[CAUT] In need of Mason & Hamlin shift lever

[Jeannie Grassi]

Thanks, Ron.  
I'd like to talk with the guy in your area.  Please send me his name and
contact info.  I may be one of the many who sends him something for repair.

jeannie

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ron
Nossaman
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 12:16 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] In need of Mason & Hamlin shift lever



> We have a guy who is very successful at welding cast iron (which,
> according to Del is "grey iron") using nickel rod. He has welded over
> 100 plates without a single failure! So FWIW, I think the nickel rod is
> best. This man also says the secret is to weld only about 1/2 inch at a
> time then wait until it has cooled so it is only warm to the touch. 


A lot of welders will tell you it can't be done, but there is 
a local shop here that welds cast iron for a living. It's what 
they do every day all day long. Folks from all over the world 
send them one of a kind irreplaceable castings, which they 
repair just like any other mundane iron tractor or lathe part. 
The owner isn't too fond of nickel for repairs, since he has 
to burn out so many failed attempts to redo it his way. He gas 
welds the stuff, with gray iron filler rod, and a flux of his 
own recipe. With the various arrays of burners I saw in his 
shop, I think he could preheat a locomotive to bright yellow 
in about ten minutes. It's scary to think what his monthly 
oxygen and acetylene gas bill is. A few of us here have had 
him do plates, with no failures, but you have to be prepared 
to build the finish up from scratch on the resulting moonscape.

Jeannie, a local welder should have no trouble with the shift 
lever repair, either with nickel rod, or brazing. I've 
personally repaired and modified them with brazing, as well as 
all those pedal repairs through the years, so it can't be that 
tough.
Ron N