Super Alloy 5 Aluminum Soldering and Brazing Tips and Techniques Using Propane And OXY-MAPP

The Super Alloy 5 rod is 18 inches long and comes in 1/16" and 3/32"
The 1/16" is excellent for repairing thin aluminum such as home, auto, and commercial air conditioning units, auto radiators, and evaporators. The 3/32" works well for bridging gaps, larger holes, cast aluminum, a variety of more significant, thicker aluminum. If you already have the 3/32" rod, you can take a hammer and flatten the rod to your desired thickness.
This torch tip will not work with the Super Alloy 5. Propane can provide more heat than this tip will allow. This Bernzomatic torch is employed for the majority of the aluminum videos on our site when using Mapp gas and propane. From my experience, the torches that have an adjustable flame control tend to work a little better. And can push more heat. You often need this with aluminum. These torches found at muggyweld.com while supplies last
Never allow the aluminum to sit flush upon a metal table when torch-brazing. The table will pull the heat away very quickly, causing undue frustration. Likewise, closing the jaws of a vise too close to the work area creates the same problem with heat dissipation. An easy solution is to lift the aluminum off the table with a steel wire. Another is using ceramic tiles or using fire bricks etc. Thin aluminum cools faster than anything you will ever solder or braze. Make the process easier by not allowing the white metal from contacting heatsinks.
The best way to apply the flux is to heat the rod for a second or two and dip the rod into the powdered flux; repeat if the flux doesn't grab well.
A common mistake is blocking the area with the rod before the aluminum has reached the working temperature. As a result, the rod inhibits heating the desired location you want the Super Alloy 5 to repair. Instead, broadly heat the area adjacent to the hole or crack. This technique prevents the surrounding aluminum from sucking the heat away. First we preheat, apply the flux, flux turns clear, flow the rod out flat with the torch. Because we are brazing on thin aluminum, we always keep our heat moving to prevent the metal from getting too hot and collapsing. Again, preheat the parent aluminum, paint the flux on with the torch, pull the rod back and continue heating until the powder flux turns clear. We turned the torch down a bit, so the process would be easier to follow. And it will mimic some torches that do not have an adjustable flame. There were some contaminates around the hole, so we added a little more flux, dabbed the rod to test the temperature, and heated the rod slightly to soften it as we applied it to the aluminum. The next hole will close much faster as the aluminum is already warmed. Notice the flux is more active than before, cleaning the oil, dirt and, grease away while sealing the hole shut. Quickly pull the torch away once you see the rod flow out flat.
When joining two pieces of aluminum together, a longer preheat is needed. Again, the flux will tell us when the metal is ready to accept the rod. We will heat the front back and side to side on both plates to bring the aluminum to the correct temperature. The plates pictured are only a couple of inches in length and thin. If we were working on a larger project, we would preheat longer and possibly need a hotter torch setup like oxyacetylene.
When working on thick to thin aluminum, add more heat to the heavier section as it will take longer to reach the desired brazing temperature.
We continue heating where the two plates meet, watching for the flux to turn from gray to clear. The more comfortable you get with handling the torch, and what to look for, you will find yourself turning up the fuel on the flame. If we were to add the rod before the plate was ready, the rod would ball up. Discard the balled-up material and continue heating the parent metal.
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