Silicon Bronze Filler Rod

[tjflicek]

Hello everyone. I'm a new member to this site ( pretty new to computers in general ) and I've been having a ball just browsing through the forums. I haven't seen any reference to silicon bronze filler rod for the TIG process (unless I just plain missed it) and I wonder if any of you ever use it ?
I find it pretty handy for joining disimilar metals, cast iron repair, and just general light gauge metal fab. It's pretty
reasonable in cost, it flows nice and doesn't need a ton of amps so distortion is at a minimum.
Just thought I would throw this out there. Keep up the good work! Lots of great information on here.
Thanks, Jeff

 

[Shield Arc]

Hi Jeff, welcome!

I've never used silicon bronze in the GTAW process that I can remember, but ran lots of it in the GMAW process. We used 98% argon, and 2% oxygen.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I've never used it my self but from talking to welders who welded it in NUKE powerhouses where they use tons of it for cooling water lines, they said it is possibly the worst welding material they have ever came across and of course everything had to be 100% xray quality. From their description of weldability, I would say there must be something out there that is better than that rod for joining dissimular metals. I would say that if I were joining different metals, my first choice would be Inconel for GTAW.

 

[tjflicek]

Thanks for the reply Shield Arc. What type of weldment did you use it on?

 

[tjflicek]

Thanks for the input. Welded lots of chilled water and cooling water lines and did a lot of xray work also and never saw silicon bronze TIG rod on the job. As far as useing it for joining disimilars don't knock it till you've tried it. I think it has good weldability.

 

[Shield Arc]

Thanks for the reply Shield Arc. What type of weldment did you use it on?

Jeff for about 3-years I worked in a heavy iron fab shop building nuclear waste tanks. The sheet metal union had jurisdiction over this shop. Right across the street was the sheet metal shop for the same company, some times I'd have to weld their duct work together for them. My only experience with it is on galvanized sheet metal.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Years ago we used an Eutetic SMAW bronze rod for welding disemilar metals such as copper/brass/bronze/cupro-nickle to steel, cast iron and stainless. It really was a brazing process not fusion welding but it worked real well and went down easy and smooth, Recently I was at the welding store shooting the **** and a guy came in and was looking for sometghing to do just that. Yhe guys at the counter had no answer so I piped about about my experience, so, we went to the net and found it is still made. Store ordered him 10#. Never heard how it came out. Preperation is that all surfaces have to be very clean and no grease/oil. It fills well if the fitup is a little wide. Over 1/4" material needs to be beveled and more than one pass used.

Ron

 

[weldermike]

Ive used it before, usually on delicate stuff that was brazed together from the factory. Welds smooth, but will get sooty in a heartbeat with one wrong move. It also adds a nice finish to non structual ornamental type stuff! Heres a wheel chair job I used it on recently.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

On race cars we use tig with silicon bronze to join mild steel floor pans to chrome molly chassis. It works great and flows easily.
Bill

 

[Gary Fowler]

Thanks for the input. Welded lots of chilled water and cooling water lines and did a lot of xray work also and never saw silicon bronze TIG rod on the job. As far as useing it for joining disimilars don't knock it till you've tried it. I think it has good weldability.

You obviously dont understand difference between welding vs brazing. You should say excellent flowability as it isnt fusing to the metal its just adhereing like brass or lead solder Silicon Bronze piping is used when they use salt water for cooling water. With fresh water cooling you dont need the corrosion resistance of the bronze pipe and carbon steel or stainless steel will work fine.
So far I have seen anyone here other than TractorSeaBee even talking dissimilar metal with their welding experience with this rod. Dissimilar metal welding would be when using filler metal that requires rods different from either parent metals. Welding carbon steel to chrome/moly just requires using the chrome moly rod appropriate for the chrome moly material (1 1/4 cr.&1/2Mo, 2 1/4 cr, 5 cr, 9 cr or 12 cr.) and you dont need to braze it or use exotic materials to join it. Higher chrome moly material (2 1/4 and up) require PWHT to reduce hardening when using chrome rods but can be used as is with Inconel filler metal in most instances.