Welding/Brazing Copper?

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Hello, We have some copper welding dies that are used on wire butt or resistance welders at work. We weld a lot of wire rings with these machines and the dies wear out fast. In the picture the four large (somewhat vertical) grooves are not supposed to be there. The wire wears the grooves into the dies. Is there a way to weld or braze copper to fill in these grooves? Even if I have to solder a copper replaceable shim onto the die. How would I go about doing this? Would it be the same a soldering copper pipe? It would need to stand up to the constant heat of the welder. Thanks for any suggestions!Carl Attached ImagesLincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:I forgot to mention that these dies are about 5/8" x 5/8". You are looking at two upper dies. The one on the left is actually brass. The copper one is on the right.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:Look at a more durable material for the dies, Elkonite tungsten/copper or tungsten carbide/copper materials.http://www.mi-techmetals.comhttp://www.mi-techmetals.com/documen...ypical_000.pdfhttp://www.cmwinc.com/Or, how about making your dies thicker so they can be re-faced as they wear?I think braze/weld buildup would be tough.
Reply:Thanks for the links. I'll look into that. The dies cannot be too much thicker than they are right now. Maybe 1/16" thicker at the most. Otherwise they will interfere with the wire.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:You might find that machining the face back and brazing a new face on will work.
Reply:I'd bet that the brazing metal would stick to the wire.  Why not just make more and call them disposable?
Reply:Originally Posted by enlpckYou might find that machining the face back and brazing a new face on will work.
Reply:Originally Posted by EngloidI'd bet that the brazing metal would stick to the wire.  Why not just make more and call them disposable?
Reply:Appears to be a part that can be easily fabricated.  What is the size?  The, look cast.  Though I would check with a local machine shop and see what they would charge to fab a batch.  What if you could create a two part system where the top screwed directly into the base and only replace the top (flat surface).I wonder how hard (silver) solder  would hold up the heat, If it were under the steel insert.  You would be able to easily remove the insert for replacement.
Reply:Copper welds beautifully with a tig provided it is a weldable alloy. There is one alloy that cannot be welded by any means, some others don't take to it well. How much heat do the dies get in them during the welding process? This is what you would need to know regarding hard silver solder. If the heat buildup exceeds the melt point for the solder it will fail. Hope that helps.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:any material that is different than the original electrode will screw up your resistance at the weld interface and that will require a different weld schedule. brazing or silver solder would not be good as mentioned above due to the weld temperature.
Reply:Simple repair. Just TIG with silicon bronze filler wire.Resurface.Do not solder or braze.
Reply:Originally Posted by Carl26That's what I was thinking about doing. I think I'll give it a try. Are there any precautions I should take when grinding copper? Aren't the dust particles more hazardous than steel? Should I use a particular type of grinding wheel?