no experience/tools. what to use for very small brazing job

[Dr Page]

As the title says, this will be my first and probably last brazing job. I'm not looking to set up a permanent job or spend more than a few hundred dollars on equipment.

I'll start by saying I love my guns. What I'm doing is modifying the rear of a beretta 92 frame to have a curved beavertail (the little 'teat' just below the hammer, above the grip), similar to a drop-in safety for a 1911. This is a cosmetic change only. I say it again COSMETIC CHANGE ONLY. I am not tampering with the function of the gun, so I don't need any lip from any Safety Sally. All I am doing is filing away about 1/16" of the very rear of the gun frame. Then I am crafting a curved piece from 6061 T6 aluminum to look like the curve of a drop-in safety. If you google a 92fs and 1911 drop in safety and compare the two, you see what I am getting at.

EDIT: ADDED PHOTOS TO ORIGINAL POST

It's just a simple curve that tapers to a soft point. I have several spare gun frames with which to practice on before I finalize the real deal, but I need to know what sort of equipment (torch, etc) is best for brazing aluminum to aluminum (the gun's frame is aluminum). I want some input from some experts on what I need to buy this project. I plan on practicing some basic brazing, sticking piece A to piece B. After that I wanted to practice on a couple of spare gun frames I have lying around. So what should I buy to last me basically a couple dozen uses?

[akabull]

Are you sure that is a safe thing to do?

I honestly have no idea, but I'd bet a wooden nickel somebody will be along shortly who does.

[Dr Page]

Totally safe. I've seen real examples and gotten limited advice from people who have actually done similar things but people are kinda flakey and don't always respond when I ask questions. I working on getting some images up.

[Dr Page]

The first picture is my personal firearm. The second what I'm trying to achieve. See the indicated red circles - this is the actual job i'm trying to accomplish. I wouldn't be attempting this if there weren't already real life examples of it. Meaning it CAN be done. One of the machinists who did it told me the material he used, which is 6061 T6, that he hand shaped it, and he used brazing (he has no welding experience). But he won't do one for me. I'll have to do it myself.

[cutter]

Dr Page, just so you know, we do not use off-site hosting for reasons given in our FAQ.
Please use the manage attachments option below your text window.

No problem with your selection of the Welding Processes forum but just in case you hadn't noticed, we also have a Firearms forum down in the Members Only section.

[Dr Page]

OK thanks for the heads up. I typically read FAQs before posting but because it was so late I tended to want get my words out as quick as possible. Thank you for fixing my previous posts. Would it be considered redundant to make the same post in the firearms section?

[LKeithR]

Originally Posted by Dr Page

..so I don't need any lip from any Safety Sally.

People who start with an attitude are less likely to get help and advice here. Play nice and you'll find that there are lots of very helpful and knowledgeable people on the site.

I'm not a gun person but given what you're trying to do I'd be considering silver solder. Might be the solution to your problem...

[Dr Page]

I came off as a bit of a smartass and it was uncalled for,I only wish to head off any condescending people who felt a need to tell me what I can or can't do with my own firearms, because frankly I'm sick of people thinking they can dictate what others do. OH YEAH, IT HAPPENS. A lot. It's an attitude that I'm fed up with and seems especially prevalent in the firearms world. It was not intended to offend any legitimate party in general.

I've considered silver solder, though not really researched it much since the original was done successfully through brazing. But it appears to be a cheaper method on the whole (?)

PS: Your signature, my dad would always say that to me, still does. But when the projects ran long into afternoon heat, my mom would say "damn it, it's just a ____. it doesn't have to be perfect."

[H80N]

Have it TIG welded...

it is just better all the way around.. aluminum braze is a BAD option for this

Strip it down to bare frame.. and

Pay a competent local welder with TIG skills to graft that teat onto the frame.. and it will be there forever.. come hell or high water
it will become part of the frame... not stuck onto it..

Braze it... and someday somebody will drop that gun and break off that teat...repairs will be very difficult because of the zinc content likely in the aluminum braze...

Why not have it done right the first time?? it is a well built weapon... treat it with the respect it deserves??

I have gone back and repaired more of those failed bubblegum aluminum brazing jobs than I could count... and always marvel at the abuse of good metal... why trash a nice sidearm??

what is the fixation on brazing it...??

you could always do it with JB Weld and a rat tailed file...

as you said... nobody will tell you what to do.......

[Dr Page]

As far as gun safety nobody will tell me what to do.

That says nothing of my purpose for being here! I'm open to all suggestions on how to complete my project!

I would LOVE, ABSOLUTELY LOVE to pay to have this done. But nobody will touch a firearm (in this way). I've been working on this project for nearly two years. I've called dozens of machinists, smiths, everyone. Nobody will touch it. Most don't even return my calls or my emails, not even so much as a "get lost nerd" A couple have responded, and most of those said NO. (Alot of people think that because they clean antique firearms that they are gunsmiths, o' contrare)

One man did agree to do the work for me. His name is Todd, at Customized Creations. They do lots of custom gunsmithing, but for even them this is pretty...custom. He told me he could do probably do it, but it would take (gasp) up a year to complete. For me to do this myself, not counting the practice runs, maybe one afternoon?

Believe me if I had any other option than to buy a bunch of tools I'll never use again, I would have done it by now. This is one of those projects that started as a "you know it would be neat if -" and has become an obsession that has to be completed. It wasn't just this part either, that gun in the photo has had tons of work done to it by many good people. It's been quite a process.

PS: As far as I'm concerned, in any project you're doing - if the piece can be bought in the store or online already made, then it ain't custom. Therefore everyone who claims they do "custom work" is full of it.