Hinge fix - braze or JB Weld?

[Nick D.]

I had Nate (Frosty's Finishes) braze the hinges on two spare gas tanks I had. He did a great job as usual, but what I was wondering was whether it was just as effective to JB Weld the OEM hinges instead of going through the process of brazing them? Is brazing that much stronger than the mighty JB Weld?

[MonsterSteve]

god i hate to say it but JB weld sucks, I have to use it on a regular basis (sorry to say) it works for some things but I would never use it on something as valuable as my bike, the stuff I have to use it on is usually antique shit that cant be replaced, brazing is much better and welding is much better than that.

[jschmidt]

JBWeld has its uses but it's no substitute for welding or brazing. How come you chose brazing?

[Nick D.]

Originally Posted by jschmidt

JBWeld has its uses but it's no substitute for welding or brazing. How come you chose brazing?

Solely because it was recommended by a local guy who does a lot of these fixes to Monster tanks. JB Weld was just a thought and I'm sure there are other options. These days auto manufacturers use a lot of glue and I'm sure there is a product out there that is a better substitute for brazing.

MonsterSteve, why do you hate JB so much? Please explain!

[jschmidt]

Originally Posted by Nick D.

Solely because it was recommended by a local guy who does a lot of these fixes to Monster tanks. JB Weld was just a thought and I'm sure there are other options. These days auto manufacturers use a lot of glue and I'm sure there is a product out there that is a better substitute for brazing.

MonsterSteve, why do you hate JB so much? Please explain!

I don't think there is a better epoxy. The aerospace adhesives that car manufacturers use can't be done by home users for one reason or another.

I'm pretty sure brazing was recommended due to its being done at lower heat and less chance of warping sheet metal. But I was just trying to learn something.

[Teufelhund]

Rickman brazed bike frames for years and were quite successful. There is a lot less heat involved and stress inducement is minimal if done correctly. Frosty has a damned good idea what he's doing. I personally have never had any luck with JB Weld on anything that was subject to cyclic stress.

[marvin]

Originally Posted by Nick D.

I had Nate (Frosty's Finishes) braze the hinges on two spare gas tanks I had. He did a great job as usual, but what I was wondering was whether it was just as effective to JB Weld the OEM hinges instead of going through the process of brazing them? Is brazing that much stronger than the mighty JB Weld?

JB Weld to hold a hinge on!!! That's actually kinda funny! You might as well use masking tape! :-)

[Nick D.]

Originally Posted by marvin

JB Weld to hold a hinge on!!! That's actually kinda funny! You might as well use masking tape! :-)

No, no, no...not as the sole method for securing the hinge to the tank, but to reinforce the OEM spot welds. The OEM hinge is never removed, instead the area is media blasted clean, fluxed then the perimeter of the hinge is brazed to the tank to reinforce the OEM spot welds, not replace them. The idea is that if you reinforce the rigidity of the hinge mounting the hinge won't move and crack the OEM spot welds. I figured to replace the brazing step with some kind of high strength epoxy. JB Weld popped into mind and wasn't meant to be a this or that option.

I would guess JB is an adequate epoxy for a number of purposes and I'm hearing lots of opinions but no examples of failure. I personally have heard plenty of stories of JB being used to build up intake area as a way to enhance porting in bikes and cars as well as "weld" non structural parts. The tank hinge isn't subject to cyclical stress unless you count engine vibration. I can't understand why if prep is done properly and a good epoxy is used that it cannot be better than brazing in a lot of ways.

Thoughts?

[marvin]

OH, OK, my apologies! I was thinking to fix a broken hinge joint. In that case JbWeld would probably work fine (not as good as brazing IMHO) but it would mainly act in compression mode to keep the original spot welds from flexing/breaking. Brazing would be much better because of it's superior strength in both compression and tension IMO!

[mrgrn]

Originally Posted by Nick D.

No, no, no...not as the sole method for securing the hinge to the tank, but to reinforce the OEM spot welds. The OEM hinge is never removed, instead the area is media blasted clean, fluxed then the perimeter of the hinge is brazed to the tank to reinforce the OEM spot welds, not replace them. The idea is that if you reinforce the rigidity of the hinge mounting the hinge won't move and crack the OEM spot welds. I figured to replace the brazing step with some kind of high strength epoxy. JB Weld popped into mind and wasn't meant to be a this or that option.

I would guess JB is an adequate epoxy for a number of purposes and I'm hearing lots of opinions but no examples of failure. I personally have heard plenty of stories of JB being used to build up intake area as a way to enhance porting in bikes and cars as well as "weld" non structural parts. The tank hinge isn't subject to cyclical stress unless you count engine vibration. I can't understand why if prep is done properly and a good epoxy is used that it cannot be better than brazing in a lot of ways.

Thoughts?

it can if done properly

[Teufelhund]

I suppose if one never lifts the tank there would be no cyclic stress. Failure of these spot welds is however, quite common.

[Nick D.]

Originally Posted by mrgrn

it can if done properly

Care to elaborate?