Tburke4@aol.com wrote:
>
> While it's often stated that the only way to stop rust is to cut out the
> affected portion of the car and weld in a replacement section, it seems to me
> that I've heard that the welding process would destroy the temper of the
> surrounding metal, making it more likely to rust sooner.
Well the thing about heat is, depending on how hot you get the metal
and how quickly you cool it to room temp, you'll get different crystal
structures. I can well believe that one structure might allow
atmospheric oxygen molecules "better" access to the iron atoms, than
some other structure. But don't ask me which.
It's a trueism among gun nuts that hardened steel rusts more slowly
(or at least it's slower to start) than the same piece of steel at a
softer temper. I've always thought it was because hard steel takes a
finer polish, but maybe it's crystal structure instead.
--
Douglas Frank Compaq Computer Corp.
ZKO 110 Spit Brook Rd. The older I get,
603-884-0501 Nashua, NH USA 03062 the better I was.
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