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How to clean pot metal before welding it

I have a grille to a 40 Ford that I need to weld 2 bars back on. I take it I should grind the chrome off of the areas I need to weld, but what should I use to clean it of its impurities. I have a cleaner from Dupont which is called a first klean - 3900, but I don't think that would be right. please let me know thank you

Stavros Pardini
auto body - Redwood City, California, USA
2005

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I'm not aware of any method to weld pot metal.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2005

I believe that pot metal can be soldered and sometimes carefully brazed but not welded. Welding would mean using a rod of pot metal.

Gene Packman
process supplier - Great Neck, New York
2005

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It is said that "POT METAL" can be welded [look up def. in dictionary, mentions nothing about a "rod"] There is supposed to be a rod on the market that melts at 350 degrees, half of the melting point of pot metal, AND the most important "FLUX" that allows the weld to be accomplished. But the company that sells the rod is slow to deliver and has a less then stellar appreciation of the customer. Too bad.

Paul Bowsher
- St Clair Shores, Michigan, USA
November 6, 2008

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November 6, 2008 Hi, Paul. Whether to call it welding, brazing, or soldering may be more a matter of semantics rather than a question of fact, but I'd agree with Gene. When the joining process requires flux, and it involves joining the parent metal via a different type of metal than the parent metal, and the melting point of the joining metal is half that of the parent metal, I too would call it soldering rather than welding. I think there is a public perception that welding is stronger and more structural than soldering, so someone selling such a process would probably rather it be considered welding :-) Regards, Ted Mooney, P.E. Striving to live Aloha finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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I would agree with you on the verbiage....HOWEVER, I now have a very nice upper grill bar for the 1950 Buick that had a BIG crack > 50% its width. After taking the chrome off and getting past the copper, I applied the flux and welded, brazed, soldered and somehow joined and filled the crack. Waited about two days and sanded the weld,braze,soldered crack and it looks and FEELS like new. I am pleased, I now have a 300.00 part for 40$. I will have it rechromed and bolt it on. I am looking forward to doing other pot metal projects with this muggy weld product, even though I do not like the company. Paul

Paul Bowsher
Rocking-b - St Clair Shores, Michigan, USA
December 12, 2008

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January 7, 2009

I'm cleaning a VERY extensive, complex pot-metal object for painting, and I want to get all the corrosion out before putting the paint on. To me, this calls for a chemical treatment, since I can't quite access every square millimeter to scrape it.

Is there a chemical I can use to dissolve/wash away corrosion from pot metal?

N. Joseph Potts
- Miami Beach, Florida, USA

August 4, 2010

My name is Jerrald Cline, I live in Modesto Calif.
The part I'm trying to join is a 1940's Buick eight grill. Not sure how to attempt this job. Help please!

Jerrald Cline
Car restorer - Modesto,Calif. USA