Tig Welding a bicycle stem help

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I'm not too sure what this metal is made of.I plan on tig welding it. I'm not sure what the metal is but haven't had a chance to really look at it either.So, my question is, how would you fix it?Thanks guys!HF Special MigReally Old Miller StickMy 4" Cowl Hood Build(pic heavy)
Reply:I would buy a new one. Salvaging stems isn't worth the risk.
Reply:Looks like some steel like 4130. Could be hardened to some degree.Like zank said, ebay a new one.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:If your doing it for money I would just turn it down...if for yourself well.......The rust present makes me think it is just a high alloy carbon.  Put a magnet to it and see if it sticks good.  If so...tig it up with 309/308 SS or ER70s.
Reply:Well, I'm definitely not doing it for money. I'm really doing it for practice. (it's a friends bike and he never rides it anyway) With that being said, I may look at fixing it and give it back and tell him to buy one off of ebay anyway lol.Oh, and unless he buys something aftermarket he will not find this piece anywhere. I did a little search and this bike is from like 1996 or something. Crazy.Thanks for the input!!HF Special MigReally Old Miller StickMy 4" Cowl Hood Build(pic heavy)
Reply:Just curious. Do you know how he broke it?
Reply:Get a new one.  Or you (or your buddy) may be eating this one later.No need for original equipment.  Just measure the ID of the fork tube, the height and length of the offset, and finally the handle bar diameter.  I haven't ordered bike parts in years, but that should be easy and pretty cheap to replace.If the measurements line up, something like this would do it.  About $11.http://www.ebay.com/itm/HL-CORP-Bike...item5afc523c96Last edited by Boostinjdm; 02-21-2014 at 07:43 PM.My name's not Jim....
Reply:You would be better off fabricating a new one from scratch than fixing that one.  My guess would be whatever cheap mild steel they had lying around for the stem and the frame, though it could be something else.As far as the original cause of the break, who knows; though it like had cracked for a while until the crack propagated to the point where the whole thing failed.  I have seen many bike frames and parts where previous owners blissfully ignored cracks that were substantial enough to be noticed by simply riding the bike, let alone inspecting it and seeing a crack through 120 degrees of the tubing.  If you need to practice, practice on something else that has a bit more redundancy than a bicycle.  One reason bikes aren't really made in this country anymore is lawsuits and it's no excuse if he doesn't ride the bike much, since someone else likely will down the line.  That stem should be $5 from a well stocked bike shop that doesn't prescribe to the "it will cost you more to fix it than it's worth" trickery.  Google "bull moose handlebar" for some ideas of older mountainbike bars that were very substantial and stood up well to the rigid bikes that predated suspension.
Reply:Thanks again guys for all of the input. After seeing how cheap these parts can be, I am going to tell him to buy one. I've decided to practice on "more redundant" items (coupons, keychains, etc.)HF Special MigReally Old Miller StickMy 4" Cowl Hood Build(pic heavy)