Twin Cities Carry Forum Archive
http://ellegon.com/forum/

Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?
http://ellegon.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14307
Page 1 of 1

Author:  chunkstyle [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:58 am ]
Post subject:  Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

I have a nice belt buckle, of the clasp type, that just broke. The small tab that goes into the holes in the leather broke clean off. It needs a new one attached. It might be pewter, which complicates things. Any such repair would have to be pretty strong.

Any ideas?

Author:  replicant_argent [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

a jewelry repair shop might be your best bet.

Author:  chunkstyle [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

Know of any good ones?

Author:  DeanC [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

Try some of this:

Image

Author:  chunkstyle [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

The little tab itself got pulled completely off, and is lost. I need a new one, but don't want to buy a whole new buckle.

Author:  Scott Hughes [ Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

chunck, I've had the tab break before on a couple of buckles that I really liked. My experience was that some of the repairs I tried fixed the tab problem but did other damage to the buckle. I first found this out on a fancy buckle for a carry belt. At the end of the day I replaced the buckle with a similar new buckle that I found on the web.

Author:  Ronin069 [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

Not sure of your location, but my father-in-law has used Jim's Welding in Mora for a number of custom projects and has always been pretty happy. Here is the contact info if you are interested...

Jim's Machine & Welding
2194 Prokosch Rd
Mora, MN 55051-6816
(320) 679-2524‎

Author:  mnglocker [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

If it's pewter, it's off to the jewlery shop for you. And if you don't know fo a good one, the wife can't be too pleased with you. :P

If it's a cast ferris metal, there's a risk of cracking from the heat, but it may work with a MIG welder. If it's stainless, you'll need stainless wire for that MIG welder. I might try a squarewave stick welder with a fine rod, if it's ferris. Perry's Welding in Long Lake, MN does all the fancy welds just west of the mess. First trick though would be to see if the buckle is reactive to magnets.

Author:  Ranger01 [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

MIG and SMAW (Stick) welding are out of the question with something that small, they are too hot and/ or the electrodes are too large. Its going to need to be TIG or Oxy-Acetylene welded.

Depending on the type of metal it is it can use either, your best bet would be a jeweler, they have smaller OAW torches and will be cheaper most likely. If you go to a welding shop and dont know the guys working you are probably going to get charged twice as much as a jeweler would (if they would even take the job). TIG is not a very common process in most (small job) shops either, especially with small things like buckels.

If it cant be welded it will need to be brazed or braze welded...

Also, there *will* be a heat affected zone on the buckle after its welded.
The link below is to a picture that shows a common H.A.Z. the rainbow coloring is common.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Pipe_root_weld_with_HAZ.jpg

So in conclusion go to a jeweler first, they may be able to minimize the H.A.Z. better, or remove the coloring effect.

- A. Harris
-Student Welder

Author:  chunkstyle [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

Most definitely it's non-ferrous. Jewelry shop it is. But it can be replaced, I found, for not a whole lot of money. That might be the real answer.

Author:  Scott Hughes [ Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any one know of a small welding shop that can help me?

chunkstyle wrote:
Most definitely it's non-ferrous. Jewelry shop it is. But it can be replaced, I found, for not a whole lot of money. That might be the real answer.


Sadly, my experience was that the replacement was the only way to go. I had a really cool timber snake belt buckle that just wasn't up to the loading that carry demanded, and there was no good way to fix the hole tab. :cry: Fortunately I found another (even cooler) snake buckle on the net. 8) :D

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 6 hours
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/