Engineering advice please

UKRob

UKRob

Joined
Thursday March 1, 2012
Location
Lichfield
I'm currently renovating another Rubbershave aluminium brush but rather cack-handedly dropped the screw top (that holds the knot) and it's fractured in two places. It's currently sitting in a vice with CA glue in the hope that it is salvageable but my concern is that when I insert the threaded bottom part, the cap will fracture again.

So my questions:

- Is there anything I can use that is better than CA?
- If a repair is not practicable, are any of the engineers capable of turning a replacement cap in aluminium?



The two fractures are both top to bottom of the cap and all the way through so that a full piece fell out.
 
The repair with CA will almost certainly fail, you could try a metal epoxy like JB WELD (other makes available)

I can't picture what your'e describing tbh, see if you can post a pic of the broken cap/piece.

Its a handsome handle though, you need the Digress to match.
 
How about paying a visit to your local technical college and making a visit to the engineering department slipping one of the machining apprentices a £10 and ask him to turn you a new top from a bar of aluminum.
 
antdad said:
The repair with CA will almost certainly fail, you could try a metal epoxy like JB WELD (other makes available)

I can't picture what your'e describing tbh, see if you can post a pic of the broken cap/piece.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip Tony. I can't post any pics at the moment but imagine a piece equivalent to about one third is completely broken away - in a section running from the top of the cap to the bottom.

pugh-the-special-one said:
How about paying a visit to your local technical college and making a visit to the engineering department slipping one of the machining apprentices a £10 and ask him to turn you a new top from a bar of aluminum.
Click to expand...

That's an option Jamie - although having seen the quality of work from the handle makers on here I was hoping one of them would take it on.
 
Is this the brush you stole from me on the bay?

The only viable option is to turn another, I'm afraid. I'm surprised at aluminium cracking as you describe unless it was already stressed or hair-line fractured. Are the crack surfaces clean, bright metal or already oxidised?

I have two of these 400s on their way so I shall be very careful of butter-fingers.
 
Carl, I've bought so many lately it's hard to tell who I stole them from.:icon_razz:

I think I may have added to the problem when removing the knot - so here's something to beware of when you start renovating the ones you have coming. My method, that was successful before, was to remove the cap and then drill holes throught the wax/adhesive side into the cut-off knot - by drilling enough holes in the centre everything collapses and the pieces can be removed cleanly. With the brush in question, having drilled the holes I used a small electrical screwdriver to lever from the sides and that may have contributed to the problem.

The problem with the Rubberset aluminium brushes is that the threads get exposed to water and a calcium (?) deposit develops which makes it very difficult to separate top from bottom. I used one of those gadgets designed for loosening tops - a rubber strap and handle - so I don't know whether that may also be a potential problem.

Anyway I'm hoping Gaz reads this. and can give his advice on the possibility of turning a replacement.
 
I would also try the JB Weld. I've been a fan of it ever since I repaired a car radiator with it. (Light sanding and a glob of it and it held!)
 
Daz beat me to it - I was just about to post and thank him for doing this for me. Maybe I shouldn't say this but he refused payment and asked that I make a contribution to the forum funds instead.

A fine fellow indeed.

Thanks very much Daz.
 
Got me blushing guys,

No worries Rob glad to kill two birds with one stone, I like seeing people restoring and making things and sometimes I like to help out. Plus it was a chance to practise internal threading on the new lathe so I got something from it as well.
 
Full marks, Daz. What a fella!
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