Question 1963 Galaxy Latch (Weldable?)

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For the pro's!Here is a borken Latch from an old model ford galaxy.  Not too sure of what "Pot" Metal is but it seems to be that.  I used a x-ray Niton gun to get the chemical makeup of it.  here are the readings:w (Tungsten) 5.20Hf (Hafnum) 18.12Ni (Nickel) 72.65Cr (Chromium) 3.76Can this latch be welded?  if so what method of welding?thanks again!!
Reply:I would atemp to braze it first, or TIG with silocone bronze filler.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Where does that latch go?. I had a 63 1/2 XL500 "R" 427 4 speed and don't remember that one unless yours is a conv...BobBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Originally Posted by TozziWeldingI would atemp to braze it first, or TIG with silocone bronze filler.
Reply:Originally Posted by aametalmasterWhere does that latch go?. I had a 63 1/2 XL500 "R" 427 4 speed and don't remember that one unless yours is a conv...Bob
Reply:Does it make any sparks at all if you grind it?I've done "pot metal"...It's not easy..But can be done..I used A/C Tig with 5356 filler..It wasn't easy......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:He could buy that latch for under 100.00. I think '60 to '64 fits.If it's not worth that, maybe he'll sell you the old car.
Reply:That's not pot metal.  With that much (expensive) metal in it, that is a nickel alloy."pot metal" usually refers to a zinc-alloy casting, and often not a very high-quality one.
Reply:Then I'd use 309 stainless on it.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Zap has the idea 309 or 312SS
Reply:I too would try stainless. If it has that much nickel and chrome in it there should be no problem. A mig would be perfect. Clamp it on a piece of copper and fill it in...BobBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:All-Thanks!I will give it a go.been very helpful!
Reply:My question is how do you have a "x-ray Niton gun"  And why no one asked this question.
Reply:Originally Posted by partagasMy question is how do you have a "x-ray Niton gun"  And why no one asked this question.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepI didn't dare question a person who has one! But since you kicked the dog; I wondered if the analysis was picking up the plating.
Reply:LOL, well I work for a top Biotech company, we use them to validate the various new 316SS and 276 Hastelloy vessels we receive.  FDA is absolutely strict when is comes to storing product in these containers.
Reply:Tungsten, hafnium (misspelling in original post), and chromium plus a majority of nickel -shouldn't- be a plating.  Plating should come out as mostly pure nickel.  Or nickel with a thin overplate of chromium.  And nickel plating is often (not always) done over a base plating of copper, with the chromium optionally done on top of the nickel.No mention of aluminum or zinc in the analysis, which should show up in most 'pot metal' castings.Also no mention by the OP that the latch looks plated.  I hope that someone with an x-ray Niton gun to verify metal alloys in an NDT manner would notice and not be fooled by a plating.And that odd-ball hafnium?  Nothing else percentage-wise fits.  Hafnium is a common elemental contaminant with zirconium, they are hard to separate from one another.Plus tungsten?  And some chromium?  That's almost in the Inconel/Hastelloy/Stellite family of alloys.  Almost.  And no car manufacturer that I know of uses a nickel-based super alloy for a convertible latch.?????Is the broken latch section magnetic?  If the latch body -is- 72% nickel it should be magnetic.And do you have the broken-off piece of the latch to reattach, or are you trying to totally build-up the broken area?
Reply:Originally Posted by Joe HBINGO! I was thinking the same thing. That broken section doesn't look like nickel alloy to me. It looks like nickel-plated pot metal.
Reply:I took into consideration that its plated.  I agree it looks like "Pot Metal"  I shot it a few more times and it came up with the same chemical makeup but the percentages changed slightly each time.So the question is what is the chemical makeup of pot metal?  or is pot metal just a mix of crap metals with no real template formula?anyways thanks for the tip and extra info.I will make him buy a new one if he can find it-haha
Reply:That alloy analysis doesn't make any sense at all, something is wrong.
Reply:Pot metal is usually some low-cost (relatively) alloy of zinc, aluminum, or some combination there-of, with maybe some other metals in the mix as well.  Maybe some silicon in there for casting flow.  One 'pot metal' is Zamak, which is 96-4 Zn-Al.  Zamak is actually pretty high-end as pot metal goes.I think I said that the alloy results from the Niton don't make sense.And you can usually find a replacement latch for less than the aggravation of trying to repair that broken one will run you.