First Braze

[Fuggles]

I'm working on my keg boiler and I attempted to solder a 1.5” ferrule into a 1.5” hole. I made a dimpling tool and had the hole drilled and pulled it out perfectly. Just a bit of clean up and I made one too many strokes with the file.. I had a visible gap.. I had the silver solder and Harris stay clean liquid but sure enough when I soldered it dripped out the side and left me with a leaky connection.

Next thing I did was buy the SafetySilv brazing wire, and the Harris white flux. Practised a bit with the plumber torch and it seemed workable. So I brazed this 2” ferrule over top the 1.5” hole. Slow going with the plumber propane torch so I borrowed a map torch and it seemed to to work quite well. It's a butt joint brazed on inner and outer edge this connection seems pretty strong and definitely holds water.

Next up is the 3” ferrule on the keg bottom to for the column mount and I'm not sure to braze or solder. My question, is the brazed butt joint stronger than a soldered press fit?

[Expat]

Next up is the 3” ferrule on the keg bottom to for the column mount and I'm not sure to braze or solder. My question, is the brazed butt joint stronger than a soldered press fit?

For stilling purposes makes no difference. Pick whichever is easier for you.

Soldered joints are plenty strong.

[Fuggles]

Thanks expat. I'll stick with the brazing, since the hole doesn't have to be perfect with a butt joint. I can just make it with a jig saw and clean it up with a grinder. I'm sure the solder will come in handy many other places as I go along.

[Expat]

Thanks expat. I'll stick with the brazing, since the hole doesn't have to be perfect with a butt joint. I can just make it with a jig saw and clean it up with a grinder. I'm sure the solder will come in handy many other places as I go along.

Let's see your work when you're done

[Durhommer]

Keep us informed this might become a bookmarkable topic

[Fuggles]

I'm just learning as I go but happy to share. I just finished the new element hole. The old element hole became a fill port. Tacking it down here.

I wire brushed and cleaned with isopropyl, then another round of brazing to fill in.

Drilled it out. Was not perfectly centered and this gave me some trouble when brazing more on the inside where there wasn't enough of a lip to hold the puddle

I capped the hole and leak tested. Water gushed out of a crack I didn't see. I remembered hearing the crack while it was cooling. I flushed out the crack with isopropyl, filled with flux as much as possible and reheated, along with more brazing on the inside. Brazing on the inside of the smaller 1.5" ferrule was more of a challenge. It didn't want to get hot enough and the flame would puff out. Might be better to apply lots of flux on both sides and then use lots of brazing wire on the outside to let more of it wick up under.

Here it is so far. Next up is the 4" ferrule on the bottom. I got a 4"-3" reducer for a 3" column. Any feedback on technique would be appreciated before I get to it.

As for safety, whenever I used isopropyl I blew it try with a hair dryer and even sucked air through the keg with the shop vac, just to make sure there was no flammable vapors before lighting the torch. Not sure if it was necessary but that's what I did.

[HomerD]

Harris Bridgit and Harris Stay Clean work good for small gaps. I just soldered most of my connections. Now I have a Tig welder.

Homer