Good morning members. After heating and quenching a vapouriser yesterday evening I found the base of the vapouriser where it is crimped to be spinning round loose. I searched for any posts regarding this but just found one suggesting solder. Has anybody tried tig, mig welding on the same. I was not sure as the vapouriser is steel whether solder is more applicable to non ferrous objects. Thanking you for suggestions.
The vaporiser is made of steel. It is quite thin-walled. Although you can TIG or MIG-weld it, the risk is that the intense heat can easily melt-though the piece and ends up worse than before. Either re-crimp or silbraze to be on the safe side.
@MYN Thank you for your fast reply. I did try putting in a vice but I need something more like it was orinally crimped.. which I do not have
@Fireexit1 Thank you Ian. I have tried numerous fabricators in the Great Yarmouth area and I am surprised very few had heard of silver soldering. However I think I have a motor cycle engineer who may be able to help. Thank you for the advice re the crimping.
You can silver solder with a good gas torch, some silver solder or "silbraze" and some silver solder flux. Cleanliness is next to godliness when soldering/brazing. Although it is much easier to get to the right temperatures with a mapp gas torch or even oxy-acetylene. The latter is not really available to the average home hobbyist. Your motorbike chap will be able to do it in 10 minutes tho. Workshops/mobile workshops that make up hydraulic hoses have swaging presses and dies. They may not want to risk their dies as they are not cheap. Some farmers have their own in the workshop but you will need to be lucky on the sizing.
For brazing work, a lot of HVAC-R guys would have the skills although they generally don't use alloys with much or any silver in them. Otherwise, a lot of those who repair automobile radiators or industrial heat exchangers would do it with some brazing. Besides that, if you have shops doing electric motor rewinding works for larger machines around your area, give them a try. They perform a lot of silbrazing for the connections of the windings to their lead wires. The alloys they use are usually silvered, since electrical conductivity is of a primary concern. Some jewellers and precious metal workers are also familiar with silbrazing work. These are some of the guys in the industries that do it on a regular basis.
@Fireexit1 Thank you once again for all your post. I did have a look on YouTube this morning to see what I would require for a job like this. I think for how often I would require a decent torch and purchase the rods or solder to either purchase a new vapouriser. The motor cycle guy is very clever as he has invented electric starters to fit old British motorcycles for the senior citizens who can no longer kick them over. It will be a job for after Xmas now. Ian all the best to you and yours.
@MYN Thank you for the other info. Some years ago we had two radiator repair specialists in our town but they have closed down now. I did try a Auto electrician guy who repairs starter motors and alternators. He uses a massive 240v solder iron for his connections. I think I will be able to get it repaired by this motor cycle guy who I know has built steam engines and would have the expertise and equipment required. I have known him for a great number of years but never realised he done silver brazing as this is the first time I have had this problem. Thank you once again for taking the time to respond. Best wishes for Xmas.
Given that you were heating and quenching it...was it NBG to begin with? If it was a good performer you would have left it alone - no? In your position I would probably call it scrap and look for another. The crimped base ones were the "cost down" versions anyway.
Hi I purchased the lamp recently. I did not know the history of the lamp so I cleaned the fount, resealed all seals etc. Did not want to fire it up with a choked up vapouriser and then take down again. I have quenched many vaporizers in the past with no problem. I will not scrap it now as it is clean internally and will be silbrazed after Xmas hols. Thank you for your comments though.
The fitting is tapered. Hold the tube firmly in a vice then, protecting the threads with a suitable piece of hardwood, give it a good clout with a hammer. This may tighten things up again so it doesn't leak. I've cleaned out heavy carbon deposits from two or three of this type of Tilley vapouriser by cutting through the tube at the groove with a junior hacksaw and separating the two parts. After removing the carbon I pushed the pieces back together firmly then ran a bead of silver solder round the groove. Works a charm.
That deserves a write up and some photos Henry! Loco7lamp went before you with some great home brew solutions.
@Henry Plews Henry thank you so much for the brilliant idea of gripping the vapouriser in the vice and giving a tap. I used a piece of hardwood as suggested and refitted the vapouriser. After initial start up it was so much better but there was a very small seep of paraffin still. I removed the part again and gave it another clout with the hammer. After this it has became loose again. I think I will have to be patient and have it soldered after the Xmas break.. Thank you once again for the brilliant idea that may have worked. Have a nice Xmas
