Robert Peaslee
Father of Nickel Brazing
Robert Peaslee was born January 4, 1917 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Cincinnati around 1920 where is was raised and graduated from Winthrow High School. A tinker and inquisitive person, Bob, as he was known, would ponder a problem and try to resolve to an answer. His early interest in chemistry became his college career choice , graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1940.
Bob began work with Curtiss Wright in Cincinnati where the job eventually landed him in New Jersey. During a sales pitch from William P. Clark, Sr. of Wall-Colmonoy Corporation, he had an idea about furnace brazing some Colmonoy 6 as a test specimen.
Melting at more than 2000F, Bob discovered what would later be known as diffusion brazing, the Colmonoy 6 successfully brazed jet engine parts together. Later as the post-war industry was dwindling, Bob went west to Detroit to discuss with Mr. Wall of the Wall-Colmonoy Corp. that his product was what the nation needed and was allowed the opportunity to prove himself.
In 1951 Peaslee and Boam wrote the first paper on nickel brazing and it was published in the Welding Journal in 1952. As more development took place and applications were created, Bob used his inquisitive mind to understand the science of brazing.
During the 1950s, Bob was involved in the creation of a Brazing Alloy Specification and the most commonly used brazing alloy, AWS designation BNi-2 (Nicrobraze LM) was invented along with the ASM designation BNi-1(Nicrobraze 125).
Never to be one to hoard information, Bob went on to start a Brazing Society in Detroit and in conjunction with the American Welding Society, started brazing as another subject for the Welding Journal with the associated Conferences, the first conference held in 1970. The month of October became the official subject for the Welding Journal.
Affectionately known as the 'Father of Brazing', Bob has transformed an industry and the world with that chance meeting with a salesman who had the right solution at the right time.
More information can be found in the recently published book about this amazing individual, "BRAZING FOOTPRINTS: Case Studies in High-Temperature Brazing" by Robert L. Peaslee. This book is available from Wall Colmonoy Press (248) 585-6400.
On March 5, 2009, Mr. Robert L. Peaslee passed away. One of the last great minds of the wonderful world of Welding and Brazing. His contributions spawned the age of Aviation Jet engines. Without his contribution, when or where would the world have evolve?
