AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Is silver solder a viable option for fabricating a fuel tank or is it a silly idea? Also has anyone experience of brazing with mapp gas?

Cheers, Chris

Hi Chris

I believe Mapp Gas burns slightly hotter than the propane I use, (via Seivert torches), when silver soldering, so yes I'm sure you could use it. However considering the size of a fuel tank you would probably have difficulty getting it sufficiently hot without introducing distortion. If you haven't already checked out the price of silver solder and flux, now might be a good time to do this and add that to the considerable quantity of Mapp gas required.

In an ideal world I'd get the tank TIGed, (as I don't yet have a TIG welder), or I'd use MIG.

Tinman's solder would work but I don't know the legality of this.

Have fun Mick

If you look at the Norton Pre Featherbed Norton's you can see the 'Pie Crust' along the bottom of the tank, I believe these were soldered.
I use Mapp gas all the time (found Tool Station for the best price + free delivery) but on thin material I find the flame with my nozzle to be too big and there's too much heat that's not local.