Hi Everyone,
I'm in a new situation and not really certain what to do. I need to glue a white metal cylinder into a white metal hole.

The fit of the parts is sloppy at best.

What will give me a secure, no-fail joint.

Thanks!

Gaz

If you can get some low temperature solder, and have an adjustable iron, a bit of careful soldering should give a pretty robust joint.

Otherwise, epoxy is probably your best bet to secure the parts and fill the gaps.

Usually when I do white-metal figurines i prefere epoxy glue then CA,i find solder too risky, if you mess up you are done.

One should never try and solder white metal. Usually the melting point is very low, therefore enough heat to tin the parts is usually enough heat to melt the parts. As stated, the best way to join sloppy-fit white metal parts is to use epoxy, however super thick cyanoacrylate will also work.
VR, Russ

Guys,
Thank you for your answers! I'll have to go with epoxy because two of the four pieces are already embedded in styrene structure.

How long does epoxy last once you've opened it?

Gaz

If you get a syringe of epoxy, careful cleaning of the tip and making sure the lid goes on securely can see one last for even a couple of years if used infrequently.

I have some in large individual squeeze tubes that last even longer, and are about 6 or years old and still perfectly ok.

I Quote Iain,epoxy last for years and years,i have a Araldite in tube at home in Europe bought more then 10 years a go and is like new,a syringe one open 3 years a go here in Oz and is still good,never clean the tip only careful to put back the lid in the right position.

I've found epoxy will get brittle and fail after a few years. The exception is WB Weld. That is by far the best metal-on-metal adhesive I have ever found.

Old game workshop figures were white metal and they recommended using greenstuff (two part epoxy putty) combined with CA. Greenstuff filled the gap and CA would strenghten it. I did it a couple of times and had strong joints on very small areas. It wont help if you drop the item, but for normal handling it is more than adequate.

There are some special low temperature solder materials for use on white metal (70 degree Centigrade or 158 Fahrenheit, will melt in a cup of hot tea or coffee ...) but if soldering isn't absolutely needed (for visual reasons or something) then epoxy (or similar) is definitely the easiest solution.

/ Robin

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/533_1_1671854.html
"This metal may be used for ballasting of plastic models and balsa flying models. You simply melt the solder in hot water and pour it into a convenient void - ideal for adding weight to locomotives, wagons and carriages. It should not melt or deform the plastic as long as you heat it in this way. The metal expands slightly on cooling which makes it very suitable for holding punches for multiple holes, and for holding awkward shapes while they are being worked on. Even plastic items may be embedded in it. It can also be used for making simple one-off castings. Use Plasticine as a mould.

What we call whitemetal is usually referred to as Low Temperature Alloys for Centrifugal Casting. The melting rage varies from 125 - 285 C, so you really should be able to undo a whitemetal kit by immersing it into a bath of very hot water."

When I make figurines in white metal in addition to the epoxy always add the brass pins that make it very durable, and most of the glue is there where I put the pin, then I close the gap with putty, never heard of anyone who has welded the pieces

Most of the white metal alloys used for casting models are very low melting point, they are in fact in the trade classed as "solders". I wouldn't recommend attempting to solder these pieces. For a really strong joint, a two-pack epoxy such as Cascemite (sp?) is good, and because you have to mix the components to get the reaction, it lasts indefinitely.

You could also use a Warhammer product. It is an adhesive cum filler, which comes in a packet. It is a two coloured strip which looks a bit like Plasticine, but is a two part epoxy. You tear off what you require and blend the two parts together until it is green, this starts the chemical reaction which makes it set. All you do is stick the parts together with it, scrape off any excess and wait for it to go off.