MTFCA Forum

I was always amused by the overzealous splatter and puddles of brazing on the Model T Pans during production, but realized that after sandblasting a 40s Harley frame of mine that Harley Davidson was equally liberal with their use of brazing splatter. It’s all over, not just at the joints, similar to the Model T pan. Mind you, these aren’t repairs, this is just the rushed way they did things, whether on the Ford assembly line or during Harley war production

Is that a forty-five frame? Yep, no use scraping off the extra brass. It works like primer and keeps the steel from rusting.
Have fun with the scooter.
Rich

Yes, it is a 1942 Harley WLA I am starting to put back together. An old war horse.

Just curious if the bike brazing job whether its smooth or lumpy in places.
T restorers have asked questions on the forum whether to smooth out out Fords lumpy and flowed on pan brazing.
A perfectionist would smooth it out. Wonder what’s the thinking in the old bike world whether to keep as is or make it nice and smooth.

Maybe the guy was fired from Ford for wasting brass and got hired by HD without a phone call to the previous employer! Just saying!

All the Best,

Hank

The brazing isn't really that noticeable when painted. When done properly at the factory the extra brass is thin. Sometimes it got sloppy. Also, some of the worst we see may be from later repairs. It does become obvious when sandblasted.
A Harley K frame photo:

My original 1918 pan was so beat up I bought a good, straightened replacement. I sand blasted it and found brazing in huge "lumps", some of them 1/4" thick! Out came the angle grinder and after about two hours I had down to "presentable". Not perfect, just "presentable". A coat of satin black made it "original"........

Lumpy or running brass on the pan is ‘factory’ , result of methods at Ford. IMO proper to leave the patina of the past on brazed pieces of the Ford

John kuehn wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 22, 2019 2:35 pm

Just curious if the bike brazing job whether its smooth or lumpy in places.
T restorers have asked questions on the forum whether to smooth out out Fords lumpy and flowed on pan brazing.
A perfectionist would smooth it out. Wonder what’s the thinking in the old bike world whether to keep as is or make it nice and smooth.

It is lumpy in places, and even has a drip or two. Some grind or smooth it all out prior to painting, I for one, will not.

My hunch is, the H-D frame joints are more like a sweated fit with brass. Almost looks like the leftovers from tinning before sweating the joints together.

Dan, the worker in that picture looks about 14 !!

I just sand blasted my first T pan and thought it was junk.
Everyone told me it was normal and fine. So that’s the way it is with paint over it now.

Dan, that pic of the kid brazing the pans is awesome. Look at the size of the pipes that supplied the gas for the flames!?! At least I think that’s what I’m looking at
I always wondered how they did the brazing. I pictured a guy with a torch working on his pile. Didn’t realize it was kinda automated