Tattoo Frame repair

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A friend of mine, asked me to repair a Tattoo frame of his.The threads that hold the handle in place have stripped.It looks like brass but is much harder, and has been milled out of billetWhat rods you guys suggest I use.It's his favourite frame and he's paying me in tats, so I best do a good job   CheersFrom the other side of the pond  Attached Images
Reply:If you can, I would say to rethread the hole with the next size up available , and use a new bolt. If your thread was say 5mm, then go up to 6mm, or maybe 1/4". Or, drill it out, and tap in a heli-coil.If you don't know what grade or type of material, welding on it would be the last thing to do. Does a magnet stick to it?? Is it some hardened aluminum with anodizing on it??And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Agree with Red Devil.  It may not be steel at all.  Heli-coil or use another thread repair insert.  You better do it right or he may tattoo you with the wrong name of your girlfriend!Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:Originally Posted by Rick MoranAgree with Red Devil.  It may not be steel at all.  Heli-coil or use another thread repair insert.  You better do it right or he may tattoo you with the wrong name of your girlfriend!
Reply:there is a chance that it MAY be bronze... brass with a few extra ingeredients for strength and *ahem* durability. obviously, not as high grade as what it was believed to be. i'd say go with the heli-coil... somewhat cheap, probably faster than welding, grinding, drilling and tapping. heli-coils are jsut a drill/ream, tap and thread in... quick and painless.Later,Andy
Reply:Could be billet aluminum as Rojo pointed out...with anodizing. You're not going to know until you run some tests on it - grinder, magnet, etc. Rojo - Brett Michaels had that happen to him - a tat with incorrect spelling. He finally got it corrected during his short stint on TV recently.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:If it is aluminum vs brass, bronze, or steel, the weight should be a dead giveaway.  Aluminum would have been my guess, they try to make tattoo guns as light as possible.
Reply:Funny thing about this thread??? Not one of us has suggested to hit it with a torch, welder of any kind. That tells you....we have screwed some things up in our collective past!!!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Gave a buddy a call, he said most are brass or aluminum.  So again, the weight should be a very easy tipoff, and either way, a helicoil is the way to go.  Stronger than original, and no post-weld dress up.
Reply:There isn't enough metal to helicoil it as that was the first thing that I suggested to him when he called me, but once I took a look, it was straight out the window.It's Bronze or a Brass mix, I built the frame up with SIFPHOSPHOR BRONZE No. 8.It spat like a rabid dog but once I'd finished and took the grinder to it you couldn't see where the billet finished and the Rod started. Just need to get it on the mill now Attached Images
Reply:I was gonna sugest silicon bronze if it was brass.  looks good.
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerthere is a chance that it MAY be bronze... brass with a few extra ingeredients for strength and *ahem* durability. obviously, not as high grade as what it was believed to be. i'd say go with the heli-coil... somewhat cheap, probably faster than welding, grinding, drilling and tapping. heli-coils are jsut a drill/ream, tap and thread in... quick and painless.Later,Andy