[Longboard]

How do you attach to pot metal? Weld, lead, soder, glue? I am missing a couple of mounting points on a piece of exterior trim that is pot metal. I want to try and attach new ones. Can this be done to pot metal?

[powerrodsmike]

There are some commercially available soldering? brazing? rods that claim you can repair or bond pot metal pieces, I spent about 100.00 on the C Muggy super alloy 1 kit, and had no luck at all with a repair on a crusty old 40 merc grill. I watched some of the videos that are up on his website, and even called up 'Ol Cecil himself, and still couldn't get it together. I will admit that I'm not as adept with a gas torch as I am with a TIG, so that may be my problem.

I believe that Eastwood has a similar material.

If you are trying to attach studs or nutplates to the backside of some trim, you might find it easier to epoxy them on.



Hope this helps,
Mikey

[jaguarxk120]

Go to www.aladdin3in1.com/ they are the mfgrs. and suppliers to the people that sell the low temperature rods. Take a look at what they have to say about low temp. repairs, may be helpfull. Tom F.

[oldred]

The problem is "pot" metal is just that, a sort of pot luck concoction and really has no definite recipe, that's where it gets the nickname "pot metal". What happens is that most "pot" metal will vary from batch to batch in alloy content which makes it difficult to formulate a welding filler that is compatible with all of it. I have had some that could be joined fairly easily using fillers for the purpose but I have also had some that I could not repair no matter what I tried. My point is even if you try one product and it does not work well you might want to try again with another one, sometimes you get lucky.

[jaguarxk120]

Don't know why it's called "potmetal" but the alloys are usually of zinc and other metals. Do search for Zamak or Kirksite and you will find that the formulas are very precise in what is placed in the alloy.

[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by jaguarxk120

Don't know why it's called "potmetal" but the alloys are usually of zinc and other metals. Do search for Zamak or Kirksite and you will find that the formulas are very precise in what is placed in the alloy.

In the 30s and 40s and 50's they were not so precise in what got thrown in the pot..

Today? maybe, back when...I doubt that they gave it much thought...if it melted and could be poured in a mold, it went.

I talked to a guy who worked at the navy yards in alameda...he said that welding on some of the non critical castings was always fun because you'd be running a bead on a steel casting and then the bead wouldn't stick...because there were big aluminum inclusions in it.... Surprise!

Later, mikey

[jaguarxk120]

Longboard did not give us the vintage of the metal he wants to repair. I just tried to give information that I hope is usefull to him. Many of the low temperature repair rods are just the same alloy that Aladdin makes. If you check their web site I think there is a area for people who want to market their own "Wonder" welding rod. As Aladdin will package to your specks. TF

[Longboard]

The year of the piece is 1961. So "pot" metal changed over the years? Anyway great answers guys. Many thanks. The exterior trim pieces fit on the sail panel behind the rear window of a 61 Impala I'm only missing a couple of points on 1 and 2 points on the other, so I was hoping I could glue on the missing points and becasue the piece is not on the side, maybe it would stay in place?

[oldred]

"Pot metal" or Zinc die castings vary in quality depending what they are and who made them. I should have been a little more specific about that and when I mentioned it, I was thinking about die castings in general and not just automotive pieces which tend to be the better quality. This stuff really did come by the name "pot metal" because years ago, and still in some cases even today, it is little more than production scrap that is tossed in the "pot" to cast items that don't require much in the way of durability. As Jaguar pointed out there are controlled methods of making this material that is to be used for quality parts such as automotive trim, that is if you can use the description "quality" when describing a pot metal part.

[oldred]

Originally Posted by powerrodsmike

I talked to a guy who worked at the navy yards in alameda...he said that welding on some of the non critical castings was always fun because you'd be running a bead on a steel casting and then the bead wouldn't stick...because there were big aluminum inclusions in it.... Surprise!

Later, mikey

I know of a guy who was machining a casting to correct a flaw in his Chinese import lathe and hit a spot that was too hard for the tool to cut. Upon further investigation he discovered the remains of the metal and ceramic from a partially un-melted spark plug in the casting!

[jaguarxk120]

If this is a restoration then you want to look at making a new piece. Using the lostwax process, a pattern can be made and sent out for casting in any metal you want , then plated as desired. There are many options open to you. TF

[39Hemi]

It's a piece of trim and non-structural, if the face of it looks good then I say epoxy on the needed studs and be done with it. If you try to weld it and melt a hole then you're screwed and more than likely just the heat of the repair would probably damage the finish.
Use an epoxy like all-metal and if you have clearance on the back weld a washer on the end of the stud that will be epoxied to the trim, or grind the head of a bolt down to 1/16" of an inch and then glue it. This will increase the surface area and add to the lateral strength. Once it is bolted in place no one will be the wiser.

[red65mustang]

stop at a local body shop and get a length of the red(?) 3M double sided tape designed to be used for attaching emblems and mouldings....

your local parts store might have it...
a local car paint dist will have it...