In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass (might
be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted the top third
off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece from scratch, or
2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very clean break, about 3/8"
diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.

SteveF wrote:

In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass (might
be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted the top third
off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece from scratch, or
2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very clean break, about 3/8"
diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.



Spotwelding any copper compound is going to be real real tough unless
you have a truly monumental spotwelder. Even aluminum requires a machine
that costs like $50k.

I'm just learning about spotwelding is why I'm shooting off my bazoo
about it lately.

GWE

I've tacked aluminum sheet using a 220V Miller spot welder. Copper might
be a problem though because the tips on the welder are made of it!


Grant Erwin wrote:

SteveF wrote:

In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass
(might be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted
the top third off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece
from scratch, or 2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very
clean break, about 3/8" diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot
welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.



Spotwelding any copper compound is going to be real real tough unless
you have a truly monumental spotwelder. Even aluminum requires a machine
that costs like $50k.

I'm just learning about spotwelding is why I'm shooting off my bazoo
about it lately.

GWE

SteveF wrote:
In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass (might
be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted the top third
off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece from scratch, or
2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very clean break, about 3/8"
diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.


Ditto on spot welding being a long run for a short slide...

I can't see the piece, but can you drill into the broken ends of both
halves with a 3/16" drill about 3/8" deep, make a 3/4" longn steel pin
"splint" and silver solder the whole thing together?

That ought to be plenty strong for that kind of application. Might even
be good enough just silver soldered without the splint.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public
schools"

I spotweld brass ribbon to bronze round stock with a capacitive discharge
spotwelder.

RJ

--
"Have no one say it, and say it to your shame, that all was well here, until
YOU came."




"Tim Killian" wrote in message
...
I've tacked aluminum sheet using a 220V Miller spot welder. Copper might
be a problem though because the tips on the welder are made of it!


Grant Erwin wrote:

SteveF wrote:

In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass
(might be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted
the top third off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece
from scratch, or 2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very
clean break, about 3/8" diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot
welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.



Spotwelding any copper compound is going to be real real tough unless
you have a truly monumental spotwelder. Even aluminum requires a machine
that costs like $50k.

I'm just learning about spotwelding is why I'm shooting off my bazoo
about it lately.

GWE

"Tim Williams" wrote in message
...
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Even aluminum requires a machine that costs like $50k.

No (but that's beside the point). Brass/bronze is also much, much less
conductive than pure copper. An inductor estimating program I have places
even red brass below aluminum in conductivity, and yellow brass and
phosphor
bronze between zinc and tin.

Hey Steve, ain't got any silver solder on hand? A dab of that would fix
it
instantly.

Tim

But at the expense of losing the work hardened condition of the stud.
Likely to be worthless when finished because it would be too soft, and the
thread could be easily screwed up with solder, too. I'd say that's a long
shot. How about making a new one?

Harold

am I missin sumpin ???Have you got the old threded end out of whatever it was
in??
This involves heatin, sprayin with penetrating oil, coolin, let it sit, spray,
heat, spray, cool,
drill, drive in stud remover, try to twist out, repeat above procedure, if you
get it out,
go to the Dollar store & get a new one...

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

SteveF wrote:
In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass (might
be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted the top third
off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece from scratch, or
2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very clean break, about 3/8"
diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.


Ditto on spot welding being a long run for a short slide...

I can't see the piece, but can you drill into the broken ends of both
halves with a 3/16" drill about 3/8" deep, make a 3/4" longn steel pin
"splint" and silver solder the whole thing together?

That ought to be plenty strong for that kind of application. Might even
be good enough just silver soldered without the splint.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public
schools"

"SteveF" wrote in message
m...

In full compliance with Murphy's Law I just tried to unscrew a brass
(might be bronze - how do you tell?) shaft from a tripod and twisted the
top third off. My options look like either 1 - make a new piece from
scratch, or 2 - hold the top and bottom tightly together (very clean
break, about 3/8" diameter contact area) and zap it with a spot welder.

Option 2 is much less work. Any comments on whether this would work?

Thanks.
Steve.


Steve

It is really easy to weld that brass with even a poor spot welder. I've
"spot welded" thousands of copper straps together by sandwitching a small
flat piece of silversolder between two clean pieces of copper. Press the
spotwelder's "weld" button till the brass gets hot enough to melt the
silversolder.. Regular soft solder works too if strength and/or heat isnt
a problem.

Jerry