Not exactly a model one. Sorry, but a neighbour of mine has broken a
Garden fork tine, spike, whatever, off. and he is desperate to get it
repaired, as it belonged to his father.  It is an end piece and has
broken on the right angle bend.  The break surface looks a bit like
cast iron, but I doubt that it is, as in trying to straighten it a
bit, it is very springy and strong.

I wonder if any repair is going to be successful.  What sort of
procedure would you august members attempt? I can do gas, mig, and
stick, but I am tempted to go to the nearest car boot, buy another
similar fork and do a quick grind over that corner and pretend I am a
bl**dy genius.

Any ideas please.   Regards George.

On 1 Nov, 15:28, George  wrote:
> Not exactly a model one. Sorry, but a neighbour of mine has broken a
> Garden fork tine, spike, whatever, off. and he is desperate to get it
> repaired, as it belonged to his father.  It is an end piece and has
> broken on the right angle bend.  The break surface looks a bit like
> cast iron, but I doubt that it is, as in trying to straighten it a
> bit, it is very springy and strong.
>
> I wonder if any repair is going to be successful.  What sort of
> procedure would you august members attempt? I can do gas, mig, and
> stick, but I am tempted to go to the nearest car boot, buy another
> similar fork and do a quick grind over that corner and pretend I am a
> bl**dy genius.
>
> Any ideas please.   Regards George.


Your a bloody genius <g>

John s.

George wrote:
> Not exactly a model one. Sorry, but a neighbour of mine has broken a
> Garden fork tine, spike, whatever, off. and he is desperate to get it
> repaired, as it belonged to his father.  It is an end piece and has
> broken on the right angle bend.  The break surface looks a bit like
> cast iron, but I doubt that it is, as in trying to straighten it a
> bit, it is very springy and strong.
> 
> I wonder if any repair is going to be successful.  What sort of
> procedure would you august members attempt? I can do gas, mig, and
> stick, but I am tempted to go to the nearest car boot, buy another
> similar fork and do a quick grind over that corner and pretend I am a
> bl**dy genius.
> 
> Any ideas please.   Regards George.
> 

I would go with stick welding it.

You would be lucky to get it as strong as originally (if you could
weld that well, you wouldn't need to ask :.)  )

grind out a Vee all the way round, clamp it up as perfectly as you can,
weld it up, then grind smooth.

THEN:
tell him to buy another fork to actually use - cos it will only break again.


-- 
bigegg

bigegg wrote:
> George wrote:
>> Not exactly a model one. Sorry, but a neighbour of mine has broken a
>> Garden fork tine, spike, whatever, off. and he is desperate to get it
>> repaired, as it belonged to his father.  It is an end piece and has
>> broken on the right angle bend.  The break surface looks a bit like
>> cast iron, but I doubt that it is, as in trying to straighten it a
>> bit, it is very springy and strong.
>>
>> I wonder if any repair is going to be successful.  What sort of
>> procedure would you august members attempt? I can do gas, mig, and
>> stick, but I am tempted to go to the nearest car boot, buy another
>> similar fork and do a quick grind over that corner and pretend I am a
>> bl**dy genius.
>>
>> Any ideas please.   Regards George.
>>
> 
> I would go with stick welding it.
> 
> You would be lucky to get it as strong as originally (if you could
> weld that well, you wouldn't need to ask :.)  )
> 
> grind out a Vee all the way round, clamp it up as perfectly as you can,
> weld it up, then grind smooth.
> 
> THEN:
> tell him to buy another fork to actually use - cos it will only break again.
> 
> 


Eutectic 680 (680ss?)electrode - a high nickel rod for disimilar metals 
- you know the blue ones that cost a fortune!  Any rod for disimilar 
metals would do.

arc or tig the joint, might preheat first to reduce the chill on the 
weld area, let it cool naturally and it should be ok.

The joint will be a bit soft and should bend the next time he tries to 
use it to lever out a 2 inch diameter tree root, but for ordinary 
digging it should be ok

Another idea might be to drill and thread the inside of both parts,
then insert a rod. If thhis is more of an heirloom and he is not
intendingto use it, I would simply rod weld it

djandersonza wrote:
> Another idea might be to drill and thread the inside of both parts,
> then insert a rod. If thhis is more of an heirloom and he is not
> intendingto use it, I would simply rod weld it


problem is that you have no idea what the composition of the fork is 
(apart from it is definitely not ild steel) and  if you just splat it 
together with a bog standard mild steel rod it will - quite likely fail 
as it cools or when you give it a good tug - just to see if it really is 
attached.  The weld itself will be fine but the joint will fail along 
the weld boundary.

On 3 Nov, 10:40, Dudley Simons  wrote:
> djandersonza wrote:
> > Another idea might be to drill and thread the inside of both parts,
> > then insert a rod. If thhis is more of an heirloom and he is not
> > intendingto use it, I would simply rod weld it
>
> problem is that you have no idea what the composition of the fork is
> (apart from it is definitely not ild steel) and  if you just splat it
> together with a bog standard mild steel rod it will - quite likely fail
> as it cools or when you give it a good tug - just to see if it really is
> attached.  The weld itself will be fine but the joint will fail along
> the weld boundary.

think they are cast steel.

anyway Ive repaired those long post-hole spades many times ..for a
friend who has  a fencing business

first with mild steel ...he kept coming back ...every six months ..

so i did them with stainless steel mig wire ..and he hasn't been back
again .,..they are holding out this time ..its now over 18 months .

all the best.markj