Metal Epoxy Weld

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

What is the BEST Metal Epoxy anyone has used on a firearm that holds like Tig/Oxy Acet welding/Brazing?
I have a hinge plate that someone cracked on a 1930s German Rifle. I have Tig and Jewlers Oxy Acetylene welding equipment, but this Hinge plate is very thin. I won't weld it and maybe "Braze" it. Would rather use a strong epoxy and grind away any extra to have a good fit when assembled.
Thanks
Len & Jill

 

[dfanonymous]

There's no chemical bond that I know of that is even remotely as strong as a true weld. JB weld original is the the top of its class, but to my point, isn't a metal filling replacement. It doesn't do well with shear force either.
How thin is thin? Thinner than 24 gauge?

 

[mrbb]

here is a good video doing a fair share of tests on the top brands, and pick what you feel is best from it, would be my suggestion
the guy that does testing on things is pretty honest about things, not sponsored by makers or pitching any brands!

well @dfanonymous, you beat me to posting same guy testing, only mine is a newer video LOL

 

[david g ranes]

What is the BEST Metal Epoxy anyone has used on a firearm that holds like Tig/Oxy Acet welding/Brazing?
I have a hinge plate that someone cracked on a 1930s German Rifle. I have Tig and Jewlers Oxy Acetylene welding equipment, but this Hinge plate is very thin. I won't weld it and maybe "Braze" it. Would rather use a strong epoxy and grind away any extra to have a good fit when assembled.
Thanks
Len & Jill

Look into devcon products when I worked in the oil field we had a welder machinest that would build up pump faces and shafts with steel and bronze devcon and would turn it on a lathe I bet you could find some that will work. David

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

There's no chemical bond that I know of that is even remotely as strong as a true weld. JB weld original is the the top of its class, but to my point, isn't a metal filling replacement. It doesn't do well with shear force either.
How thin is thin? Thinner than 24 gauge?

At one time I was ranked the #1 Welder at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division. Yes that was many years ago . May SPOT TIG. Now can Oxy Acetylene with a Jewelers Torch with Silver Braze. Want to do something without too much heat. The part of the Floor Plate is not load bearing, but where it connects to the mag box and bolt to the stock.
Will try JB, but want to keep it on the original side so may weld.
Whenever I finish will post pictures. This rifle is a German Mauser 8mm Sniper Rifle with double set triggers, Intergrated fixed Power Scope, all parts matching SS# and the German Eagle. Manufactured before WWII. May have been in the WWII. A Priest got the rifle after the WWII being a Missionary and had it "Sporterized" with a Hunting Wood Stock. He liked to hunt! I also got a NEW NOT USED M1 Grand Sniper Scope from WWII still in the original box and packing paper.
At some point I need to sell them. With Brandon taking over we have lost over 30% of our IRA and 401k this past year.

 

[cohunt]

As far as selling goes, a sporterized rifle takes away a ton of value unfortunately

I'd try brazing, but anything you do to it also takes away value especially when it comes to "patina"

I've seen some auctions for k98's 97% condition SS nazi numbers matching rifles with double claw mount scopes go for $30k-- and I've seen sporterized stock versions go for around $1k--- it's all about original condition and what a collector is willing to pay. Good luck with the sale- I hope you can be a lucky seller.

 

[Wedgy]

Post pictures of the repair when you decide what route you arte going to take.
I love the Project Farm videos !

 

[nksmfamjp]

Are you able to get your TIG set for metal that thin? That should work based on my previous experience, but no way I could do it now!

You definitely need a practice piece!

 

[manitou]

Take it to a good body shop Len. Those guys weld sheet metal for a living.

 

[dennisinaz]

The highest strength hardware store epoxy is Gorlla-43000 psi. I would try to silver braze it.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

As far as selling goes, a sporterized rifle takes away a ton of value unfortunately

I'd try brazing, but anything you do to it also takes away value especially when it comes to "patina"

I've seen some auctions for k98's 97% condition SS nazi numbers matching rifles with double claw mount scopes go for $30k-- and I've seen sporterized stock versions go for around $1k--- it's all about original condition and what a collector is willing to pay. Good luck with the sale- I hope you can be a lucky seller.

YEP
Just need to take the sporterixzed stock off and put on a dissent piece of wood from the 98 Mauser with the Claw Type Scope= back up to $30K

 

[Bob Wright]

Would be nice if it was a common issue part on a 98. Maybe Numrich stocks it?

 

[skipglo]

At one time I was ranked the #1 Welder at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division. Yes that was many years ago . May SPOT TIG. Now can Oxy Acetylene with a Jewelers Torch with Silver Braze. Want to do something without too much heat. The part of the Floor Plate is not load bearing, but where it connects to the mag box and bolt to the stock.
Will try JB, but want to keep it on the original side so may weld.
Whenever I finish will post pictures. This rifle is a German Mauser 8mm Sniper Rifle with double set triggers, Intergrated fixed Power Scope, all parts matching SS# and the German Eagle. Manufactured before WWII. May have been in the WWII. A Priest got the rifle after the WWII being a Missionary and had it "Sporterized" with a Hunting Wood Stock. He liked to hunt! I also got a NEW NOT USED M1 Grand Sniper Scope from WWII still in the original box and packing paper.
At some point I need to sell them. With Brandon taking over we have lost over 30% of our IRA and 401k this past year.

Why not just silver solder it! Not every welder can Tig or has, But if you were No.1 welder before in an electrical division...you should be just about able to Tig 2 pieces of Tin foil together!

 

[ntsqd]

I'd look into Miller-Stephenson 907. Unlike Devcon (which I like and use extensively) it is made to do what you need to do, bond metal together, in this case, aircraft parts.

The problem that you're going to run into no matter what bonding agent you use is not a lot of surface area. All these bonding agents have their strengths reported as "psi", pounds force divided by area. A large bonding area is crucial to success. If you can do something like bond a thin strip on the hidden side across the break you'll gain a tremendous amount of strength.

I'm guessing that the broken part has the s/n stamped in it, too. Even if a replacement was available, it wouldn't work for that reason.

I wouldn't expect a welder with extensive experience in Dual-Shield welding (my guess as to the process used on submarines) to know the first thing about GTAW. They might have been exposed to GTAW way back in welding school, but that doesn't make them experts in the process some 25-40 years later. To a certain point, welding is welding, but each process has it's own tricks and nuances that have to be learned by doing.