Aluminum brazing/welding?????

I have a small project but in learning how to do this will surely apply to tons of other jobs. I am a gunsmith but also work on antique clocks for a local jeweler. What I have to do is a very small braze to reclaim a clock hour hand. The hand is aluminum. Very thin and the braze will only be about 1/16th inch. I have aluminum rods and have various heat sources like acetylene, butane,mapp etc I need to buy some flux appropriate for aluminum. So my question is two fold. 1-What is the best flux sold in small quantities that would be for aluminum and hopefully other metals especially 'pot metal ?? 2-what would the best method be for brazing small jobs such as my current 'hand' versus larger, not big, pot metal pieces. Cheap guns are invariably made of pot metal so I know my learning curve will have to include at least that. When ever I have previously tried repairing pot metal it always would liquify and become junk before my eyes. Learning to braze pot metal would be worth a lot to me, but presently I need to become proficient brazing aluminum, picture included. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks -Rick

 

You need to learn TIG welding. Either that or find the best epoxy for the job. Never heard of brazing aluminum or pot metal. What the heck kind of cheap Saturday Night Specials do you work on? No modern (as in the last 50-75+ yrs) firearm uses cheap metal. Maybe old ones used cast parts, but modern guns use MIM, modern cast, or machined. Pot metal is what 20's and 30's toy parts were made of. If you can't fix it w/o a new part, tell them that.

I'd make a new rule...don't work on cheap guns...esp junk like you describe.

 

Just Google brazing aluminum. There are special rods and flux that claim to work and I've seen it done at trade shows as a demonstration. They always make claims about how strong the joints are but I would never trust them for anything structural and certainly not on a gun. In your case I would either use epoxy like Gunguy45 mentioned or just cut out a new clock hand out of sheet stock. The hand could be made from aluminum, brass or steel but honestly I'm surprised the person didn't just go online and order a new hand. There are several websites that sell clock parts and hands are cheap.

Any gun made out of pot metal is likely a rather old Saturday night special like an old Jennings .22 pocket pistol. No reputable gun smith in my area will even look at a gun like that. I don't know how you plan to make any money working on a gun that cost $50 when new. When they break you properly destroy them and toss into the recycling bin.