Potmetalman

Yes Sir. That's almost the same process but I've found that I get better results with castable resin and Ceramic Shell over sold mold vacuum casting. Depending on your printing equipment, with resin printing you can get down to .025 layer thickness so thin that there's not layer patterns. Down side is, it takes longer to print, but you get far better castings...

...With lost wax, theres no way to scale for shrinkage.

Hey Gary. I do 3D print and import into Autocad for reverse engineering to clean up the pattern to prepare it for printing.

Yes, but it depends on the part and materials that are used? For instance, I do a prototype casting first to check dimensions. If it shrinks i scale it up a bit and do another casting until it comes around. Usually with the parts I do, the shrinkage is roughly 3% and I build that into the model prior to prototype casting. 70% of the time it's on the money. Thanks

Hey Brother. Sure I can make ya a set, but I need at least one side, in order to make a complete set. If you've got one that's in rough shape, I can use that as well. Thanks for reaching out. James Ruther - The Pot Metal Man

Hello Everyone. I thought you'll might like to see this 1941 Cadillac Convertible vent window that I just created? The guy had been looking around for a 2 or 3 years LT side and finally decided to call in make the request. So what we did was digitally copied RT side, flipped it and made a matching LT side. The polished one is the newly created frame. Hope ya'll find it interesting. :) Thanks.

Could you imagine if they manufactured a car like this form cratch today how much it would cost? I Imagine it would be well over a milion dallars!

Hello, thought I'd throw a couple cents into the mix here? What you described above is how most will attempt to fill pinholes and or crators, however the oldschool way is still a far better method. First let's talk about Strike, Sionide copper to pot metal. The acid copper is usually referred to as "strike" plating. This is the most recognized phrase that describes the only way to get common copper to stick to pot metal. Strike plating only needs to be done a once, maybe twice then you're on to conventional copper plating to build up the substrate. The problem with building up the surface is it builds all over in areas you don't need it. This is where you run into issues for fitment etc. Sure one can go in and sand, grind or the like to remove the unneeded material, but without the vehicle how are they going to make them fit much less, what chrome shop would go to such lengths?? I'd say slim an none... Alternitively, the siad "pitted, cratored" pot metal can be stripped of decaying top layer, the larger pinholes and or crators can be welded in and plained off, filling the bad areas with new "pot metal" then sent to a plater that will final prep the part(s) and have them strike plated and couple layers of conventional copper to resurface. Now, there will always be something that the copper will not cover without having the eccess build up, so what then? Simple. They will lead those areas like bondo on sheetmetal, send back thru the copper plating line of a couple more layers like primer over bondo and sheetmetal... The final step is to smooth out the copper 400 to 600 grit then polish it to a mirror like finish. if surface will support what the customer wants, if off to nickel and finally chrome. All that's needed now is polishing. Granted, I'm not a plater and I'm sure there are hacks that can be done successfully, but working with the many chrome shops, this is what I know about plating Pot Metal. Anyhow, I apologize for any typos and or bad grammar. If I were a writer, I would've been a politician and not a pot metal weldin' fool! lol

The gauge can be investment casted in bronze using the CAD file as well. investment casting would have eliminated the layer/bleed lines in the print. Regardless, it's a nice part.

Pot metal when heated just a little bit swells up quite a lot. One could put a little heat on it, with say a heat gun and it might come loose for you. Pot metal is much tougher than most think. Sure, it will fall apart if you use an LP torch or the like; which one could use. However they'd be much safer with a little extra time and not so much instant heat. Just food for thought...

Hello everyone. I recently repaired a client's 1953 Buick special hood bar, sent it back to him via ups with $1500 insurance coverage and they lost it. Ups' resolotion was to send my $100 to cover that cost. Are you kidding me?? Absolutely no integrity whatsoever.. Bottomline, my client does not deserve this so I am going to replace the part. If anyone has a lead on one of these, I would greatly appreciate it if you wounldn't mind, letting my know where I can find it. Thanks James Ruther - Pot metal repair

Hello. I'm looking for a 1931 Buick Trico SX-2 wiper vacuum motor. If you have one that you'd like to sell, please contact me as soon as it's convenient.

Thabk you!

Sherm's doesn't do their own. They send their stuff out. Know this for a fact. 👍

We are located in Vacaville California... Also I had forgotten to leave the page link to the grille: https://potmetal.repair/lincoln-zephyr-grille-repair/

...Here are couple more photos of the Lincoln Zephyr grille above.

Hey Guys & Gals. Here's a project I did a while back and wanted to post the photos then, but I thought I had lost them... Anyhow, here they are. There are a couple more photos down below...

...Btw, we've upgraded our equipment and process for faster and even better results. Our process and our attention to Quality yields the quality that simply cannot be overshadowed. Thanks so much to all our invaluable customers. You are greatly appreciated!!! James Ruther - Onwer/Operator

Hello Everyone. I've actually used Sherm's. They do a good job on plating.

Looks like it's a little warped as well.. No worries though, it can easily be repaired back to its original condition.

Hey Pete. In my professional opinion and experience, you're far better off doing absolutely nothing rather than attempting to repair with jbweld. You see, pot metal is literally a meyal sprung that if left unplated or for that matter unpainted it will absorb any wet substance that it comes in contact with it including jbweld. That said, if or when you decide to go with a permanent solution, you will be faced with a considerably higher repair cost due to metal contamination which must be removed/replaced. In a nutshell, leave it alone until you decide to do it right.

Yes Pete. Text or email me, or pot a photo or two so we can see what you end up with when they arrive. I'm sure I can help you clean 'em up. 😊👍 Thanks brother!

Muggyweld is a very low temperature solder and is typically used for rejoining broken pot metal parts - and works great for some ornamental parts. Not so much for mechanical parts or under plating. One of the most common problems with pot metal is that (without a trained eye) it's hard to spot "dead metal"... You see, dead pot Metal on the surface looks fine, but is a slightly darker shade of gray however if it's cleaned or lightly sanded it seems to disappear, but has only ducked out of sight. A person can easily and unknowingly solder good pot metal to dead metal and attempt to relate it only to have blow up in their face - not literally, but you know what I mean. And many times, this will frustrate most chrome shops and chances are your bill will go through the roof for a "proper" repair. Apologies for the tangant.. Anyhow, if welding to dead pot metal is attempted you will know right away! Dead pot Metal doesn't like heat and seriously misbehaves with temperatures over 400+ degrees and it'll punsh you for attempting so. However welding pot metal is for superior to soldering and it allows the absolute manipulation of it as well.👍

Hey Walt. The pot Metal problem has been a century old problem that has caused so many darned problems for people and has siest many restorations that otherwise would have been completed much earlier. But this I can say with all sincerity that damaged, rotted and or broken "non-repairable" pot metal parts is 100% a problem of the past. 👍😊

Thanks Chuck. I really appreciate ya posting about your repair. And again, I very much appreciate your support. Thanks again. 😊