Use of solder or Brazing

al's28/33

al's28/33

Well-known member
Is it possible to fill in plier teeth marks on old nuts with either led solder or have the divots brazed then filed down ??

Has anyone done this to any old parts then have everything plated ?
 
Haven't tried that method of repair. Of course, heat for brazing will destroy any heat treating so I wouldn't do that for any high strength applications. Try digging into buckets of rusty Model A hardware at swap meets t find what you need. Gar Williams
 
What are you going for? Show or just look decent?

I have been using mostly original hardware when I can which includes some not so nice looking fasteners. The original stuff has tighter tolerances in many cases and the parts are engineered for use with tighter tolerance threads.

I have found that just filing the surface smooth will get a decent look. Many nuts and bolts are tucked away and hard to see and may have a black appearance so you can not see the lack of perfect details.

Brazing is not a very good option. Solder is soft and may not be appropriate. The soft solder may be deformed in ordinary use depending on what you are trying to fill. Plus some of the hardware should be a natural finish so the color difference will cause issues too.

Now if you have some of those nuts that are mangled by the pliers then you have no hope, find some others.

You might get lucky and have one of those guys that must put on all new hardware and throws away the original live near you. I would gladly take all someones original hardware they do not want that is still useable.
 
I run into quite a few instances of somewhat buggered original nuts, bolts and screws and usually get a satisfactory, to me, improvement by using my smallest ball peen hammer to knock the high metal back into the nick or gouge it came from. Sometimes use a punch to direct the metal back toward where it came from.

Ray
 
not trying to be rude but seriously? just go to the hardware store. solder will not work,too soft, as soon as the wrench hits it, it will smash it or come off. think of how soft a fishing weight is, its the same thing. but if you must, take a flapper wheel on a 4in. grinder (wore out wheel is better) and hit them kinda easy and slow. smooth as a babys a$$
 
One of the things that I don't like about the nuts and bolts one gets at the hardware stores is they are plated and they can be difficult to paint over. I keep a bucket with a 50 / 50 mix of water and muratic acid. Put what ever you want to take the plating off of on a piece of wire and dangle it for 15 or 20 seconds and poof it's all gone. If you have a few washers etc... together on a wire and gently shake em you can tell they are done because they go from a dull rattle to a crisp tinkle sound. Remember to keep the lid on your bucket.
Dave
 
1crosscut said:
One of the things that I don't like about the nuts and bolts one gets at the hardware stores is they are plated and they can be difficult to paint over. I keep a bucket with a 50 / 50 mix of water and muratic acid. Put what ever you want to take the plating off of on a piece of wire and dangle it for 15 or 20 seconds and poof it's all gone. If you have a few washers etc... together on a wire and gently shake em you can tell they are done because they go from a dull rattle to a crisp tinkle sound. Remember to keep the lid on your bucket.
Dave
Click to expand...
you can get raw hardware anywhere
 
flat 32 you are right that is the way to address the raised nics and burs as far as raw hardware anywhere thats not correct hardware as in thread pitches and head shapes i keep as much original on the truck as possible because one it belongs there and two when compared to replacements the originals are finer and tougher made
 
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