[squeakygeek]

I'm thinking about using brass barbs on my copper block. The connections will be on 1/8" copper sheet. What I'm thinking of doing is threading the hole for the barb, screwing it on, and then strengthening/sealing either with solder or by brazing. Will solder bond copper to brass? Will brazing? Which would be best?

Would the best option for the above mentioned setup also be the best for holding the waterblock itself together when there is no room for screws or bolts?

Thanks.

[Mikeonatrike]

1/8 copper should be enuff to hold the barbs quite securely. Brazing or soldering would be over kill IMO. But to seal a block together solder or braze is fine. I personally prefer designing the block with skrews to begin with and siliconing it together. Dont even need the skrews after the silicone is dry.

[Diggrr]

Solder will bond copper and brass quite well. That's what holds my hose barbs on my heatercore. Even my heatercore is brass and copper soldered together.
If you used it to seal a block, it wouldn't leak (considering a good solder job), and could take far more pressure than you could give it.
I think it was DangerDen who used to have a destructive test on their site--they pumped a block up with 1200psi before she blew.

clean both parts well, apply flux, and solder away.

Yes it's a tad overkill, but we like that around here.
Only time I'd see a need to open up a block is to remove something that shouldn't have been in my system in the first place.

[Mikeonatrike]

Originally posted by Diggrr
Yes it's a tad overkill, but we like that around here.
Only time I'd see a need to open up a block is to remove something that shouldn't have been in my system in the first place.

Agreed, but i use lexan tops now so soldering would definetly be overkill haha.

[JimmyG]

If you use silver solder it would be very pretty!

[skou]

When I was a kid, and car radiators were made out of brass, they were soldered together. And the brass ones last a LOT longer than the new aluminum ones.

And yes, copper will solder to brass. Way back when, I used a penny to patch a leak in a brass radiator. Back then, pennies were made out of copper, not zinc.

Like Diggrr said, clean it up, use a stainless steel toothbrush to clean with, and use flux.

steve

[JFettig]

I would actually perfer solder over sealant, but so many things prevent that.

make sure you clean everything good, apply flux evenly, and heat pretty evenly, heat untill the flux boils then touch the solder to the joint, if it doesnt melt, heat it up a little more, then try again. one touch should seep into the rest of it, but mite as well add a little more.

Brazing will also work well. but its much harder and much more un-needed than soldering.

and skou, they still make brass heatercores that are soldered together

Jon

[squeakygeek]

Originally posted by skou
use a stainless steel toothbrush

OUCH!!

Getting back on the subject, I will probably use solder. I know how to solder, but have never done any brazing before. My dad suggested it because he knows someone who does it, and thought it would be much stronger. I can see that this would not be necesary because some people even think solder itself is overkill.