Originally Posted by
bmwjoe
Hi, I am re-purposing an old track frame for a fixie. One thing I want to do is silver braze on the number 84 on the head tube. This was my late son's number and I am doing it in his memory. The numbers are .032" thick nickel brass and are 3/4" high. They will be bent to match the tube. How do I hold them in place to silver braze? I don't want them to move while I heat them and apply the alloy. Any suggestions that will hold them in place, but won't get in the way of the braze?
Ride Safe,
Joe
Joe - I would normally pin them on, not so much as to pull them down tight as just to keep them in place and not be sliding around (which can be hard to see until you are done brazing them (the oh-crap it moved moment).
One pin near the top and one near the bottom, on the center line, should do the job. For small flat and embossed letters or numbers of that size, you can use 1/2" x 28g air-*** brads. Advantage is that you can get a box of about 4,000 of them for a couple of dollars at Home-Depot, etc., type store or online. Be sure to keep a small hammer close by to tap down the edges if needed...the numbers diameter will tend to expand more than the head tube diameter since they have far less steel in them and are in more direct path of your flame. As such their diameter will grow a bit more than the head tubes' diameter. [Deleted this line: Silver is probably optimal material, but certainly the cheaper brass will work fine also, just watch the heat you put on your numbers].
/K