Hey Ernie. How Much?

Depends on if it is aluminum or pot metal (zinc alloy). Aluminum is straight forward welding. Pot metal is a mess. Something like that is usually pot metal.

It porous like an old broken faucet handle so I am guessing pot metal.

Pot metal fracture surface is typically quite smooth, not porous. I think it is cast aluminum. Worth a try. If it turns black when the arc hits then it may be zinc alloyed. Does it 'feel heavy'? Zinc alloys are heavier. Do the chips burn? If so, might be magesium. phil k.

Its pretty light. I first thought cast aluminum, but then others made me doubt my guess. Its from the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Take a little piece and melt it. If it fumes and makes you sick, it's pot metal .

Bob

Pretty light? Then it just might be magnesium. It is easily welded but you need mag rod. Also, the weldor must remain alert for signs of 'slumping' ! ;>)} phil k.

$50/hr shop time.

If it is weldable aluminum, then about 1 hour. Zinc is a bit trickier, but can be done in about 2 hours. Magnesium is also trickier, but can be done in 2 hours.

Thanks Ernie. That places it (with shipping) at the same or more than boring a blank hub replacement fan to fit.

"Ernie Leimkuhler" wrote in message news:110120122347512730% snipped-for-privacy@stagesmith.com...

What? Two freaking hours at 50/hr? That, sir, IS A RIP-OFF!!! Mag is EASY!! This fan is not oil soaked........ phil k.

Well, time is time. Whether its opening the box, and unpacking, closing it up and shipping it back. I don't begrudge him his rate. I am a communications contractor, and I charge $80 an hour for service work. I also mark up materials, because I can't charge for the time I spend finding the best price or picking them up at the local distributor. In this case I just wanted a price. His price is the same or slightly more than buying a replacement fan. I buy the replacement fan. No problem. It's just business. Thanks for taking the time to answer Ernie.

Bob La Londe Yuma, Az

So, can you do it? And, are you certified (i.e., could your customer be sure that it wouldn't fly apart)? If so, how much?

Bob

Essentially, you get what you pay for. With certain weldments, the weldor gets one chance to either repair it or destroy it. There are no second chances. Either the customer walks away happy or sad. That is where confidence and experience come in.

A weldor who takes an item in, and says, "I can fix it" is under very little obligation, responsibility, or legal liability to return said item in a repaired condition. It was, after all, given to him as a broken useless item. If he misses his mark, and his estimation of the metallurgical content of the weldment is off, he simply destroys an irreplacable part, and there is little responsibility or liability. For the owner, the legal satisfaction portion is the old blood out of a turnip theory.

However, a weldor who will accept an item, assure, or at least present the impression that he knows how to fix it, and can give a believable promise to do so, is not commonplace. For someone to do this on a steady basis is indicative of a true craftsman. There are few of these, although they do exist in the industry.

I used to do forensic testimony about carports and welding in contractor construction defects lawsuits. I charged $85 per hour, four hour minimum. I collected thousands of dollars, AND WAS NEVER EVER ONCE ON THE WITNESS STAND. Sometimes I would be paid for 40 or 60 or 80 hours, and never go to the court building. But, I did possess the knowledge the attorney would want, and could give it in a professional manner. I could perform if I was called. I had the cards.

A weldor is in the same category. Those who know they can pass X ray, or those who know they can weld cast iron, or fix an unusual aluminum alloy just know what they can do, and when all is told, they reveal their hands. A-K-Q-J-10 OF THE SAME SUIT. All in on the call.

The cards play themselves.

Steve

Certification don't mean squat. That person passed the test one particular day on one particular piece of metal in one particular position with one particular rod. Certifications are worth the paper they are written on, and that chafes the skin when used for thing paper is used for. Any inspector I have ever dealt with looked at a weld, watched a weldor weld, and never looked at any piece of paper, despite the pleadings of the weldor. Or they conducted a test in the yard, destroying a coupon to see if it passed. Certification guarantees NOTHING.

Steve

BTW, AWS certifications are void if the weldor has not done the certified type of work for a specified period of time.

But I agree that the poster above is of questionable skills. I care not to hear about anything he can do, but would rather see.

Steve

Yeah, 40+ years experience and I can't even light a torch, eih? Milk that fan job out to two hours and you're fired! phil k.

...

OK, good. I still would like to know how much you would do it for. Bob

$50 tops. But don't send it here, I'm retired.

The older I get the better I was.... ;>)}