Marine Metal Restoration.

[pipefitter]

Or something like that. Every so often, somebody brings something in, a little off the wall and the same can be said for the solution. A steel part rusted beyond salvage and they want it reproduced in aluminum. I suggested stainless but oh well, aluminum it is. It was a novel little project at least and I made a few extra bucks after hours. Wet exhaust fitting for some sort of boat. I/O I'm thinking.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300060.jpg

Oddball sized pipe that doesn't match any of the sched 40 in our shop so I cut a 1½" ring from a piece of 5", annealed it with the mapp torch and a quench and set up this crude mandral to massage it into a round after I welded up the seam.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300062.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300063.jpg

Cut out the baseplate shape and drilled the bolt holes. It was easier for me to cut through the pattern and cut the innards out with the bandsaw than it would have been to drill a series of holes and then die grind it to the line. The seam will be welded along with the rest of the part as it becomes hot enough to get through penetration here without having to bevel the gap or make it excessively large.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300064.jpg

[pipefitter]

The ring will be tacked in place first, which will lock in the baseplate as it is meant to be shaped. If I had welded the gap seam first, there is the possibility of it shrinking the bolt pattern.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300065.jpg

A bevel is ground on the flush side of the fitting. This is the home stretch of the weld, where the resultant heat will allow thorough penetration here instead of having to hold the heat in one place too long.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300066.jpg

Here it is welded up. Plate didn't shrink, seam in plate welded through, good penetration throughout and it is now one. I need to call tomorrow and see if he wants a hose barb added. The original piece looks like it may have had one but I want to make sure in case the hose is a very tight fit.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300068.jpg

Flush side with the bevel filled.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l309/tigmaster/P7300070.jpg

Baseplate still needs the seam weld sanded off but will get to that tomorrow. Also, top of the fitting will get trued as well but thats a few minute operation. Good way to start the day with something easy.

[PeterSibley]

Cool ,I could do that in steel but aluminium is another game all together .I'd probably have done the big hole with a 4 jaw on the lathe ...but only cos it was steel .

Pipes , you do great work .More photos and instruction anytime ...........please !:)

[pipefitter]

It was a budget job too. We have a milling machine that would have made real nice work of the plate, including end milled holes for the bolts/washers but I really didn't feel like setting it up for one piece. As it was, I left the square sided hole fat on the line so I could blend it from the inside with the torch. It's within finishing specs if he wanted to opt for a more trick factory finished part but then I end up getting carried away and one thing leads to another with some final laps on the rouge wheel. It would be a shame if all the rest of the fittings follow the condition of the original with this mirror finished part amongst them. I really have to make myself stop at some point and just walk away before I put the touch to it. If it had been stainless or even billet stock, there is no telling what we would have ended up with. :D It would have been nice had he brought the gasket for a friction free interior.

Anyone can feel free to add some of their own work to one of my threads anytime they please. It's all good.

[PeterSibley]

You're joking mate ! I'm a carpenter who can weld ! :D Not the other way 'round .

[pipefitter]

You're joking mate ! I'm a carpenter who can weld ! :D Not the other way 'round .

I started out as a carpenter but all my projects of interest ended up being metal. After getting too many unsatisfactory welding results from hiring it out, I went to school for it and low and behold I ended well up in it and on boats of all things. Funny how that works out, eh?

I thought you did metal castings or something like that. I know there is some here that dabble in metals. Bigfella has shown some fuel tanks and what not.

[PeterSibley]

Yeah I do bronze casting and patternmaking ....I went to class to learn how ,sat with the 17 year old apprentices and learned from them too .I learned to weld when I decided to build a horizontal bandmill about 20 years ago .A big project when you know zip about any of it, welding ,hydraulics ,blade theory .It took a while but I got it right in the end .It would cut a 1/8" thick board 16" wide at 20 feet per minute !:)

There is a thread up in building with photos of my pattern and castings .

[Bill R]

Very, very cool.

Every time I begin to think my welding skills are becoming passable, you go and post something like this.... sheesh. Raised the bar yet again...

[Tylerdurden]

I have to agree on the stainless part. For a quick fix you have it and as its an exhaust riser fitting on a stinkpot its more than a reasonable repair.:D

I would like to see how it performs slammed next to something less noble:eek:

[pila]

Nice job! Your welding looks like you have done it a few times:D The owner needs a good gasket to keep the electrolysis out of the mating surface.