Brazing/soldering stainless

[K-ron]

Hi,
I will soon be making up some guards/cages to house computer case fans for use in the saloon. I would like to use 3mm diameter stainless rod, both for aesthetics and to keep the overall weight down. I have a small inverter welder but do not have it set up, as of yet, for tig welding, I may just be able to tack the pieces together by stick welding it but it's not ideal. This got me thinking whether I could braze or solder the pieces?
A quick google suggests I may be able to use plumbers silver solder with specific flux for stainless or a flux containing hydrochloric acid. Is this realistically possible? And could I use my plumbers propane torch to apply the heat?

Ps I'm on anchor at the moment, so getting my welding gear to a power supply will be a little tricky.

Thoughts appreciated.

Kieran

 

[Rum Run]

Personally I would buy some ready made from Rapid Electronics online, cost about £2 each. They are plated mild steel but if you have seawater in the cabin your pcbs won't last long so rust in not the problem.

 

[Iliade]

Any welding suppliers should be able to supply brazing rods for stainless. Like as not, the finished product will not have the corrosion resistance of the original stainless, but it'll surely be better than mild steel.

Could you not source a ready made stainless mesh from say a cook's cooling rack and bend it to suit?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Years ago I used to silver solder stainless things together for work. It was straightforward with the right flux, which from memory was Baker's Fluid No. 6.

 

[jdc]

You can braze stanless steel without problem. You need a hot flame, appropriate rods and flux.

I use a blow lamp with a small integral gas cannister (yellow Rothenberger one) and rods from Johnson Matthey (SilverFlo 55 iirc). I have used it quite a few times on board for general repairs, for instace to re-attach the st st bars over the burners on the Force 10 cooker.

 

[lw395]

You can get perfectly usable plastic fan guards.
Or cut a square of stainless 'expanded metal'. Cheap enough on ebay.

 

[Daydream believer]

Stainless steel fly mesh from travis perkins any good ???

 

[K-ron]

Thanks for the replies. As much as I appreciate the suggestions of prefabricated alternatives they are not suitable for the design I have made. I will be attaching a clamp and ball joint which will also require brazing/soldering etc. also I already have the silver solder and a rothenbuger mapp gas torch and I like making things.

Thanks again