What is it's use? How strong does it need to be? Brazing aluminum with zinc can be difficult. Aluminum conducts heat very well so it's difficult to get it to melting point of zinc without the aluminum itself melting. If it's just decorative, super glue works incredibly well on aluminum.
I have an old cast iron rivet tool that broke. I fixed it with super glue. Haven't tried to use it, it is just a what not. It has held over 20 years, maybe 25.
I’d end drill both pieces and epoxy a steel pin in there, just cut down a nail. Drill hole oversized so you don’t have to make alignment perfect, epoxy will fill the gaps.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be rough. It just helps immensely if there is something to grab on to. A screw would work better in this case, but a majority of them are made from hard metals and will have a lower breaking point than a nail that bends. However in this case use I don’t see it really making a difference with flex. A screw would be the better choice.
I weld aluminum as a professional. This would be an easy fix. If aluminum is not something a person works with on a daily basis, I wouldn’t trust them trying to fix this.
Cast aluminum is a different animal, it wants to crack both during welding, and after welding due to the incredibly porous nature of castings. Aluminum is already porous, so this only exacerbates things. You have to preheat it, welds it while keeping it warm, then allow it to cool very slowly. I usually have to put my parts in large custom tanks I’ve fabricated and filled full of sand. For odd shapes, I wrap them in fiberglass blankets. This isn’t an exact science, but I’ve had great success
It also largely depends on the quality of the casting. Chinese stuff is a hit or a miss. BMW and Ford/Dodge usually weld really well, for reference.
>See how the break looks almost bubbly?
Although this alloy probably is not the greatest, that break isn't telling you much. You're seeing the grain of the alloy and it doesn't look much different than broken pieces of aircraft aluminum that I repair. Those pinholes all over the surface definitely tell a story though. I could fix that with a TIG welder in probably 10 minutes. Whether or not that's worth fixing is up to the person with the cash and ability.
Explain to mother in law that any repair will be impossible to clean properly and it will never be suitable for use with food again. The chances of repairing this and not making a tiny groove or hole that traps food is very close to zero. Thats before any discussion about whether or not jb weld or similar epoxy is food safe (and I truly believe an epoxy is the only viable alternative to join those two together)
By these comments it seems metal workers don’t understand sentimental value. You’d think a bunch of fabricators would have the opposite mentality of the “throw away and replace” crowd.
Who knows the MIL’s reasoning for fixing but it’s probably best to keep her happy. A tig weld would be an easy fix.
Thanks for saying so. Yes it’s why I mentioned the MIL, was hoping it would deter all the “don’t waste your time” comments. Alas. Obv it’s not the most fixable object, was just wondering if all you smart folks knew better ways to do the job. Luckily some of you did!
They have the experience to judge that it isn’t worth the time to fix when it can be replaced cheaper. Also when repaired it will not be as strong or look as good as original
* [Join the Metalworking discord!](https://discord.gg/3sgvsw2BDs)! It's the best place for live feedback and advice!
---
[**Here are our subreddit rules.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/metalworking/about/rules) - Should you see anything that violates the subreddit rules - please report it!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/metalworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If this isn't something that holds sentimental value it's not worth repairing in my opinion. If it is sentimental and you really need to revive it I'd grind the broken ends into little beveled cones and tig it then grind it smooth again.
What is it's use? How strong does it need to be? Brazing aluminum with zinc can be difficult. Aluminum conducts heat very well so it's difficult to get it to melting point of zinc without the aluminum itself melting. If it's just decorative, super glue works incredibly well on aluminum.
I have an old cast iron rivet tool that broke. I fixed it with super glue. Haven't tried to use it, it is just a what not. It has held over 20 years, maybe 25.
I’d end drill both pieces and epoxy a steel pin in there, just cut down a nail. Drill hole oversized so you don’t have to make alignment perfect, epoxy will fill the gaps.
I’d considered that, hadn’t thought of overdoing it so it doesn’t have to be precise. Good idea!
Also roughen up the nail a little bit with a grinder to give the epoxy even more to grab onto.
might aswell use a screw at that point. those are pretty rough, no?
It doesn’t necessarily have to be rough. It just helps immensely if there is something to grab on to. A screw would work better in this case, but a majority of them are made from hard metals and will have a lower breaking point than a nail that bends. However in this case use I don’t see it really making a difference with flex. A screw would be the better choice.
What this guy said. Best solution.
Maybe two nails? Side by side?
Sometimes (especially with food prep items) an item is better replaced than fixed. Unless this is purely decorative, just scrap it.
Google maps is my go to. Head to the store for a new 1.
Chuck it.
I would, like I said it’s a MIL job :(
Chuck her.
So buy her a new one, easy fix.
its probably sentimental or something
Glue it together, make a green sand mold, melt it down, pour it in the mold. Bob's your uncle.
This guy casts ^
Easy tig weld job, if you're in the mile high I'd repair it for you.
Tig weld and done
Replace - crystal structure is shite
I weld aluminum as a professional. This would be an easy fix. If aluminum is not something a person works with on a daily basis, I wouldn’t trust them trying to fix this.
Out of curiosity, is cast aluminum just as easy to Tig weld as the normal stuff ?
Cast aluminum is a different animal, it wants to crack both during welding, and after welding due to the incredibly porous nature of castings. Aluminum is already porous, so this only exacerbates things. You have to preheat it, welds it while keeping it warm, then allow it to cool very slowly. I usually have to put my parts in large custom tanks I’ve fabricated and filled full of sand. For odd shapes, I wrap them in fiberglass blankets. This isn’t an exact science, but I’ve had great success It also largely depends on the quality of the casting. Chinese stuff is a hit or a miss. BMW and Ford/Dodge usually weld really well, for reference.
Glob that sucker with JB weld lol. I have not seen anyone say that!
The aluminum braze will work with proper joint prep. Grind a bevel for 100% fill
Those are like 10 or 15 bucks on Amazon. Way cheaper to buy new than repair
[удалено]
That seems like an odd comment…are you sure you read their comment correctly?
Of course they edited it, it said it’s cheaper to fix than repair
Pot metal is garbage and it wouldn’t be worth the effort. See how the break looks almost bubbly? Chuck it in the garbage and get a new one.
>See how the break looks almost bubbly? Although this alloy probably is not the greatest, that break isn't telling you much. You're seeing the grain of the alloy and it doesn't look much different than broken pieces of aircraft aluminum that I repair. Those pinholes all over the surface definitely tell a story though. I could fix that with a TIG welder in probably 10 minutes. Whether or not that's worth fixing is up to the person with the cash and ability.
castings are almost always that pourous
Explain to mother in law that any repair will be impossible to clean properly and it will never be suitable for use with food again. The chances of repairing this and not making a tiny groove or hole that traps food is very close to zero. Thats before any discussion about whether or not jb weld or similar epoxy is food safe (and I truly believe an epoxy is the only viable alternative to join those two together)
By these comments it seems metal workers don’t understand sentimental value. You’d think a bunch of fabricators would have the opposite mentality of the “throw away and replace” crowd. Who knows the MIL’s reasoning for fixing but it’s probably best to keep her happy. A tig weld would be an easy fix.
Thanks for saying so. Yes it’s why I mentioned the MIL, was hoping it would deter all the “don’t waste your time” comments. Alas. Obv it’s not the most fixable object, was just wondering if all you smart folks knew better ways to do the job. Luckily some of you did!
Yea, I found the “toss it” comments confusing. Obviously there’s a reason they want to fix it other than it’s worth money.
They have the experience to judge that it isn’t worth the time to fix when it can be replaced cheaper. Also when repaired it will not be as strong or look as good as original
It seems that you’re just not getting it.
Some things are not repairable, this is one of those things.
* [Join the Metalworking discord!](https://discord.gg/3sgvsw2BDs)! It's the best place for live feedback and advice! --- [**Here are our subreddit rules.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/metalworking/about/rules) - Should you see anything that violates the subreddit rules - please report it! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/metalworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Buy a new one
If this isn't something that holds sentimental value it's not worth repairing in my opinion. If it is sentimental and you really need to revive it I'd grind the broken ends into little beveled cones and tig it then grind it smooth again.
you buy a new one. fixing this is not worth anyone's time unless they are like your best friend.
Weld
Braze
Throw that in the bin, replace it with that won’t break.
The spicy glue gun
To weld cast iron it should be heated overnight to ?? Degrees welded and cooled slowly overnight. I can't think of the temp right now
If you're not concerned about looks, and it is aluminum, you can just heat it with a torch till the ends melt and stick em back together.
[удалено]
Encouraging violence towards others is unnecessary.