working with pot metal?

[Tom Bredehoft]

I discussed the parts problem with a manufacturer of chrome plated pot metal and plastic several years ago. He admitted to having up to 75 old Studebaker molds in his warehouse and might be interested in making a run for a dollar amount. I passed this information on to Ed Reynolds (SI) and by the time Ed got in touch with the contact number, the gentleman had died, his company had been sold and the old scrap molds had been crushed.

So goes the industry.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Bothcars4.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction) 101 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[wmsteve]

PacardV8 and Tom B,

Thank you for the history lesson. Very interesting to me... That's what I thought. Goodby to the old American tradition of: Made In The U.S.A. & [u]Son's</u>.

I'll go back to this blog on how to fix what I've got.

Steve

[barnlark]

Originally posted by Allan Songer
"It looked to me that these guys will filling the pits with something that looked alot like silver solder. Probably some sort of secret sauce in reality, but it sure looked like silver solder."

Allan,
Was the part plated with copper when it was being soldered?

I feel like Swifster..my time is what I can afford the most and I'd like to try it out some time. $800 a part is out of my range..

[Kdancy]

I was at a re-chrome shop a little over a year ago. This shop is advertised in Hemmings as being pot metal specialist. I stepped into the back room to look at some ongoing work and was shocked when I saw them using body filler on pot metal pieces, then using the same platting process they use to plate plastic parts to plate the filler coated pieces.
It did look like show quality, wonder how it will last?

[Doug Arnold]

Well not to be cheap or anything- BUT i have been looking at the original 62 champ p/u chrome Mirrors left and right...My truck doesnt have any original mirrors on it-just yucky after market ones- I just hate paying $110 for one remade 4 inch side mirror!?! I would almost (if i could find any) take old original mirrors an do a "home" powder coating on them?!?

[wmsteve]

I had 11 of the cast retaining pins broken/corroded off of the trim on my '53 and, this is how I fixed'em:

I hand drilled a .089 (#43) hole, as deep as I thought I could go, into each piece. Go slow! This stuff is soft!

I than took a .125 steel welding rod and cut it into about the right length, chucked-it into my drill press, and machined a dowl-end that fit the .089 hole, with a flat file, as it spun.

When I was satisfied, I used Locktite 277 (with a little heat from a propane torch) to seat the new pin.

11 pins = 30 minutes and, they are very strong and accepted the speed nuts and 1921X clips perfectly.

Hope it helps ya,

Steve