all been stood down from the hotel until further notice due to lack of business caused by Australia wide lock downs.

The flux paste has dried out a bit ; it is more a thick cream than its usual liquid form. Can I just add a bit of water and keep on using it or should I ditch it ?

Can you not buy silver solder with cadmium in the UK ? Doesn't that cause problems when soldering boilers and pipework ?

NOTE : I am in Australia. Model engineer suppliers still sell silver solder with cadmium.

The lathe is still going but I have not had much chance to use it lately. I moved house two years ago and things have been very hectic since. I also have a new job now and I am working six days a week. I just sink into a chair exhausted at the end of the day

The Mormons and ''others' have stopped knocking on our door

I thought a brass piston in a brass cylinder would cause galling ?

I usually call it hard soldering (Australia) and sometimes silver soldering. Brazing always seems to mean many things to different people which is why I do not use it !

I would be very interested to see photos and diagrams of your beam engine if you have any.

.001'' gap : would you describe that as ''push fit'' ?

My Optimum TU 150 3V could accurately be described as a mini lathe. Anything bigger, I would simply call a lathe. I am currently looking for something bigger but we do not have the large range of brands available in the UK.

Edited By Brian John on 06/08/2019 04:24:41

A hairdryer first then white spirits if that does not work. The hairdryer would probably work as well as hot water if it was hide glue.

White sprits in the UK = mineral turpentine in Australia : is that correct ?

Edited By Brian John on 04/08/2019 01:47:35

....or find out what it is before selling it !