On Oct 14, 1:57�pm, Dave > wrote:
> Corey Richardson wrote:
> > On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:12:23 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> > > wrote:
>
> >>On Oct 11, 5:50 pm, Corey Richardson >
> >>wrote:
>
> >>>My potato ricer died tonight after 3 years when one of the welds on it
> >>>broke 
>
> >>>Can anyone here suggest a make of ricer that's of good quality, and
> >>>preferably made of cast metal like a Zyliss garlic press, that won't
> >>>break after such a short time?
>
> >>>Thank you.
>
> >>It probably can be mended by a local machine shop, no? �(re-welded).
>
> > Unfortunately not. It began to tear at the weld before it failed. Good
> > suggestion though.
>
> Why do you say that it can't be welded? If it was done in the past it
> can certainly be done now.
>
> Not all aluminium joints are welded, some are brazed. What can't be
> welded can be invisibly riveted though. I worked in the aerospace
> industry for 25 years and there was nothing the development lads
> couldn't repair.
Yeah, right... a small local weld shop will charge at least $100 to
repair a $10 ricer, and no guarantees... when aluminum is heated to
welding temperatures it loses all it's temper, becomes dead soft,
would need to be retempered, a process that costs more than the weld
job, much more, doesn't pay to temper aluminum one piece at a time,
they'd do a truckload.
Often a thingie can be put back together (often better than new) with
bolts, rivets, fish plates, etc. but without seeing the actual break I
can't begin to guess how to do a patch job. Anyway, potato ricers are
cheap, if someone uses one often and/or is rough with tools then they
really should buy one of better quality than chintzy cheapo cast
aluminum, get a commercial type stainless steel ricer and it will last
a lifetime. I'm positive that the aluminum ricers on the market are
not made of aircraft/marine grade aluminum... it's the lowest grade
remelted/recast junkyard scrap, more likely what folks think is cast
aluminum is pot metal.
Pot metal is analogous to the grade of cast iron used to make cast
iron cookware; crapmetal... the cast iron used for sinks, tubs, waste
lines (and was once used to make cast iron terlits) is a far, FAR
better grade than what's used for cookware.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_metal