Small Tig job required

[Dell]

Wasn’t sure where to post this but as it probably wants Tig welding I thought post here then mods can move if needed please.
I am restoring yet another Pultra lathe & at the moment I am on the crosslide & it has tapered gibs but one is broken on the right angled end where it’s adjusted so I am looking for someone hopefully near me in the Cotswolds that can weld it , as can be seen from the picture someone has bodged it together but is not quite square & there is a hole in the gib as well to put size into context it is about 6mm on that end & I can make a new piece for the end to weld on, I think the steel gib is probably made of gauge plate.
Thanks in advance Dell

 

[Pete.]

I'd be brazing or silver soldering that. Do you have the facility to bore the end out to tidy it up? Even if you broke through on the sides a little you could bore it out straight, turn a slug to go in the hole you've made with a big disc on one end. Silver solder it into the end of the gib then hacksaw and file the disc to the shape of your end bracket.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Personally, I'd silver solder that. Welding is just asking for distortion on a part you could really do with keeping straight.

Don't get me wrong, a skilled tig welder wouldn't struggle, but solder would be very simple option, clean it all up, get a nice good fit, decent flux and you are 90% there

 

[Agroshield]

Can I underbid the above and suggest soft solder or JB Weld?

For the forces on it, either is strong enough. The success or failure would be down to preparation and cleanliness.

 

[Dell]

Thanks for quick replies
I could silver solder it as I am used to using it but distortion was & is my worry, don’t think there is any stress on it as it just holds the gib in the position set but not convinced about soft solder will have to have a think.

 

[Agroshield]

There are some low temperature silver solders available, which could be a halfway house. The part is not that big, so sensible heat control (keeping the whole thing at nearly the same temperature and cooling real slow) might prevent any movement. If you just heat the end you are working on, as you say, you might run into problems.

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[BrokenBiker]

Thanks for quick replies
I could silver solder it as I am used to using it but distortion was & is my worry, don’t think there is any stress on it as it just holds the gib in the position set but not convinced about soft solder will have to have a think.

Distortion from the heat required to solder would be easilly controlled, as argoshield says, heat it all up evenly and let it all cool at the same rate and nothing can move too much really

 

[Dell]

There are some low temperature silver solders available, which could be a halfway house. The part is not that big, so sensible heat control (keeping the whole thing at nearly the same temperature and cooling real slow) might prevent any movement. If you just heat the end you are working on, as you say, you might run into problems.

Low Temperature Silver Solder | Cadmium Free | CuP Alloys

Shop Low Temperature Silver Solder online at CuP Alloys. All prices include VAT and Free UK Delivery. No Minimum Spend.

cupalloys.co.uk

Special Low Temperature Silver Solder, 198gm

Order the Special Low Temperature Silver Solder, 198gm online today from Dawkes Music, the Woodwind & Brass specialists. 4.9/5 on Feefo - FREE delivery

www.dawkes.co.uk

That’s a good point I never thought of low temp although I know it existed.

 

[Dell]

Distortion from the heat required to solder would be easilly controlled, as argoshield says, heat it all up evenly and let it all cool at the same rate and nothing can move too much really

The problem is it being not the same size all along it’s length, I do have some thermal paste though.

 

[BrokenBiker]

The problem is it being not the same size all along it’s length, I do have some thermal paste though.

That shouldn't be an issue, if it's all heated evenly, it all expands evenly and then all cools evenly

 

[Agroshield]

The music one says 221 degrees C. That is round about gas mark 7. The part is small enough to pre-heat in a domestic oven and post-heat/cool in the same oven.

The Wikipedia page on solder is good as it goes from 183 degrees 63/37 tin-lead all the way upwards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder). The music one above would seem to be 22/78 tin-silver.

 

[Pete.]

You don't need to worry about distortion IMO. Even if it does it's easy to correct.

 

[piman]

hello Dell,

I will wager that is cast iron, not steel. So silver solder would be my suggestion once a repair part is made?

Alec

 

[Dell]

hello Dell,

I will wager that is cast iron, not steel. So silver solder would be my suggestion once a repair part is made?

Alec

How could I tell? most gibs I have seen have been gauge plate , brass or bronze, is there a way to tell?.
Dell

 

[BrokenBiker]

How could I tell? most gibs I have seen have been gauge plate , brass or bronze, is there a way to tell?.
Dell

grinding test...cast iron sparks are very identifiable

 

[brightspark]

grinding test...cast iron sparks are very identifiable

yep steel bright red whitish cast iron dull red