A few useful tips to know

On the subject of hard soldering brasses, I remember learning the hard way (on an inconsequential piece) that yes indeed if you overheat the pieces, you will not be able to separate them. I have a cousin and now deceased uncle who ran a radiator repair business for 40+ years, and my brother and I would go on weekends and play around tearing down old radiators, and just for practice repair a few basket cases. The Tank/header is where I learned. Teh idea is to hold a blowgun in one hand and heat the solder along a few inches of the joint, then blow it out. A few cycles of this, and the tank would be easy to separate from the header. Incidentally, this is the first step in the old Rod and Repair you could get done in a shop. Well, after getting it too hot, not realizing it, I had essentially welded the tank to the header. So it can be done with Oxy/Fuel heat.

As an aside to modern materials, the "solder" used by many HVAC guys is no longer fluxed. It has become more like welding. The melting point is closer to copper, and when you get the temp right, it flows like water, and wicks up into the joint about as good as any 50/50 I have used. And it is very dificult, if not impossible to sweat apart. Most don't even try. I don't. I helped a friend do a swap out on a 5 ton unit (got the old one for the shop) and I did all the connections. He calls it "welding", and I believe that may be more accurate than "hard soldering" or "brazing" like it used to be called. I did my A/C here years ago, but used Ultra-flux and real silver solder. Love that stuff. But the cost is up there pretty good now. I have some sil-phos rod I will be using on the 5 ton when I install it in a few weeks. I'm not sure it is self fluxing. I have always used flux with it, but I may get some of what my friend uses. I do like the way it performs.

Sorry for the topic drift.
 
What I did was overheat regular lead solder with a MAPP gas torch,and it welded the brass.
 
If you use a sander,belt or disk,here is a good way to make it cut better.
You turn it on and apply to the surface a standard kitchen variety sponge.
Use very light pressure,just touch it at start, but hold the sponge firmly
in your hand because it tents to fly over.
Sponge tip DSC00118ed 1.JPG

Here see two pictures of a belt. Half is after some sanding various materials among them
steel,wood, aluminum, and hard plastic.
Sponge tip DSC00118ed.JPG
This picture shows the Belt.Upper picture is a detail,lower is a wider view.
The upper half of the belt is "Before" and the lower Is "Aft".
To be sure,it does not restore full cutting capacity,but is a real
improvement.

I believe this is a correct position to post but you can move it if there is a better place.
Hoping to be of some help.
Ariscats

Sponge tip DSC00118ed 1.JPG Sponge tip DSC00118ed.JPG
 
Addendum. Use a DRY sponge for this tip.
I have tried vacuum cleaning but this is way better
more effective and easier.
Ariscats
 
If you really want to get by cheap,use your old sneakers' soles to clean your belts. They work fine. Those rubber blocks they sell for cleaning belts are not real inexpensive.
 
Take the Key out of the chuck!
It will respond more to an intelligent solution rather than to brute force.
 
...grind a drill bit to the same angles as a 60º thread. They would drill the hole where the thread would stop,using the lightly scribed thread track previously made as a guide. Then,they would drag the threading tool by hand turning the lathe,stopping the tool in the hole for a super neat thread terminus. You can see this on old blueprint drawings.

This is such a great idea!

George hasn't added anything to this thread in so long (thread momentum dies, of course), but I hope he is well and thank him for these pearls.
 
Oh,I am well enough. Just can't sit at the computer but for several minutes as I need BOTH knees re lined. Been putting it off. Can't sit with my knees bent.
 
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