Repairing an old handmade barrow

[eSCHEn]

Been asked to take a look at fixing this wheelbarrow that a friend's father made many moons ago. Heck it's probably an antique by now.

One of his staff has dropped a pallet on one of the handles and it's well FUBARed. My method for fixing this would be to remove the bent handle to just past the bend and TIG on a new one with an internal sleeve for reinforcement.

I'm looking for any advice on how you could repair this without a cut and weld. My friend's keen to keep it original for obvious reasons but I don't see how I can repair that when it's been so completely flattened and pinched.

Couple of pictures:

 

[Migmac]

I’m guessing, heat it, straighten it, sort the flattened tube out, bend it back into shape, quench.

 

[eSCHEn]

I'd thought of trying that one as well Al but I'm not sure that I'd get it strong enough after heating to not bend like a banana on first lift with a full barrow. Capacity on this thing is about three times a "normal" barrow. It is HUGE and bloody heavy.

 

[Migmac]

I'd thought of trying that one as well Al but I'm not sure that I'd get it strong enough after heating to not bend like a banana on first lift with a full barrow. Capacity on this thing is about three times a "normal" barrow. It is HUGE and bloody heavy.

Plan B then

 

[steveo3002]

cant see any way of fixing it without a new bit where the bend is ....

 

[eSCHEn]

Plan B then

Sounds like

I've not any brainwaves hence posting here to pick all yours

cant see any way of fixing it without a new bit where the bend is ....

Aye, it's so far bent round I don't know if I could even open it up from the inside angle and internally reinforce. As it's the handle and subject to such loading it has to be strong.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, I would just bend it back up again, with or without heat your choice, any signs of it having been bent will be part of its patina and should be worn with pride.

Colin

 

[eSCHEn]

Hi, I would just bend it back up again, with or without heat your choice, any signs of it having been bent will be part of its patina and should be worn with pride.

No way of using it properly again though with that, ie with a full load. I'll ask for another picture of it to show the size. It is huge and very heavy. The bloke who built it and the bloke who uses it are both over six and a half foot and it's scaled accordingly.

 

[Shedendman]

Cut them both off at the same place,then replace with round bar,bend,if you can get a bit that'll slot in the old

 

[steveo3002]

weld a new bit on and tell him what he wants to hear ...if its so precious then be more carefull next time

 

[eSCHEn]

Reading back sounds like I'm peeing on everyone's chips for the hell of it. Not the case, really appreciate the answers but I think I'm looking for a magic solution that probably don't exist here

 

[WorkshopChris]

Is the tube an old imperial size? If you can find the same diameter tube with a sleeve internally and a tidy tig weld it should be a invisible repair.

 

[eSCHEn]

Is the tube an old imperial size? If you can find the same diameter tube with a sleeve internally and a tidy tig weld it should be a invisible repair.

Exactly what I have suggested to them Chris. Great minds lol

I guess it's a case of not believing how invisible a TIG join can be. Fair enough really, I normally do plate welds for him and don't dress back.

 

[Screwdriver]

For an invisible repair I think you'd need to either remove part of the handle or build a fireblanket around the bend and heat with a torch. Once hot you can straighten it and then I'm wondering if you could open up the flat by hammering in a tapered mandrel while it's still red hot.

You could then reinforce with a suitable inner piece, then heat and bend the entire reinforced part to reform the handle.

Be relatively easy if you could take it off and forge it round on an anvil. If you do it in situ, gonna be tricky to bring the anvil to the part. Tricky but not impossible.

If you ultimately have to open up the bend (on the inside of the kink) to force it round, use the slot opening to plug weld the reinforcing part.

 

[Gritineye]

What I've done with jobs like that is cut, sleeve, mig plug weld the sleeve and then mig butt weld the new bit on.

The angle grinder the welds to just above the surface and then carefully hand finish with a file, draw file and emery. Don't use a flap wheel.

Doesn't take long and the join will be completely invisible.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Weld a ply on the end with an airline fitting and reg on it, heat bend to cherry red and pressurise it slowly, if you’re lucky it’ll pop the tube out

 

[sardine]

No chance of ever using that bent bit again, cut it off and start from there.

If the owner can't live with a wheel barrow with a weld on it then they need a psychiatrist not a welder.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Once hot you can straighten it and then I'm wondering if you could open up the flat by hammering in a tapered mandrel while it's still red hot.

Do you think it would straighten with heat as the bending process has stretched the long outside edge to straighten this material would need shrinking back or the material would become thin and the handle would be sightly longer?

 

[pedrobedro]

Straighten it and heat it red then knock a solid bar down to round it up and put the bend back in it with a spring inside. If it's mild steel it doesn't need quench or temper.

 

[Screwdriver]

Do you think it would straighten with heat as the bending process has stretched the long outside edge to straighten this material would need shrinking back or the material would become thin and the handle would be sightly longer?

I think the difficult bit would be trying not to upset it too much. With it good and hot and being pounded down from a point above the tip of the taper and above the deformity, the walls will compress or "upset" enough to overcome any slight thinning until the taper opens up the flat bck to round.