#1
|
||||
|
||||
pot metal repair
Not a pot metal bezel but a pot metal frame 20" hanging lamp from the 30's. It's my hanging lamp in the dining room that has gone south. From the pic you can see where several of the spiders have separated from the hub.
I plan on taking it down, pry out the art glass segments and am looking for suggestions to re-connect the pot metal spiders back to the hub. Solder, glue, blowtorch, give up, etc. And I would like to know how this frame was made. I know nothing about pot metal fabrication. Google next.
__________________
“Once you eliminate the impossible...whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Sherlock Holmes. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Epoxy ?
|
#3
|
||||
|
||||
IIRC I've had luck with Superglue, Solder, and epoxy in different cases.
Pot metal is a random mix alloy. Some pot metal is easy to solder, some isn't (also thermal shifts sometimes cause it to crack or even explode depending on the alloy). I'd probably try a test solder in a discrete area away from the damage and goto super glue and or epoxy if it won't solder. If I had to glue it I'd superglue the cracks back together then on the inside where it can't be seen epoxy a metal reinforcing bar across the crack. Make sure your glue can take the temperature that part gets in operation...Super glue melts near soldering temperature.
__________________
Tom C. Zenith: The quality stays in EVEN after the name falls off! What I want. --> http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.p...62&postcount=4 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Pot metal usually has a large percentage of zinc in it. Zinc has a low melting temperature. I know the plating shops that have to either chrome , nickel plate "white metal" aka "pot metal" deal with this problem a lot. If there is any sign of corrosion they grind out the bad areas and have to fill or build it back up and then grind back down before plating. They normally use silver solder to fill the these areas. It usually takes something a little hotter to melt silver solder than a propane torch. Acetylene or "MAP" gas works. Yellow bottle instead of blue for propane. But the key is to make sure the pieces to be soldered are super clean. any dirt or oxidation with prevent a smooth solder joint. The 2 pieces might have to be glass bead blasted back 1/2" on both pieces. You also have to know when to keep the torch off the area to not overheat it. Anyone that does this a lot knows all the little tricks to make it look easy.
hope this helps... Tony |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
If it's really that old, are you sure it's pot metal and not bronze? Anyhow, I'm not certain, but glue is not going to hold such a small joint that has the weight of all that glass on it. Super glue? lol you funny guy.
Uh, soldering would probably be the best bet, and even then, it's sketchy (because of the forces enacted upon those joints). There are people who can weld pot metal, you'd probably better take it up with them. Failing that, the best thing to do might be to drill some holes in it, and wire the pieces together, THEN solder it. At least you'd have some mechanical strength to it. |
Audiokarma |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
The material has reached its half-life and is breaking down on the atomic level.
__________________
From Captain Video, 1/4/2007 "It seems that Italian people are very prone to preserve antique stuff." |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|