In RCM thread ?Colander Repair? (December 2009), I reported the failure
of the spot welds holding the three feet onto my wife?s favorite colander,
ideal for draining just-cooked pasta, that she had had for at least 30 years.
After much discussion on RCM, I settled on using solid stainless (18/8) steel
rivets from McMaster-Carr. The repair was made in January 2010, and has held
until now, when the two welds on one foot let go. The third weld had been
failed and was drilled out and riveted in 2010. The foot now rotates freely
around that rivet. This will not last. So replaced all the welds with rivets,
from the box of 100 rivets purchased in 2010.
Drilled using a #41 drill (tight fit) and Mobilmet cutting oil. Took a lot of
deburring - the bowl metal is very gummy. Installed rivets using an 8-ounce
ball peen hammer and a piece of 1? diameter 4149 stock with one end turned
flat to serve as the anvil. Wash the cutting oil off using very hot water and
lots of dish detergent.
Joe Gwinn
- posted
5 years ago