Brazing on head badge
 

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

In the Uni Metal arts Studio we used a Dead Soft wire and used it to hold things in place .. twisting it for tension .

Alnico magnets.

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Here's one way I've done badge fixturing. The badge is a "S" (copper wire). I'll tack the top, remove the holder and start brazing on the bottom. With careful heat control the bottom end cools enough for the top to be completed. Placement and alignment is by eye. Andy.

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

I always watch how much heat I put on my number:) Andy. (who just couldn't resist after finally fixing a plumbing problem, only took 8+ hours and 4 trips to the hardware store)

For head badges, I bend a wire around the ht (something like a coat hanger) and hook the back onto the seat tube with a rubber band to give it enough tension to hold the badge in place.
that said, the better way to do it is after paint with emblem tape, saves a bunch of polishing/cleaning/masking time and looks great.

Live Wire,

I used your method and it worked well. I used stainless safety wire and a bungee cord. It worked a treat :-)
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The head badge is just what wanted. Thanks for the help.

Ride Safe,

Joe

Looks great!

WB braze-ons on a fix gear? I hear purists rolling over in their graves. (My ti fixie has 3 WBs with rivet nuts, on the DT, ST and under the DT. Those corpses have been practicing that roll for three years.)

Good work! I like frames with custom touches that aren't "out there" but have a reason.

Ben

Thanks for the kind words. I dropped the frame off at the powder coater (ZRZ Powder Coating | We do industrial and custom powder coating, as well as abrasive blasting.) a few minutes ago. It will be British racing green with the head badge polished.


Ride Safe,

Joe

What powder product did you pick for the BRG? any Metallic sparkles or just a solid color?

I picked a solid color w/o any sparkles or special effects. This was the color of my son's bike and should look sharp with a white seat and bar tape.
RAL 6005 MOSS GREEN [340F/10MIN] - $13.99 : Powder365, Customer Service Like No Other
They have some very impressive powders on the market including metallic and flip-flop. ZRZ offers the full range.

I can't wait to see it in a week or so.

Ride Safe,

Joe