Infill Casting Project

[AndyT]

Ouch! That's a real shame.

In addition to the welding option, two other possibilities spring to mind.

You could fix on a splint, like this rather old No 4 smoother of mine- it's just tapped and screwed.

Or you could start again.

I spotted this part completed infill project in the window at Bristol Design for only £35

 

[jimi43]

Hi Harry

That is most unfortunate but what is vital is that you have shared this disaster with all here...because it is a reality...it does happen and cast is far more fragile than first meets the eye.

By posting this you have at least prevented others from making the same error in the future which is extremely valuable.

Unfortunately that doesn't help your situation and I have to say that whatever you do..even if you were to take the expensive route and get it welded...it will not be invisible and sadly the place that this has occurred only makes it worse.

You can't even grind what's left to make something suitable in profile.

My conclusion has to be that you have to put this down to experience and scrap it.

Sorry!

Jimi

 

[Racers]

It's a shame that has happened I guess it was old and brittle.

You could make a dovetailed body to fit your infils ;-)

Pete

 

[dickm]

Worth trying to braze the joint? Certainly wouldn't be invisible, but with a big propane torch on a hearth, it should be within non-specialist capabilities?
And if the OP can weld anyway, surely worth a pack of cast rods (or beg two or three from a local engineering shop) to have a try at welding the casting? With care, a remarkably good job can be done. Someone did a good enough repair to con me into buying what appeared to be a nice old low-knob Stanley . Only found the weld after getting it home.

 

[JIJ]

What a shame, Harry. You must be gutted. Sounds like it's time to pick up another casting and have another go.
Don't give up.

James

 

[HarryJ]

Mr P,
I'm not sure about scrapping it as it is my first infill project, and despite it only being a casting at the end of the day, I like it!
Maybe I'll put it somewhere prominent in my workshop and keep it as a reminder

If there is a member here who can be persuaded to sort it for beer tokens, that would be great, and thank you for starting the topic in Metalworking.

Another infill plane would definitely be nice, and a brass one could be nice! That Bristol Designs Plane is nice after all...
Do I detect a, all be it slightly tarnished, silver lining?! :?

Andy,
Thanks for the image, it seems familiar! I think I must have seen it when I was looking for possible solutions.
I think the conclusion I came to with this method is that due to the position of the break, there is little height for a splint, so there would be reasonable leverage on the screws in use (?), which might cause them to crack out again? But I don't know for sure, so it remains a possibility!

The part completed infill does look very interesting, but it would mean a trip to Bristol Designs, which although not out of the way, must still be an hour and a half drive from me?!


Jimi,
If I did have it welded, you're right in that it certainly will not be invisible, as rarely welds truly are, but even less so on cast as I think the weld is a different colour anyway?!

I hadn't thought about grinding a new profile into it, but as you rightly say anyway, there simply isn't enough left for anything suitable.

Its looking more like it will have to become scrap...

Pete,
I do like an easy option I must say!! :lol: On a serious note though, it seems like a lot of work! Especially when I can't claim experience in having done dovetails in metal either! I would definitely like to have a go though! Maybe some parallel shapes first rather that this though as the back of the plane seems like a challenge for dovetails :shock:

Dick M,
I've done a little brazing, but it must have been 3 or 4 years ago now and that was on a model I made that had a small piece of sheet steel in it, -the heat sink that the sheet steel created meant it took me ages (must have been close to an hour) and took two brazing torches to heat the model up enough to melt the braze.
But it must be worth a try

Unlucky with the Stanley though, hope it wasn't too expensive!

Now, to find that local engineering shop...


James,
I really am, but I think you're right though, it might be time to get another one and re try



Thanks again,
Harry

 

[Bedrock]

Harry
You have my sympathy. These things are so easy to do. Thankfully a wooden workshop floor has saved me on more then one occasion.
Thinking about this, would it not be possible to salvage at least the sole by cutting/grinding down both sides to the level of the top edge of the break, and to make up side plates to be held in place with countersunk bolts, similar to Karl Holtey's recent designs? I don't have much experience with drilling and countersinking into cast iron, but others will be able to give you good advice.
Your infills would need to be rebated to allow for the step at the base of the inside of the sidewalls, but, as you have a casting which has a vertical component to the heel and toe, you should be able to dress your infills to cover over the join.
It depends on what facilities you have in your workshop, but the sideplates can be made in mild steel, gauge plate or brass. Pin the sides together first for accurate drilling and shaping. The side profile can be achieved by chain drilling, sawing then drum sanding/filing to finish. There is also a process of cutting by I think very high pressure water jet which might be available to you locally, if you don't feel up to the chain drilling. That or laser cutting.
You will need then to accurately position and hold the new side plates at right angle to the sole, and drill through for the side plate fixing bolts. Countersinking as you go along is better in my experience to maintain accuracy.

Hope this makes sense.
Mike

 

[HarryJ]

Thanks Mike, unfortunately after having thought about the suggestion of saving the sole for some while, I think it may snap if it was just a sole because the mouth leaves only the side thickness of about 3mm to connect the front and rear of the sole and without the sides, as you can imaging, there would be very little strength left.

At the time of breaking it I also thought about attaching a piece on the inside and fixing the side back onto this, but I think I came to the conclusion that it would flex still and may lead to the handle moving...??

Locally to me, is unfortunately, not much...

Many thanks for the suggestions though, I'll keep them stored away for the future when I may decide to try and fix this as I don't like to leave things unfinished...
For now though, whilst I mull this over (for a few years probably! :lol: ) I've got my newly bought casting to keep me going.

Thanks again,
Harry

 

[Bedrock]

Harry
What thickness is the sole? Also, you wouldn't need to cut the sides down to the lowest point of the break, so that could still leave you with enough of a vertical to get a decent fix. As soon as you have a good fix for the side plates, the sole should be supported.
There are high performance adhesives available for gluing metals, which might help, but I have no experience of these.
Mike

 

[HarryJ]

The sole is 5/6mm thick (It varies slightly due to the uneven internal finish)

I have never used metal edhesives wither, so that would have to be a test run as well!

Thanks,
Harry

 

[wallace]

I had a lovely old cast planer knife gauge arrive in the post broken. To fix it I tried a metal adhesive and it has held up. Because it is cast the break does not deform and it can be put back together really well. I have welded cast with my mig a few times with good success. The part has to be preheated before welding and then the cool down has to be really slow to stop thermal cracking

 

[Wildman]

Why not try a full size splint to the original shape and silver solder it on, just a thought.

 

[HarryJ]

Today, as I was in the workshop for a little bit, I took the plane body down with me and used some epoxy to glue the pieces back together and as you say Wallace, being it is cast, there is virtually no deformation before fracture making aligning the pieces easy to do. Clamping was quite easy as well.

Although I am not totally convinced this will work on its own, I think I may eventually get round to fitting some sort of splint to it... weather it will be a full size splint as you suggest Wildman, I don't know if I have the skill for that but I might give it a go!?

For now though, I think I'll leave the epoxy to harden.

Thanks again,
Harry