Brazing Question

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A Thai friend showed me an Asian cooking instrument that the handle had come off and asked if I could fix it.  It is essentially an elaborate 5" diameter circular flower scrollwork made from 1" wide 1/16" thick brass with a 5/32" mild steel rod for a handle.  It is used to make a cookie of sorts by dipping the flower section into batter then plunging the batter covered flower into hot cooking oil.  the result is not unlike an "elephant ear" one gets at county fairs in texture.It looks to be put together with some sort of brass "solder" with a very clean seam/  The problem is that the handle has come off this one.  It originally was attached to the flower with a slit in the rod and the same brass "solder".  It is one of those amazing hand made utensils that would cost $100 if made here but is a mere five bucks in an Asian store.  At any rate I tried to braze the handle on with a brass rod.  It stuck fine to the steel rod, flowed nicely, but would not stick at all to the flower.  Any ideas why not and how I could re-attach the handle?Steve
Reply:try a siliconebronze brazing rod..you might need tig to do it...Ive used it to braze many different metals to each other..
Reply:Hey Steve,I would venture a guess that the plate & handle were silver-soldered together since you indicate " a very clean seam." It works at lower temperatures nicely & has superb tensile strength. Try some 60/40 or 55/45 sil-sol & clean well, flux, & use a small O/A flame. I bet you can put it back like original.....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:The brass is contaminated with cooking grease.Used to reattach the handles to fryer baskets for a grease on a stick place and had the same problem.Soak it in lyewater for a day or so, rinse off well and possibly even abrasiveblast the fitup.  If you're using coated brass rods amash the coating off the rod, crush it up and mix to a paste with water.  Put the paste between the brass and steel for best flow.On your fitup remember brass will only bridge a few thousanths of an inch.  Clean the brass you already deposited off the steel or the remelt temperature will kill you making up a new joint.