Experience fixing broken handles

I have a 1944 16CY that had one of the cylindrical bosses on a gear-box selector handle broken off. I attempted to TIG braze it back on. The attempt was "successful" in that the parts are stuck together but it isn't pretty. It seemed like the difference between the base metal melting point and the Silicon Bronze brazing rod was either too small or beyond my skill. Even at 40A the base metal was melting. I think one mistake was that I used too large of a rod at 3/32".

Some of the other handles have had repair jobs before and the results look about as terrible as my own efforts. I'm curious if anyone else has tried other methods on WWII-era Monarchs and what the results were.

Brazing material: ERCuSi-A 3/32"
Welder: Scrach-start DCEN #8 cup with 20 CFM 100% Argon
Amps: 38-60A

Just get out a file and make it pretty.

Superbowl said:

Just get out a file and make it pretty.

Click to expand...

A grinder and paint,
can make a welder,
something he ain't!

FWIW

I've patched up handles and after a bit of grinder and paint you'd never know That said, I've not had great luck with Si Bronze, better luck with Al-Bronze running AC, per Jody at "welding tips and tricks"

Really great success on cast "mystery iron" with DC tig and ENi-99
For cast steel, rather than cast iron, Rockmont "tartan-tig".

More common sense will never be uttered.

I keep mine in the medicine chest.

Smaller filler would help. TIG welding is kind of counter intuitive in that running the machine at low amps and welding slowly actually heats the base metal up more than running at higher amps and moving faster. I would run 1/16 aluma bronze on AC as was suggested and set the machine at around 150amps. Of course my machine lives at 150 amps unless I am doing something really big, really small, or aluminum.

There you go, that's the problem. Take care of business first, then don't look in the mirror - unless - the whole house is gagging, in which case you may take a glimpse (with a bit of pride and a knowing grin) because an impressive load renders the mirror ineffective to the reptilian brain, which has primacy over the mammalian eyelid diving reflex. Remember, the brain is briefly immunized due to the stench but just in case, it's OK to breath through your mouth. Finally, and out of mere curiosity since you've admitted neglecting the minefields, have you established good fields of fire to compensate?

When I ham fistedly broke the back gear selector fork, nice clean break, I just used silver solder with a propane torch. Not sure what grade but the iron has to be a dull red to melt it. The silver braze wicked beautifully into the break and on cleanup you could only just see the shiny joint line.

The trickiest bit was fixturing the broken parts.

10 years on it's still intact.

Earl Sigurd . . . proof its in the pudding, because 10-years on it's still working. Good tip on dull red and it wicks in. Hope I never find out for myself.

thermite . . . you're older than me because they quit draft registration a few months before I turned 15. Dad served WWII, Korea, Vietnam and retired as Command Sergeant Major of the 193rd (Panama). I think my Mom voted for McGovern in '72 because of his position on ending the war. No surprise, she did 'not' want me in the military (I was ROTC in high school because I would have been proud to serve). College afterward, degree in engineering, marriage, etc. and only gained an interest in machining later in life. Took to it like a duck to water and will go to my grave believing nobody should graduate high school, much less college if they can't turn a bushing, frame a wall, lay a course of bricks, vacuum down a compressor and charge it, wire an electrical panel, troubleshoot a circuit, as well as solve quadratic equations, calculate a parabolic trajectory, plot its cousin, the catenary curve, compose a couplet, haiku, sing, and play an instrument, having a passing knowledge of the classics, do 100 pushups, swim a mile, handle small arms, and pass a foreign language exam. And the top 10% may apply for college. I vote Republican (paying quarterly taxes) and have not taken a nickle of CARES money. Add to it, I am perfectly willing for my property taxes to go up to fund better schools if these are the goals. What I hate politically, both sides, is the sheer waste of our human capital. If I managed my business the way government manages the human assets of this great nation I should be taken out back and flogged. Not with a wet noodle.

I've learned one thing that applies to brazing Monarch cast parts: do not use flux-coated rod and expect it to do the job. I have had success using standard Victor general brazing borax flux, applied liberally. This is a yellow borax flux. I've had good luck brazing with silicon bronze rod, e.g. Uniweld 1800fc rod.

thermite . . . lots left off the list but you grok the concept, definitely.

. . . I'm going to type it up nicely in illustrator and print and laminate for my own wall.
--
A damn fool engineer

Enjoyed the caricatures - obviously by a guy who experienced 'all' the military had to offer! Hoped to find one with the Pershing quote. No joy. Fun to review, nevertheless.

I noticed in university the guys, a few years older than me, who seemingly did everything right, got the best grades, were more 'serious' about things. Every one of them was former military. Just one tour, maybe two hitches but men amongst boys. Obviously different from the rest of us. Basically, I agree with your assessment. Do your service, become a man, 'then' go to college if that's your druthers is the best approach to life for the vast majority of humans (men and women, both). Son-in-law is Navy, about 15 years in, remains a work in progress. Becoming valuable to the team. They slough off those who aren't the right fit before they make it to 20 years. Unknown whether he makes it, but nevertheless, he's a good egg. I urge him to go career instead of focusing on 20 years. Gets him to 40 years service and less than 60 years old. A real asset to the Navy. We'll see.

I encourage son-in-law to go to every school they offer. He likes cross training (learning the job of others on the team), which i also encourage. Smart fellow, learning to be a better team mate. He'll do OK on civvy street.

The unfortunate thing is he lacks the self-starter bone. I could no more turn over the business to him than the man on the moon. No curiosity. Saddens me - but - he has sired two beautiful sons and both seem to love being in the shop and have curiosity. First toy? I gave each 1/2-13 nut and bolt when they were about two and in the touchy-feely stage (almost 4 & 7 now). Oldest doesn't like getting dirty but is smart as a whip. youngest revels in dirt and getting his hands on everything. My goal? Make it another 25-30 years so I can give it to one of them (daughter would sell at first opportunity to buy something, maybe a new Porsche SUV or the like - she never really grokked the goose and golden egg story). Anyway, family. Love them all in their own ways. What's this got to do with repairing a handle? Nothing, of course, and everything. I'm hoping the boys, either or both will turn out to be the sorts who will endeavor to repair the handle. And yes, I'll encourage both to do a hitch before college and won't loose any sleep if either (or both) take to it like a duck to water.

if it is cast i use nickel 99. preheat to 400degrees. cool slowly by putting a towel over it