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Can 66 Sat top of fender trim split be aluminum welded?

AR67GTX

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On the search for a right front fender top piece of trim for my 66 Satellite which will apparently take awhile.

The trim appears to have been bumped up by the turn signal bezel that apparently cracked and split it along the top about an inch and half to two inches. It was all squeezed together (no gap or crimp in the aluminum) and isn't readily apparent except for one side has an outward dent apparently from the front retaining clip when it was bumped off to the side.

Question - can a trim restoration shop successfully weld this light weight aluminum trim successfully? If so that may be a lot easier than finding another good one.
 
Old aluminum is very difficult to weld even with a TIG welder.
I would guess no.
 
It’s probably not aluminum it’s what they called pot metal
It can’t be welded
Might be able to braze it but you can’t let it get too hot
Maybe some solder or lead if you can find someone with some experience with that
 
It’s probably not aluminum it’s what they called pot metal
It can’t be welded
Might be able to braze it but you can’t let it get too hot
Maybe some solder or lead if you can find someone with some experience with that
It's aluminum for the trim. The fender turn signals are chromed pot metal.
 
I can’t tell the difference but you will find out when you try to rig it
 
ok the taillight extensions on my runner are pretty thick i'm not familiar with those
 
ok the taillight extensions on my runner are pretty thick i'm not familiar with those
20171109_094544.jpg

Top of fender trim.
 
Get a junk piece for a welder to try it. He won't get a second try on your piece if he's wrong.
 
Well, I think ultimately the question will need to be answered by a trim restoration business. I doubt most commercial welding shops would be equipped or willing to try it. Rather than calling or emailing a bunch of trim shops, I thought I would fish around here a little in hopes someone might have had similar experience with such work which could indicate if it’s feasible. And maybe even a place that could do it. I’ve actually stripped, repaired and polished a fair amount of aluminum trim but I haven’t run into a piece split like this before.
 
Pot metal can be welded, I have seen it done. The welder took a similar part, melted a chunk, and poured it into a piece of angle iron to create a welding rod. He then used a TIG rig to weld it up, with a Lincoln SA200 gas welder no less. Working on a lignite gasification plant, he made a number of TIG root passes on stainless pipe that were 1/64th of an inch across.
He claimed he could weld anything except a broken heart or the crack of doom. I challenged him and he welded that scrap pot metal to his 1/2 plate steel work bench. I had to pound with a hammer for a while to make it come loose. I thought it would pop right off, but it didn't.
The thing about pot metal is the mix in the pot is different every day. Difficult, often not successful, but it is possible.
 
Welding really thin aluminum isn't easy. But check out aluminum solder. They fix a hole in a Pepsi can in this video.


ps. I've used aluminum solder to patch a hole that was worn through an air conditioning line.
 
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soldering sounds easier?
welding thin metal is a matter of scale.
You would need a really small diameter tungsten electrode about the thickness of the aluminum trim (0.020"?), and a tig that can be set to a pretty low amperage like 15 amps?
 
Welding really thin aluminum isn't easy. But check out aluminum solder. They fix a hole in a Pepsi can in this video.


ps. I've used aluminum solder to patch a hole that was worn through an air conditioning line.


Seen the same basic stuff at a swap meet, guy selling was fixing soda, beer cans and selling rod.
Keep searching OP, that aluminum rod is available.
 
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