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Customs Welding "pot" metal

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by lcfman, Sep 25, 2015.

  1. Road Runner
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,256

    Road Runner
    Member


    http://www.caswellplating.com/solder-it-aluminum-pot-metal-repair-0-25oz.html

    This stuff is awesome. Works like a charm.
    I just repaired my horn ring. The lower half broke off this summer.

    DSC07825.jpg

    It's a paste with flux mixed together.
    Just cleaned the ends, applied the paste on both ends and heated the area with a propane torch until it melted.
    Cleaned off the flux residue and done.
    Took only a few minutes and is supposed to have a tensile strength of 28000 psi - stronger than the metal.
     
    elgringo71 likes this.
  2. Babyearl
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 610

    Babyearl
    Member

    Thanks from here also!!
     
  3. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    Another low temperature way to solder pot metal. The only way to repair true pot metal.
    If you look closely at the claims of Tig welding pot metal you will usually find that what they are really working on is not really pot metal, but actually a low zinc form of an aluminum alloy.
    There are lots of them that appear to be like pot metal, but are not really true pot metal.
    Real pot metal will vaporize and be gone in an instant at the heat level generated by a Tig torch.
    The low temp methods are the best for true pot metal repair.
     
  4. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    What did ya wind up doing with your grille?
     
  5. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    Yikes!!! That's looked a bit brutal. It doesn't take nearly that much heat my friend.
     
  6. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    That's not entirely acturate... Yes. Pot mental will "vaporize" if you attempt to use comon welding practices. There's a video of a young man showing how he has welded pot metal but really makes a mess of things.... I've been welding pot metal for quite some time; it's an art that has never really been picked up by anyone. I can tell ya, it takes more patiance than most posess and the equipment setup is another thing. If you don't have your stuff together meaning knowing what it needs when it's heated to the melting point, it'll vaporize! Most tig welders won't drop below 1amp not to mention hold an arc. But that's what it takes, and some very creative programming as well. without it, you're pissing in the wind.
     
  7. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    Not many can do it.
     
  8. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    My friend. Pot metal can be welded if you've got the knowledge and equipment.
     
    patmanta likes this.
  9. OLDSMAN
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 2,422

    OLDSMAN
    BANNED

    Pot metal is a zinc die cast. All the chrome side pieces on my convertible are all pot metal. Some had breaks in them the players I used took care of repairing them before they played them
     
  10. Beau
    Joined: Jul 2, 2009
    Posts: 1,884

    Beau
    Member

    I saw a guy repair VW handles.

    He melted down old broken VW handles and poured them into strips. This provided him with a rod of similar metal. I'll try and find the video.n
     
    X38 likes this.
  11. morac41
    Joined: Jul 23, 2011
    Posts: 531

    morac41
    Member

    The guy Beau saw repairing pot metal is on the money ..I use to repair pot metal back in the early 50's and I would do the same .. of to the breakers and get a door handle of the model car that needed to be repaired melt it into a solder stick..
     
    Beau and X38 like this.
  12. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    May I ask how'd they repair them? My guess is they ground open the cracks, copper plated and filled the voids with low temp solder. That's standard practice for chrome shop pot metal repair. Unfortunately, this method gets the parts out the door, but for mechanical pot metal parts, the repair is only as strong as the solder...
     
  13. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    The accronym for "pot metal" is ZAMAC: Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, Copper. However, it's more commonly known as ZAMAK as well.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
  14. PotmetalB
    Joined: Aug 13, 2017
    Posts: 33

    PotmetalB
    Member

    I'm producing a new video showing the differences between typical pot metal repair (soldering) and a piece thats been welded. I'll deminstrate how much heat before decenigration occurs, and a strenth test. Should be fairly interesting? I'll let ya'll know when it's published. That is, if anyone's interested??
     
    pat59 likes this.
  15. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  16. PHIL COOPY
    Joined: Jul 20, 2016
    Posts: 409

    PHIL COOPY
    Member Emeritus

    I have used Aladden Rod (or its brothers) on pot metal with success. The first time I used it was a bust. The secret is to get the base metal hot enough to melt the rod but not hot enough to melt the base metal kind of like brass brazing. The joint has to be very clean and brushed with stainless. Tin both surfaces of the joint first and then use the rod as filler. If you fail you will have to clean the joint over again and repeat. I fixed this pot metal lamp shade which I thought was made of brass, suprise, pot metal, for my wife (brownie points). What some of the other guys said.--Phil

    IMG_1239[1].JPG
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
  17. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,913

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "PotmetalB" - Any progress with this?
     
  18. 55styleliner
    Joined: May 11, 2015
    Posts: 563

    55styleliner
    Member

    I have a couple laser welders at my shop. I bet I could weld pot metal with a laser welder!!
     
  19. rc57
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 727

    rc57
    Member

    I modified a '57 grille bar using the Muggy-Weld recommended on this thread, turned out great. Just follow the instructions (I know that's tough for us guys). Cleanliness and a good bevel are key.
     
  20. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,707

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

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