Please see the following links:
http://www.muggyweld.com/potmetal.html
http://www.chromeplus.com/service.htm
http://www.nu-chrome.com/
I did a search in Google for "pot metal repair and restoration"
No connection, just passing on what I found.
Kindest regards
Tom
Tom McCay AH3000 MkIII BJ8, MG MGA 1600
Classic-Car-World Ltd
Tel: 01522 888178
Fax: 0870 7059115
E-mail: enquiries@classic-car-world.co.uk
URL: http://www.classic-car-world.co.uk
Now offering quality Sealey tools at discount prices, see
www.ccw-tools.co.uk for further details.
----- Original Message -----
From: <CNAArndt@aol.com>
To: <Alan@nfahc.co.uk>
Cc: <healeys@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: 'Monkey Metal'
> Alan,
>
> Once again I have to refer back to my old metal man Charlie Hall of
> Tucson,
> Arizona.
>
> Charlie taught me that pot metal, once corroded can be extremely difficult
> and expensive to repair. Those little pits that you see in the surface
> can turn
> into very large craters once the part is stripped of its chrome. Once
> this
> is discovered the process to fill and repair the pits can quickly exceed
> the
> value of economical repair. One process involves multiple layers of
> copper and
> a lot of filling and buffing which is labor intensive - read expensive!
>
> Pot metal is great for the manufacturer since it is cheap to produce and
> in
> its original cast state polishes and chromes up beautifully. The problem
> is,
> is that our cars were not meant to last 50 years and then be restored.
> Brass
> would have been a better but much more expensive option as the base metal
> for
> the originals which is probably why quite a number of the quality
> reproduction
> parts are now cast in brass versus pot metal e.g., the boot hinges and the
> early door strikers.
>
> I once took a rather large section of a Packard Grill to Charlie for
> repair
> and after it was all said and done, he said that we would have been money
> ahead
> to have recast the pieces in brass, discarding the originals. This being
> said, the bottom line is to fine an expert chrome shop that specializes in
> pot
> metal repair, they're out there so find a good shop and then leave it to
> the
> professionals.
>
> I believe that I've seen an advertisement in one of the British car
> magazines
> for a shop in England that specializes in pot metal repair and
> restoration.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Curt Arndt - AH Concours Committee
> Carlsbad, CA
> '55 BN1, '60 AN5 :{)
>
>
> In a message dated 11/25/04 9:41:58 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> Alan@nfahc.co.uk writes:
>
> << Hi folks.
> I have the correct locking door handle for the left side of my Longbridge
> BN4. Not surprisingly it has a number of small circular 'pit' marks
> through
> the chrome and into the underlying base metal. The handle and body appear
> to be made of 'pot' or 'monkey' metal which I believe is unsuitable for
> brazing (low melting point?).
>
> Does anyone have a method for restoring the surface of the metal before it
> is re-chromed?
>
> If you guys haven't worked out a method I guess it can't be done ;^{
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