Help with OA welding/brazing

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I am brand new to welding.  I have a Lincoln Oxy-Acetylene rig that I just started using.I have a few questions...When I was practicing making a butt joint I got the hang of it pretty quick and made some decent fusion welds (no filler, just pushing the puddle for practice)I am now trying to build a welding table and am having a horrible time trying to get things to stick!Details of the project:11 gauge plate1.5" angle (hot rolled)Lincoln OA set-up with a #3 tip.Settings Ace 3#  O- 3#I cleaned with acetone to remove grease and use an angle grinder to remove scale near the weld. I am making a rectangular frame out of the angle and attaching it to the bottom plate.  Questions...Will brazing the angle to the plate be strong enough if I use bronze or should I try another route? I tried brazing but it doesn't seem very strong.Any help is appreciated.
Reply:setup of the torch to get the right flame is crucial. look on the tinmantech.com site to find a lesson on adjusting the welding torch without relying on gauges..pressures at the torch are way lower than pressures at the gauge..also look on  airbum.com for 'zen and the art of the welding puddle"
Reply:Thanks for the help.  I read the Zen article...very well put and makes a lot of sense.
Reply:When you butt weld there are ends that only conduct heat away in basically one direction.  I kind of think size six or so on harris to start with if your joint configuration is what I am envisioning.  That is if you have a big enough tank/cylinder to use it.  I wouldn't trust oxy acetylene welds until I had experimented a bit with a sledgehammer on practice pieces.  Tack the pieces with steel welding rods where there are corners that melt easy and then use bronze or brass brazing rod.  Brazing means that the filler is drawn into the joint by capilary action and can have significantly more surface area than a piled on top bead of steel weld.  I brazed or bronze welded a 5/16 inch weld on chain hook to a piece of 3/8 plate (an edege) as kind of an experiment and havn't been able to pull it off.  I estimate I have put at least 3000 pounds of force on it.fran
Reply:Well...I used up a whole tank of Ace yesterday practicing.  Using steel to tack down corners make a lot of sense.  I noticed if i started at one in and worked my way down even angle would warp.  I also learned that I was being stingy with the brazing rod and not getting enough on the metal.  I may invest in bigger tanks or more smaller ones.Thanks so much for the advice!
Reply:go with a larger tank..that way if you wanna cut or use a rosebud you can..
Reply:I'm a new hobbiest O/A welder and recently built my own table, too. I used all 11ga square tubing for the frame, then used some 3/16" angle for supports under my top (bolted the tope down with countersunk bolts).Few things:1) You never mentioned how thick your angle is. If it's any thicker than 1/8" you're likely going to have trouble welding it with that size tip. I started welding my table using the Smith equivalent of Harris #3 (205), but ended up moving to one between a Harris 4 and 5 to make life a little easier (and it was required for the 3/16" angle anyways).2) 3 psi on the regulators sounds a little low, though I'm not certain about that. I usually just set mine to 10 oxy and 5 acetylene and then just adjust at the torch.3) How big of an acetylene tank are you using? You mentioned that you used up a whole tank while practicing...were you really practicing for a solid 7 hours of weld time? Based on the 1/7th rule, that means you shouldn't really even empty out a tank of acetylene in less than 7 hours...doing so means you were drawing more than 1/7 from the tank (or the tank wasn't really full to begin with).4) As the last guy said, go with the larger tank instead of the small ones. Not only is it more versatile, but it's usually much cheaper to refill per cubic foot. I started with a 75cf then found a good deal on a 145cf so I scooped that up.How exactly are you putting this together? Angle for legs/frame/supports, and 11ga sheet for your top?
Reply:If you are using the most common coated brazing rod or the same stuff with a can of brazing flux it helps to put the piece on a slight tilt and work uphill.  The harris equal pressure welding tips are numbered for the pressure to set the regulators (well probably the resulting pressure at the torch) at not cubic feet per hour like a lot of brands.  Maybe my suggestion of size six was a bit big.  The brazing rod will go a lot faster and warp a lot less than oxy acetylene welding.
Reply:Thanks again guys.The top is 11 ga and the angle I am using is 1/8".  I am making a frame under the top with the angle. I'm using angle for the legs and making a shelf for rigidity. I will look into a new tip....or just borrow my neighbors wire welder.Lincoln Electric Port-A-Torch Kit - Model # KH776