Liquid Metal?

[Lazy-Ferret]

I know there are many types and makes, so has anyone here actually used the stuff, if so, which one, and was it any good.

I have a very thin walled aluminium tube, that I need to fix an aluminium end cap onto. It cant be welded, as not only too thin, but has plastic fittings crimped in. I also do not have any room for a build up of thickness, as it slides into something else, and also has something inside it as well. So looking at something I can use which is like superglue, but can handle heat and water and fill a few tiny holes.

Can anyone help.

 

[cncfabs]

I know there are many types and makes, so has anyone here actually used the stuff, if so, which one, and was it any good.

I have a very thin walled aluminium tube, that I need to fix an aluminium end cap onto. It cant be welded, as not only too thin, but has plastic fittings crimped in. I also do not have any room for a build up of thickness, as it slides into something else, and also has something inside it as well. So looking at something I can use which is like superglue, but can handle heat and water and fill a few tiny holes.

Can anyone help.

They dont make ali to thin to weld:naughty

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

They dont make ali to thin to weld:naughty

This is only about 3 x the thickness of ali foil, and the end cap is about 1.5mm thick... but like I say, it has plastic crimped in, inserts, so welding would not work anyway.

 

[RobN]

Idea

How about a glass bandage, or araldite with a suitable base.

 

[kickboxer]

I tried to use some to fix my side setps back onto the bolts as they had broken off, my opinion of it is that you have to work very fast with it as it hardens quickly, but its no good for what I wanted as does not appear to take alot of impact without breaking.

 

[bry]

Miliput,drys even under water.Can be drilled when set.

 

[spiderpig37]

Metal set or belzona is what we use at work we use it to build shafts up can be drilled and filed when set
We have just used it to build up a pitted shaft on a steam beam engine thats under going restoration

 

[macabethiel]

Praising Araldite

I know there are many types and makes, so has anyone here actually used the stuff, if so, which one, and was it any good.

I have a very thin walled aluminium tube, that I need to fix an aluminium end cap onto. It cant be welded, as not only too thin, but has plastic fittings crimped in. I also do not have any room for a build up of thickness, as it slides into something else, and also has something inside it as well. So looking at something I can use which is like superglue, but can handle heat and water and fill a few tiny holes.

Can anyone help.

I have tried the original Liquid Metal back in the 60s/70s and it never worked for me back then as it did not need much force to break it though it was OK under compression.

Things may have improved since then.

Last difficult job I did back in 2009 was to build up a worn nylon shaft forming part of a gear lever on an auto box shift mechanism. A new selector mechanism was around the £250 mark plus VAT so a fix had to work.

I cut about 1/4 inch off the nylon shaft and then Araldited a new bit on filed down from an old curtain rail bracket that was also made from nylon.

When it set some 24 hours later I trimmed it down to fit back in the gearshift tube. There was some sideways force on the nylon shaft as the side button that is depressed to change gear is cut at about 45 degrees and comes in from the side to operate the mechanism.

It held for me for 5 years and was fine when I sold the r3mR so I am an Araldite fan. It will probably fall apart if the new owner ever has to remove the gear knob !

 

[rustic]

I find Araldite with water over a long period of time, tends to absorb water and soften. Maybe the later ones are better:nenau

I prefer JB Weld, a two part epoxy, there are two types, the quick set, but the standard is better, but it remains runny for a few hours, :doh but sounds ideal for your application, but abrade the Aluminium seconds before you spread some onto the Aluminium, this bonds better as the aluminium soon oxidises.
Takes 24 hours to harden. It will take high pressure and quite high temperatures and unaffected by oil, petrol, diesel, water etc.

I find pushing the JB weld onto both surfaces to get it to go deep into the grain of the metal works best, whilst assembling.

Hope it helps,
best regards,
Rustic

 

[larson]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Loctite-C..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item27d3631ce1

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Thanks for the names, I will do a bit of looking, see what I can get.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Loctite-C..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item27d3631ce1

I got some of that from Halfrauds, but as a few people have said, it sets too fast. As the part is so intricate, it takes a bit of time to get it onto all the right bits, but it is already going off before you finish. I mixed it up with less hardener to give me more time, but it failed to grab hard enough, and came off as I tried to sand off the edges once it had hardened.

So back to the drawing board...

 

[rustic]

I have used chemical Metal a lot for fixing various things, but when I made an aluminium bow roller for my boat out of aluminium angle, "L" I bonded the pieces with JB weld to make a "U" channel, I then trimmed and shaped it and fitted the roller.
The unit has taken quite a few knocks, and the aluminium has remained bonded, even having been straightened out once after shearing the fixing screws.
The engine cut out as I was approaching a high jetty:doh

So JB weld for me, where it matters and the standard one gives a long open time of around an hour.:thumb2


Re curing too fast, keep it cool, the warmer the temperature is, the faster Chemical Metal goes off, sometimes it goes off before you apply it...
Rustic

 

[Kishada]

Metal set or belzona is what we use at work we use it to build shafts up can be drilled and filed when set
We have just used it to build up a pitted shaft on a steam beam engine thats under going restoration

I was impressed by the range of stuff that Belzona did so I contacted them with regards to an Oil and temperature resistant compound with a view to going around the leaky welded repair on the sump:

Thank you for your enquiry

Please see price below for Belzona 1831

V43 Belzona 1831 - 1kg
1 x 1 kg Belzona 1831
1 applicator, 1 large spatula
1 instruction leaflet
£122.00+VAT

Standard 3-Day Delivery £8.00+VAT



Might have to try the loctite instead!

 

[AD Ent]

must be a special spatula