RF, Microwave & Waveguide Assemblies
Brazed aluminum and copper-alloy assemblies where joint quality, cleanliness and fit-up decide whether the part performs.
BRAZING · TIG WELDING · PRECISION FABRICATION
Aerospace Brazing & TIG Welding in Tampa Bay
From a team that spent three decades building RF and waveguide hardware.
Aluminum and copper-alloy brazing, silver-bearing soldering and TIG welding for aerospace, RF/microwave and precision manufacturers. Family-owned and run in Ellenton, Florida, serving the Tampa Bay area and shipping nationwide.
- 18+YEARS HANDS-ON BRAZING & WELDING
- 31COMBINED YEARS IN AEROSPACE & WAVEGUIDE
- AL · CU · STEELALUMINUM · COPPER ALLOY · STEEL
- TAMPA BAYELLENTON, FL
WHO WE SERVE
Built for buyers who can't afford a bad joint
Aerospace & Defense Subcontract Work
Brazing, soldering and TIG welding to your drawings, with documented processes, material traceability and inspection.
Overflow Capacity for Precision Shops
When your braze shop is backed up or you don't run the process in-house, send it to people who have run one.
Local Industrial & Commercial Work
Custom fabrication, repairs and one-off builds for businesses across Manatee, Sarasota and the Tampa Bay area.
PROCESSES
Capabilities
Every job starts with a drawing review, and every job ends with inspection.
01Aluminum Brazing
Gas-flux brazing of aluminum assemblies, including RF and waveguide-style components.
ALUMINUMGAS-FLUX
02Copper-Alloy Brazing
Brazing of copper and copper-alloy components for precision assemblies.
COPPERCOPPER ALLOY
03Silver-Bearing Soldering
Soldering for assemblies that call for silver-bearing alloys.
SILVER-BEARING
04TIG Welding
Precision TIG welding of aluminum and steel.
ALUMINUMSTEEL
05Fit-Up & Component Prep
Fit-up and preparation that set the joint up to succeed before heat is applied.
FIT-UPPREP
06Pressure Testing
Pressure testing of brazed and welded assemblies.
LEAKPRESSURE
07Post-Braze Cleaning & Sandblasting
Cleaning and surface prep after brazing so parts leave ready for the next step.
CLEANINGSANDBLAST
08Inspection
In-process and final inspection against your drawing and requirements.
IN-PROCESSFINAL
Not sure if your part is a fit? Send the drawing. We'll tell you straight.
FREE ENGINEERING TOOL
Waveguide Size Finder
Enter an operating frequency to find the standard WR waveguide size, inner dimensions, TE10 cutoff and guide wavelength.
3 standard sizes cover 10 GHz.
WR-112WR-90WR-75
RECOMMENDED SIZE
WR-90
- INNER A × B (in)
- 0.9 × 0.4
- INNER A × B (mm)
- 22.86 × 10.16
- TE10 BAND (GHz)
- 8.2 – 12.4
- CUTOFF fc (GHz)
- 6.557
- GUIDE λg (mm)
- 39.71
- FREE-SPACE λ (mm)
- 29.98
Need a brazed WR-90 assembly? Send us the drawing.
Quote a WR-90 assemblyReference values for standard EIA rectangular waveguide. Always verify against your drawing and specification.
WHY BLUE ARC
Why engineers and buyers send us the hard assemblies
01
The brazer ran the braze shop.
Brent Stippert spent 16 years brazing and welding RF and microwave hardware, then managed a braze shop for aerospace and precision assemblies before co-founding Blue Arc. The person who quotes your part has done it thousands of times.
02
Your quote is handled by a former buyer.
Shelly Stippert spent 14 years as a purchasing manager in RF, microwave and waveguide manufacturing. She knows what a buyer needs from a supplier: clear quotes, honest lead times, traceability and no surprises.
03
Owner-operated, start to finish.
No account managers and no handoffs. The owners review your drawing, do the work and stand behind it.
QUALITY
Quality you can audit
We are implementing a quality management system aligned to AS9100D, built on documented processes, material traceability, in-process and final inspection, and consistent workmanship.
- Drawing and requirements review before work starts
- Documented processes
- Material traceability
- In-process and final inspection
- Pressure testing where required
- Clean, protected packaging
Need specific documentation with your parts? Tell us in your quote request.
PROCESS
From drawing to delivered parts
- 1
Send your drawing
Upload a PDF, STEP or DXF with quantity and material.
- 2
Review & quote
We review fit-up, process and requirements, then send a clear quote.
- 3
Braze, weld & inspect
Fit-up, brazing or welding, with in-process inspection.
- 4
Test, clean & pack
Pressure testing, post-braze cleaning and final inspection.
- 5
Pickup, delivery or ship
Local pickup and delivery across Tampa Bay; shipping nationwide.
ABOUT
A family shop with aerospace roots
Blue Arc Metalwork & Fabrication is owned and run by Brent and Shelly Stippert. Together they bring more than 31 years of experience in the aerospace and waveguide industry.
Brent spent 16 years as a brazer and welder at Advanced Microwave Components in Largo, Florida, then served as braze shop manager at Space Machine & Engineering Corp. in St. Petersburg, leading daily operations, training brazing personnel and troubleshooting difficult assemblies. Shelly spent 14 years as purchasing manager at Advanced Microwave Components, managing suppliers, contract review and quoting for RF, microwave and waveguide manufacturing.
In 2025 they started Blue Arc to offer that same aerospace-level discipline with the care and accountability only a family-run business can give.
"It's not just about welding excellence. It's about building lasting relationships, creating work we stand behind, and helping our customers bring their ideas to life."
RFQ
Request a Quote
Upload your drawing and tell us what you need. Your request is reviewed personally by the owners.