welding copper

Hello all,
Been experimenting a little with techniques for texuring and welding copper for the forthcoming tree project.
From looking into the archives here, I see most people use silicone copper rods,and Harris 0 keeps popping up ( not quite sure if they exist over here but I'm sure there's an equivalent)
I'm planning to use tig - and I've tried some silicone bronze rods I bought in a job lot ages ago - they'll stick it, but nasty and fumy and spitty and brassy.(excuse technical jargon)

I've also got a very few phosphor bronze rods I got from my old work before they shut down. These are my "magic" rods I use for cast iron repairs, and joining most dissimilar metals.I don't claim to understand the metallurgy involved, but they just seem to work for me.

They also seem to do a lovely job on copper sheet, weld easy and smooth, and good colour...so being as I'm going to be spending a fair few pennies on rods, I'd rather get the one's I'm used to, and that're multifunctional..unless anyone knows a good reason not to use em - or the silcon copper rods( which I've never tried) will do everything the phosphor bronze do but better!

Any advice appreciated, as always.
Will


raferguson's picture

Copper rods

If you must have the best color match, you should probably go with deoxidized copper rods. That is the true welding, anything else is really brazing.

The phos-copper rods, like Silflo, are easy to use on copper, no flux needed, nice. But if you grind it, the color is like steel, so I never use them.

Silicon Bronze rods are close to copper color, use with flux.

I tried low-fuming brass, but it came out yellow.

I have a photo showing the various materials on a test coupon, that I should probably post, but I need to figure out how.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com
Sculptures in copper and other metals