[kfrankl3]

Just a disclamer, I am NOT talking about using anything besides hard solder on the structural joints of a boiler.
I was wonder, I have a few detail parts (air pump and a turbo generator) I would like to attach to a engine I am working on, specificly to a wrapper I made. The wrapper is too thin and too soft solder the detail parts. Also I can't attach them with mechanical fasteners with ease. What I was thinking was to use a little of Loctite's to part epoxy (has a operating range in the area of (-40-400F and is waterproof) to attach them to the wrapper. Does anybody have experience with this? Thanks!

 

[Tom Bowdler]

I have done exactly what you are trying to do using JB Weld (not JB Quick) which is good to a higher temp (600F).
Tom

 

[kfrankl3]

Ah! I should have thought of that stuff, it works for everything! Thanks, I thought that some epoxy should work, but as with all things high temp and high psi (maybe not that high it's only a accucraft ruby!) I wanted to make sure it would work and not do nasty things. Thanks!

 

[Bob in Mich]

Tom,Has it right.J-B Weld.I have put Lima Data plates on a Jeff built Shay 14 yrs ago and they are still on the smoke box.I know I have Jeff spelled Wrong.It Holds up great under hi temp,for somthing like that

 

[Pauli]

In my late teens, I built a moonshine still, where I used two part epoxy on some not so hot parts (hot parts were soft soldered).

Although heat exposure was below what the epoxy was rated for, hours of exposure to heat made the stuff brittle, and it loosened from the metal surfaces.

Conclusion: I would not use epoxy on anything more than luke-warm components.

About the still? Well, we made exellent rhum. However, it just wasn't worth all the time, once the thrill of operations wore off ;-) Also, once local law (= my mother) found out what was going on in the basement, suspence also ceased ;-)

 

[zephyra]

JB Weld works well and I've also used epoxy to good effect. One tip - a couple of tiny drops of instant adhesive can be used to hold the part in place while the epoxy sets. Loctite "goof proof" is the best choice as it gives you a couple of seconds to move the part before it bonds.

 

[kfrankl3]

Thanks for all of your input guys. Pauli that's darn cool, and thanks for the warning. I think I may try it though because I am attaching it to a wrapper that is insulated from the boiler with a layer of cork, it's cool enough that I can grab the boiler with only a light pair of leather work gloves (which is something I could have never done before, burnt myself more times then I can count!). I am more concerned about what would happen if say the boiler ran dry and the heat was transfered to the wrapper (then again if the boiler ran dry this would HARDLY be the largest of my worries). But thanks to everybody about your advice, and I'll make sure to watch out about the brittleness.

 

[fkrutzke]

JB Weld ( Slow Cure ) will tolerate up to 600 degrees F. for short times and a continuous temperature of 500 degrees F.

Torry