Whats the most usual thing that you have fixed?

[fjk]

Well, here's one I did not do. A friend of mine wanted to know if I could weld a buckle on his wife's handbag. Turned out it was a "Coach", (they're like $500), and I suggested he either take it back where they bought it (I believe a lifetime gaurantee), or a jeweler. Still trying to figure out where to attach a 500 amp ground clamp to a hand bag!

Two different friends both had some kind of precious heirloom cast-out-
of-mystery-metal knickknack, bought on some trip to wally-world
or someplace... each with a decorative doodad broken off. Since
I can weld, they asked my wife if I could fix them, who said sure,
metal is metal, after all! ().

As you said, it was not quite clear where the ground clamp would
attach..

Anyway, rather than get into a long and no doubt
losing discussion, it was a perfect excuse to go buy one of those
small butane micro-torch thingies (think cigarette lighter on sterioids!)
and ultra-low-temp solder (not knowing what these things were made out
of, regular solder might have melted at too high a temp).

Net result, the Friends are happy ("Boy, Frank can fix Anything!"), Wife
is happy ("My husband is so talented!") and I'm happy ("New Tool! I Win!")

Frank

[davedarragh]

"New Tool"

Frank: Touche' ! Can never go wrong when ya get a new tool out of it!

Dave

I'll remember the "cig lighter on steroids"

[vin-man welding]

A stainless medical device used by a OBGYN.

the break line might keep you guys up at night but this one keep's me up.LOL

[Jake SS]

Parking and speeding tickets, well not me exactly but a friend, does a great job for me!!!!!

Cheers

[Burnt hands]

An art teacher at the gallery where I show my titanium sculptures called me and asked if I could possibly fix her camera tripod which had a broken leg.

I said of course figuring it would be a simple fix and would be good PR for me.

Well to my surprise, it was a professional model with a fluid head and very well built (and very expensive). She is a sculpture instructor and professional photographer and her photos are worthy of National Geographic.

So I looked at the broken part and did a few quick tests with a magnet to see if it was aluminum or possibly magnesium.

Carved off a few shavings to see if it would burn like magnesium

Didn't burn like magnesium so I figured it was aluminum - (mistake 1)

So with this in mind, I set up to tig the crack. ( mistake 2)

The top of the leg melted and I was stuck with a pile of bird droppings on the top of the leg. It wasn't aluminum!.

Possibly a zinc alloy but after this I was not going to experiment to see.

So after I finished cussing my stupidity, I went online to see what a replacement leg would cost for this tripod.

Cost was $140 as it is made in Germany.

The tripod itself was over $850 - ouch.

Decided to take a break before I messed things up even more.

Options:

1 - Tell the teacher I messed up and give her back the pieces - bad for the ego and truly not a solution

2 - Buy a new leg and install it. Worse for the ego (coward's way out I thought)

Luckily she told me that there was no hurry to fix it.

So I stewed, simmered and kicked myself over the weekend wondering what I could do. Had some friends over for dinner and told them about my dilemma.

They looked at my mess and one said it looked like the 6 million dollar man tv show in the 70's.

WOW - thanks guys - I can rebuild it better!.

Silly me, I didn't even think of using a different metal to fix the part.

So I rebuilt the leg top and pivot using stainless steel pieces I had around.
No problem tigging this time and no surprises.

While the original leg was threaded to connect to the top plate, I made a stainless cap and pinned it to the leg.

Took off the "kick me" sign I had put on my back.

The rebuilt leg works well and both the teacher and I were very happy.

She wanted to pay me but I said it was a simple fix so no charge.

What I learned by thinking outside the box was well worth it.

[engnerdan]

I welded a bra underwire, it is a curved piece of stainless about 1/8" wide and about .030 thick. It was not pretty but it worked.

I also welded my cell phone belt clip, it was riveted together but they gave out so I welded the stainless and the spring steel together and it is still working.

-Dan

[Bodybagger]

I just had one that was worth digging up this thread.

Today, I welded the bronze statue of an early Supreme Court Justice. I was told that an authentic replica would cost $250,000 but the original was irreplaceable.

The damage to the monument was likely done by would-be metal thieves trying to scrap it.

I'll tell you this - I had to work my butt off to fight cracking. And man did I do a lot of peening. But it's done and looks good.

One of the more "unusual" things I've gotten the call for.

[FusionKing]

I just had one that was worth digging up this thread.

Today, I welded the bronze statue of an early Supreme Court Justice. I was told that an authentic replica would cost $250,000 but the original was irreplaceable.

The damage to the monument was likely done by would-be metal thieves trying to scrap it.

I'll tell you this - I had to work my butt off to fight cracking. And man did I do a lot of peening. But it's done and looks good.

One of the more "unusual" things I've gotten the call for.

Did you happen to snap a pic or two when you wuz fixin' it?

[Bodybagger]

Of course I took pics! I'll eventually post them.

[JL_Welding]

Golf cart battery box, at a nudist colony.

[vin-man welding]

Golf cart battery box, at a nudist colony.

they looking for any more help?

[JL_Welding]

Did I forget to say it was a retirement nudist colony.I will never be able to look at another leaf blower the same again.

[migwelder05]

Did I forget to say it was a retirement nudist colony.I will never be able to look at another leaf blower the same again.

A stainless medical device used by a OBGYN.

I fixed a tool that a rancher friend of mine uses. It is made to put rubber bands on Bulls for castration. Yes, I did wash it before, I touched it.

Wierd enough?

Peace,
Paul

Thats all i have to say!!

[RAD]

My strangest would have to be a lampshade and an air horn off a Mack truck . It just seems to me it would have been cheaper to replace them.

[Bubblemaker]

Hmmm!

Hello!

I'm new to this forum!

That is a tough question.

I guess it would have to be a tie between the ss plate of a friend of mine's upper dental partial and a badly leaking crack in 50' aluminum diving boat's hull while it was in the water. The only way to keep the crack dry was to bring the boat up to almost full speed to create a negative pressure outside the hull's crack. There were lots of waves that day!:


Cheers!