Braze it or silver Solder it?

[Stan]

I've got one of my original brass hose clamps that was broken by the PO.     It's stamped "Made ENOTS Mark 2 1/4.  I want to fix it, but can't decide whether to braze it or silver solder it.  The silver solder would be the most expensive but maybe I can find a friend with a band saw blade soldering kit.

I want it to be as close to original in appearance as possible, we can't have an ordinary pipe clamp on Penelope now can we? 
Stan

[xyzer]

Stan,
Braze or silver solider will stick it togeather fine but the heat will soften it and it will loose it's spring. You may be able to do a heat treat to get the spring back but I'm not sure how it would be done. Tig weld would probably be the best and the heat could be focused in one area and not affect the rest of the part so much. Thats all I know...
Dave

[kltrider]

Stan:
See if you can find someone who has a band saw with a blade welder either built in, or stand alone. And knows how to use it. You will never get the proper springines back into the clamp again, But I believe that you will lose less this way. Try and use this in a low stress area like a VENTED thermo-syphon system or air filter hose and maybe swap clamps around.
"Well, I'm not an expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once." (Still haven't learned how to make those coptright symbols) Wayne.

[Stan]

I don't think springyness is a problem, you cant see it very well in the picture but its the type of a clamp that has a bolt to tighten it.  I just need it to hold a little because the cooling system is non-pressurized.  I've got a friend who is a practicing blacksmith and used to making lots of ornamental stuff nowadays (not to many wagon wheels to fix these days).  I'll check with him
Stan

[ronmar]

If it uses a bolt/screw for tightening as it appears, spring won't be a problem.  What will however be a problem is the small surface area of that butt joint where the strap broke.  I doubt braze/solder will be very strong in this application.  You might almost be better getting a piece of brass strap with the same dimensions and folding/bending a look alike replacement. The tab where the holes are may be brazed together, but as a lap/face joint it is much stronger.  Good luck.

[okiezeke]

Stan,
Mcmaster Carr will sell you a new brass clamp that is almost identical in style.  It will even weather is a few months and look old just like the original.  I think you're going to have a real challenge getting anything to hold on a break like that.  mcmaster.com pg.242.
Good luck.
Zeke

[DaveW]

    I would cut matching widths of thin brass for strength to lay in behind each leg and then braze the thing.  With a little cleanup and some time to age in it would look fine and be strong enough to hold.  Depends on how much it means to you to keep the real thing.

[Stan]

Tnx Zeke except the brass ones at McMaster are all smaller than an inch.  The ones on my Lister are 2  1/4"  so that won't work.  I like the idea of 2 thin strips of brass brazed onto the back.  I think I could even just plain solder them on and they'd be plenty strong for what they are needed for.  I'm going to get a 2 1/4" rad hose from something with at least a 12" straight run to cut for the 2 six inch pieces I need and they won't need much clamping pressure to keep them water tight.
Stan

[hotater]

Stan---

Do the re-inforced back thing with two new strips but all you have to do is soft solder them together.  Soft solder is stronger in shear than brazing will be due to the added surface area.

[xyzer]

Show how close I looked at it....easy fix!
Dave

[LowGear]

I'd find a jewler.  Of course you want the print to still be readable like the inscription on a ring.  I'd also want to ponder why it broke.

Cheers,

[Stan]

I think I know why it broke.  These type of clamps sink into old rubber and it sort of grows up through the middle slot.  When I went to take the other 3 off, I had to insert a thick feeler gauge between the rubber and the clamp and the work it gently around the pipe to separate the clamp from the rubber.  The PO probably stuck a screw driver into it and pried it outward which would surely have broken it.  The broken ends were bent out a little 
Stan

[rcavictim]

Stan,

You`re kidding right?  What are you trying to run a historical engine museum or a practical home power genset?  Throw a modern SS screw drive hose clamp on there and sleep soundly knowing you won`t wake up to a coolant flood and an overheated engine from a brioken but historically correct hose clamp.

Just my take on the matter.

[Stan]

A historical engine museum! 

My main focus is on rescuing a wonderful old piece of well engineered machinery from the crushers.  I did that and now I feel I owe it, to restore it to as original condition as possible.  I'm not in a position to go "off grid" so this is a hobby.  Right?  Something I enjoy doing and I'm going to do it right.

We're all in this for different reasons, with different motives and using different tactics, as Maurice Chevalier used to say "viva la difference"  (although I believe he had a different context in mind  , the point remains the same)
Stan

btw...I've had several "modern SS screw hose clamps" fail on different machines/irrigation equipment etc. I'm not impressed with them at all!

[rcavictim]

OK, how about a microtorch and some silphos (sp?)  i.e. silver phosphorous alloy, the hi-temp solder that refrigeration technicians use to join copper tubing connections in high pressure refrigeration lines.  It melts well below the temp of pure copper and is very strong.