Always learning: Brazing Cast Iron 

I was a welder for 45 yesrs and i can tell you this, you never stop learning! When I was a 15 I started working at a welding repair shop and we did a ton cast repairs. We would always pre heat too 400 deg, checked with a tempel stick. We used a old gas oven. Once you started the brazing repair you didn't stop until you were done to maintain the temp. Then the peice was put into a lime box for a SLOW cool down. It would take 24 hours, sometimes longer before it was cool enough to touch. The same process for nickel rod. Most of the repairs were successful. Sometimes we would get a old burned up manifold or a poor quality casting that you couldn't do anything with. The owner of the shop told me a few thing that I will always remember. You can"t screw something up so bad that it can"t be fixed! And no matter how dumb you think somone is you can still learn something from them.

You are a magician my friend. I don’t even know how to weld but I bought a welder and am learning because of you. Thank you.

"No matter how much you think you know, there's somebody that knows something that you don't." 💯 great video as usual mate. I call these ones character building exercises or swear jar funding 😂 Cheers, Kurtis 😎👍

Is it just me or could you watch a couple of videos a day for this man? Thanks for the educational videos.

My uncle in the 50’s had a small welding, repair, and fabrication shop. He had a oven from a kitchen that he would put cast parts in and slowly heat them up, weld them and then over a period of hours slowly turn the temperature down to let them cool properly. Worked for him and the oven cost him very little.

Isaac I have been welding all my life I'm 77 and have found that every job is a learning experience! You and Kurtis at Cutting Edge and Dave at the Coach Shop and all the other Job shops in the World have the same thing in common you fix it your way and that is the write way for the job you are working on at the time. The guy with the big mouth is the one that can't fix it. Hay guys if you did the best you know how that is the best that can be done. After all what is welding, heat it up ad some filler let it cool how hard can it be. Sorry about the rant but I see you guys working so hard fixing someone's destroyed stuff and some jocker gives you a thumbs down or he could do better with a jar of peanut butter. My wife the book keeper said that it just amazed here that the Jobs that went out the door paid for worked so much better than the ones that were charge sales. ps you did a grate weld on that freeze crack fixed a lot of them here in Oregon.

Love all of your videos brother. I love seeing a tradesman exhibit humility and acknowledge the need to learn constantly

As long as it doesn't leak and you can grind it down past the bubbles and flux inclusions it was a successful repair. Thanks for sharing. The most important thing is to get the cast hot enough so the bronze sizzles and flows across the surface. It's the same idea as tinning a solder joint but hotter. A carbon rich flame will reduce creating oxidation. Prefluxed rod is always handy; saves dipping in the can as much. Flux is your friend. Brazing in position helps keep the puddle where you want it. Your emphasis on the correct glasses is something I wish someone had told me 50 years ago. I can't see deep blue or violent any more from gas welding and brazing with no shielding. As always your quiet humility and honesty along with the deep understanding of your craft is what makes your videos so incredibly educational. Kudos

You can always tell when you are dealing with a fool. They know everything and never admit to needing to learn something new. Beautiful results and great learning experience!!!!!

Love your philosophy on learning! Thanks for sharing :)

Your work ethic is second to no one. I saw Finnegan on his channel close off all ports and back flow inert gas into the manifold. Seeing your work always gives me faith that work ethic and using one's natural talents still exists in this " just replace it" society. Thank you sir!!

Good advise on protecting your eyes when welding, my grandpa worked as a welder's helper in West Texas, I think in the late 40s/50s and he didn't have any eye protection. He was pretty much blind by the time he was in his late 60s. I am an advocate for eye safety since I only have one! Weld came out dang good

I learned from my dad about 60 years ago. Been learning ever since. The braizing area, that is any are where you want the bronze to flow , must be ground clean. If the part is not hot enough, you will fight it until you are almost finished and then realize that you should have preheated it more. Braizing iron castings is one of my favorite things to do. And it is a very strong and durable repair.

Hi Isaac, those glasses used by glass blowers are tad different, they are made of so called didymium glass (neodymium and praseodymium salts added to the mix), and they are meant to block SPECIFICALLY that sodium flare (which is a rather narrow spectrum of yellow-orange light). But that's a tad different kettle of fish than that orange "thermal" glow. Those didymium glasses are basically a narrow-band optical filters, and they block only that sodium flare (AFAIK) so they won't be useful (methinks) for any welding or welding-related work. Apparently they are also good at blocking IR light so they are also useful in blacksmithing, but not in welding. (However, they might be useful in brazing, as the flux contains lot of sodium and it gives off that sodium flare when heated - but then one would need those "regular #5" glasses to block that excessive visible light, so why bother...) Didymium glasses - see ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3cxt8i0PYyY.html - and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6Ul8CmUkO4E.html for more in depth explanations. BTW, this guy is in that first video is tad wrong, there's no such thing as "neodydimium" - it's just that both neodymium and praseodymium have extremely similar chemical properties and separating them is real pain in the... glass, so that "didymium" ("Greek for "two twins", A) name might be one that people gave it erroneously before they realised it's not just a single element - but the name just stuck. In a similar fashion we still call hydrochloric acid a "muriatic acid", as at the beginning of modern chemistry chemists used to think that acids are created by combining certain oxides and water (hence the "oxygen" - Greek for "acid creator"), and they couldn't get what element might be behind that hydrochloric acid - and they thought its a combination of an oxygen and some yet undiscovered/ unseparated element, and they've called it "murium". Hence "muriatic acid" - even though it's been like two centuries since people realised that chlorine IS actually an element... But I digress here. Cheers!

Great attitude towards education. When I was in the fire service, the training officer used to say "It's what you learn, after you know it all, that's important." Really enjoying your videos. Thank you, sir.

Great work! There are very few mechanics who are as humble and therefore brilliant. Thanks for your time.

Everything you did looked great, I would add: When I do these types of brazing cast iron jobs, just as important as pre-heating, is cooling down slow- I JUST brazed a cast iron crack in a grinder wheel cover this week, pre-heated, brazed, wrapped it up in a fire blanket and then on top a big old comforter folded and doubled/tripled up- When I was first done brazing, I checked it with the laser temp gun and it was around 730 degrees at the weld sight- wrapped it up good and let it sit almost 4 hours, un wrapped to check it and it was STILL 125 degrees- for me, I've had good luck brazing Vises, manifolds, Lathe and mill parts, all kinds of Cast iron and so far (knock wood) havent had anything re-break

one quote I've always gone by Failure is the first step to success none of us have learned anything without screwing up along the way turned out great 👍👍👍

I come to youtube every day to learn something new. Today i chose this video & glad im did. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!!

It’s been a while, glad to see you’re too busy to make/edit a video. Was up late and you popped up, so- just clicked on your link to observe and learn something I didn’t know. Thanks, for all you do, it’s important to younger people.

I was always told, "A day you don't learn something new is a wasted day". Thanks for teaching me something new today.

Learning is a life long endeavor. So says my 100 year old father.

Nice work, the brazing I have done in my career I would just dip the hot rod in the flux and I trailed with the rod and the bronze would draw to the heat .The cast I have worked over the years we would heat in oven do repair usually nickel and put back in oven and step down on heat till ambient temp and turn off. You have a great channel keep up the great work!

It’s all about learning. And at my the learning comes easy but remembering the next what learned yesterday is the hard part. I enjoy learning from your work. Thank you for sharing

Wish I could keep my welding table that clean ! Thank you for teaching us something new. 🇺🇲

They always say that it has to look worse before it can look better. Also always love the common sense and down to earth advise and approach to doing the work.

Agree 100% Isaac,never stop learning,thanks for the video

IC, good job for someone that is learning. Your advice for flux, tip size, eye glasses and heating mixed with your honesty makes this a pleasure to watch and learn. Thanx.

That’s a great thing to remember. There’s always someone that knows something you don’t. Great video!

Very good job. No undercut, no porosity that I could see. Your brazing blended beautifully with the parent material/metal. If I wasn't a welder for twenty two years I would actually pay a bonus on top of your price for this job done this good. You are alot more capable than you know and give yourself credit for. Keep up the great work.

Very interesting. Thanks so much for posting. I've always wanted to learn more about welding and your videos are a source of inspiration.

love the way you explain your thoughts before starting ....instead of just seeing the repair we learn the thought process behind it 👍

Fantastic video Issac , my dad worked as a machinist fro 40 yrs at Canadian National Railways and his best friend was a Blacksmith and he was one gifted man, so many years in his trade , as a kid i watched him weld, Braze, repair so many different kinds of material that i thought how do you fix or repair these and he'd explain how he would do it his way and I'd see the finished product and was always amazed at his work, and only shook my head, what did know I was only 11 yrs old then and sometimes were talking castings that stood as tall as him or my father, it was just crazy in such a good way, lots of this is in some countries becoming a lost art and it is an art, 20,30 ,40 or more years of skill that is an art these guys like my dads friend would be like 110 yrs old if they were still alive now, these are things that need to be taught , they will always be needed and this in simple terms means longevity to machines , products that we use in large and small industrial settings, this will always be part of our lives, so its a skill for future generations to learn and maintain, or as red green says if she doesn't find you handsome, she'll find you handy 👍

I’m just getting into welding and my buddy and I picked up an oxy-acetylene torch the other day. Thanks for being an inspiration my dude!

Always appreciate you sharing your projects and adventures! Thank you!

Good repair, I also agree that you can always learn from others even it just an idea that you use and adapt to your own needs. The Flux I use here in Australia is called Castolin, that is for Cast Iron, it is pinkish in color, works well for me. Cheers from John.

Love the video, love the funky soundtrack too. I'm only beginning with torch cutting/welding - love watching you work; it's how I learn.

Always get excited when I see you post a video. My folks told me when I was young “if you’re not gonna learn anything then there’s no reason to get up in the morning”. I live my life by that

Right on, I am 77, still learning new things and enjoy relearning. Your a great teacher. Thanks for sharing.

It doesn't matter what it looks like before you return it to the customer, only what it looks like when you return it to the customer! And this repair looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing and thanks for keeping it real, not hiding anything! Stay safe.

They ain't one of us , that knows more , than all of us , put together. I'm learning from all of it videos. Keep up the great work. B safe. "Flash"

Thanks for showing us how you repair it learned a lot much appreciated

Awesome video and thanks for always being humble.

Brazing is a personal favorite and really relaxing to do,life is as you said it-all about learning,great video!

Always satisfying to watch you work!

I've watched a few of your welding repairs jobs . You've got a very good hand and skills in welding heavy-duty jobs. I'm a retired aerospace welder/ sheet metal mechanic. I do side work out of my garage for extra income.

It's the finished product that counts no matter how you get there, beautiful results. Love your video's very informative.

I truly enjoy you vast knowledge and endless learning I gain from it, thank you :)

Didymium glasses are what glassblowers use, and it will take away the flare from using a torch but bare didymium doesn't have any shade (the blue ones). You can also get didymium glasses that do have a shade. I have used a shade 5 for years and I also use them for the cutting torch. If you need a higher shade you can get glasses for working quartz that will go up to a shade 12

The day when you know it all is the day you lay down your tools of your trade. Nice video Sir and thank you for posting.

I love how humble you are. That is a great saying as well , no matter how smart you think you are there is someone smarter that can teach you more.

I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos. Every time is a learning experience.

I don’t understand haha you tackle everything and it always comes out without a doubt outstanding I learn so much from your videos and your knowledge is worth more then gold great video as always

It didn't matter a doubtful sixpence what the seam looked like after brazing. Even if it had been superbly pretty, the final appearance after the finishing touches would have been just the same! And the final product was indeed superbly pretty! You are a regular Twinkle-fingers when it comes to metallurgy.

You can't beat that weld, every time I watch one of your vids, I learn a lot. thank you

Ever since first learning of brazing via people like Kieth Rucker and Abom, I’ve found the whole process mesmerising. Always beautiful to watch.

I am a long time expert at repairing boat exhaust manifolds. After decades of brazing and tig welding, I discovered the Flame Spray process ! Normally this process is used for shaft build up but I adapted it for cast iron repairs. It is possible to complete a repair with zero evidence the repair was made. Even if the manifold is broken into pieces. I even end up with a perfect casting texture. I wish I could share a video for information

Looks fantastic and plenty strong! I have finished my brazed casting repairs with a file also and they basically become invisible under paint (most recently I repaired a 3 ton arbor press that had been tipped over - came out great and still holding together fine).

I don't know anything really, but I do know I love watching this channel! Thank you for another great education!

Isaac, I'm 77 and a hobby weldor. I always enjoy your videos and I always learn something from you, even when you're welding big stuff. 👍

Sometimes we would cut cross bars along the crack and when done brazing it would look like a brass wound that had brass stitches. But it's been about 40 years since I worked with brazing, so things are probably done different now.

It looks good enough. For brazing thick material I use a cutting torch. Makes a large heat area. Either way use a slightly carbonizing flame. For those who don't know that is a flame with less oxygen than normal. A cone that is about 2 or 3 times the normal size for gas welding. By the way, you are a great welder.

I’ve repaired a lot of cast stuff over the years. One thing I’ve learned is you can do it “wrong” and it’ll last years, and you can do it right and it’ll fail right away. No repairs can be guaranteed with welding “cast” of any material. Awesome video, Thanks For Sharing! Btw- to the OP, don’t read the comments, never read the comments section 😂😂😂

Very nice work Isaac you know we all learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing.

Always good to learn. If it works all good. Interesting the other day when you said you were arc welding rusty. That is my problem. I do a welding project by the end I am average. Then nothing for ages and back to square one. Practice makes perfect.

First time I watch your channel and I'm. " digging it " so I'm a new sub. I look forward to learning more from you Sir. Thanks for sharing your experiences and teaching what you already know. God bless

That's skill & knowledge, when you go into trouble, skill and knowledge pull you out. Thanks for the lesson, I so enjoy watching and learning.

Never to old or young to learn something..great video and i learned something and that is how we roll in life..thx 💯💯

"No matter how much you think you know, there's somebody that knows something that you don't." ----> I just learned the trick of "Your air quick connect is a small blowing gun!" Simple = Brilliant!

Nice job , I have brazed several manifolds , I use a white flux looks like Borax powder and it works with regular brass rod .

There are some good sticks for welding cast iron. Muggy is a good one. Neighbor that used to weld up dies for a large drop hammer forge company gave me some old rods that you clamped on in the center. Welded on end then flipped over. No numbers left on it. Over 50 years old rod. But what he welded was heated to 800°f. Tough job. Really enjoy your videos. I'm a retired industrial mechanic. 44yrs of it.

I enjoy watching your videos. The fact that you explain what and why you’re doing it that way. Keep up with the videos

I watch all your videos and have learned a lot even tho I thought I knew a lot already. That’s the key to the game is always learning my grandfather told me once “If you don’t learn something everyday you’ll be stupid the rest of your life.” Same manifolds and risers on my correct craft Martinique 87 351 Windsor

Good job. I weld a lot of cast manifolds the 70s and 80s stuff is tricky. My method is ac hf tig 100% argon. using silicone bronze filler rods.

I like to see quality on the job and I can say that your work is impressive! Hats Off my friend. I come from the auto repair environment; all the welding gets done at the machine shop and I get charged a pretty penny for a weld like that. But, it’s worth every cent! Thank you for sharing.

I love to watch a skilled person at work. I don't need to be an expert in the field, the haul marks of a skilled person are easy to see, planning, care in execution and an awareness that each job will provide knowledge for the next. My respect, unqualified as it is, is great, thank you for taking the time to share.

Love your work Isaac!,,class is at My Shop, coffees on. ;)

We always bought bronze rods with the Flux already on them. That way you never had to worry about if it was the right Flux or not.

Always a pleasure watching and listening to you!

Thank you! The final clean up made it beautiful!

My shop teacher taught me when brazing, when the filler got short, he would let it stick to the work then braze the new rod to the end of the stuck rod and go back to the work. This way Eliminating waste of the rod

Great video! I have used silicon bronze filler wire on AC with a tig welder and have had successful cast iron repairs before, seems to run great! I'm not sure how you chose to cool your part but a neat trick I learned from abom79 videos is to wrap the part in a welding blanket, it retains the heat enough to allow the part to cool slowly on its own. Awesome repair and thanks for another great video! - Jake

A lost art is brazing, I used to be able to do it but no longer can. I liked the video and watched intently as brazing still keeps a spot in my soul. Great finished joint, it cleaned up well by looking at it. Well done for what you were working with!

You're right, there's many ways to repair anything. Every time I repair cast iron or aluminum it's a learning experience. The only steadfast rules are clean, clean, clean and carefully preheat, the rest is up to you. Nice repair.

We used to heat up cast same way. Safer to walk away from, way more even heat, and cheaper. Then we would stick weld it with a nickel rod and run the needle scaler over it to clear slag but also compact the welds. Not sure if that's proper terminology but ol timer I worked for said it does some good to hit it with the scaler while it's still hot.

Brother man... you have a golden touch... lol.... brazing is soft & sweet.... a'ho well'up..

Isaac that turned out an excellent job in the end, the finish was fabulous. Thanks for another great video.

Yet another batch of lessons. Thank you sir!

"Why don't you use a rosebud?" For anyone that asks that, YOU pay the acetylene bill. Cheap kerosene vs. expensive acetylene. Do the math. The man is not only a master of the cutting torch, he is a master of the wallet.

Classic Issac: How hot? I don’t know. But hot enough....

Very nice work indeed. Looks like it is certainly sealed up well, and looks good too. Thumbs Up!

I'm always hesitant to do any cast work because of all the what if's.... this helped me with some stuff here and there. Thanks Isaac. 👍

Nice Job!

keep them coming

really enjoy the specter of these repair...always something different, good editing

Looks amazing, great work as always.

Been waiting for another vid man!..... come on man!😂

Im not a welder , but im sitting here wondering why isnt he drilling holes at the end of crack , And now I know .. Cool Video Again - Thx

I couldn't find Blue welding glasses when I was oxy/acetylene welding aluminum sheet, so I got #5 green shade welding glasses then bought a small sheet of blue plexiglass and cut it to fit with the shade #5 and sandwiched them together and it worked GREAT, it took All the Orange glow away. And I could see everything. Another Great Video, THANKS

Learned a lot. Recently learned how to properly use a cutting torch and many helpful principles in mig welding.