# know anyone who can fix this or does this type of service?



## werowance (Oct 30, 2019)

a friend brought 2 brass cups to me last night from an antique milk shake mixer.  these cups are what the glass parts set in and you crank a handle to agitate the milkshakes. 
at any rate the sheetmetal brass cups are cracked sevierly and someone has tried to solder one back already.  so he asked me if I could machine something and I said yes I could but would be expensive in brass and a huge amount of wasted stock.  I know that I cannot silver braze these back because my skills are not good enough on silver soldering.  so he asked if I could find a company or someone who does this type of repair and get a quote.  I really don't know who to ask so I'm asking here if anyone knows of a company or person I could get a quote for him to repair these.


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## goldstar31 (Oct 30, 2019)

Forget soldering  ideas, these would be spun from sheet brass. I recall that this was an everyday job for firms like the Metal Box Co in the United Kingdom etc and the United Can Company in the USA.

Sadly, all my contacts-And indeed the local factory are gone. 

However, there is an odd solution.  This problem would be money for old rope to a firm dealing with brass musical instruments.  OK, I know a guy who used to repair dented saxophones who used to or still does write authoritatively on on locomotive valve gear. Probably writing or calling in at a local branch of Ferree's in the States ( they sell repair gear for musical instruments repairers ) could suggest someone suitable.
It's funny old World but 'my guy' would discuss model steam locomotives, tug boats and write big band music for my late wife who was a orthodontist. We used to discuss things like acid corrosion on BMW cars but--- I digress.

Norm


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## BaronJ (Oct 30, 2019)

I agree 100% with Norman.  This would be a piece of cake to someone who can do metal spinning.

You could have a go yourself if you are prepared to turn the wooden former and your lathe is big enough to spin the brass workpiece diameter needed to form that cup.  You would also need the tools to do the forming. They are a bit like wood turning tools but don't have any cutting edges, some have ball races on the end as well.

I'm sure that there must be some Utube videos on the web showing metal spinning !


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## Bowtie41 (Oct 30, 2019)

Nevermind,was gonna recommend spinners on YT,then GOG's post popped up,lol.LOTS of videos there,for sure!


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## werowance (Oct 30, 2019)

Thanks,  never thought of metal spinning.  there happens to be a flag pole manufacturer near by that does metal spinning and I happen to know one of the employees there.  they actually spin the aluminum flag poles they make.


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## goldstar31 (Oct 30, 2019)

Actually I was sitting on the 'John'- the Brits call it a 'Bog" and looking at a pewter mug with a glass bottom- containing two dice.
It had been silvered over the years which now is virtually mostly worn off. The decoration was copper pennies all dated 1802!

Nothing sort of new is there- more of forgotten techniques


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## Apprentice707 (Oct 31, 2019)

Hi, Could new ones be 3D printed? I am sure there are people on here who could do it.  My 3D printer is in UK and I am in the USA until Xmas otherwise I would have a go. I recently printed a dummy boiler cover for my 5" gauge electric Rainhill loco and I am very happy with it.

Good Luck

B


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## werowance (Oct 31, 2019)

yes I could 3d print it in plastic but I'm thinking where its an antique with all the glass bits and parts still in tact from the 1800's he wants brass back on it.  I couldn't catch up with him last night to suggest the flag pole place but I'm thinking metal spinning is the way to go for him.


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## Apprentice707 (Oct 31, 2019)

Take your point Werowance, I have no idea what an Antique Milk Shake mixer is. I spun end caps for a boiler recently in 1/8" copper.  It was my first attempt and by watching Youtube I soon got the feel for doing it. Very satisfying and a good result. I made the formers out of MDF mounted on a steel arbor. 

Cheers

B


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## tornitore45 (Nov 1, 2019)

A practical repair would be to bend a band around it to strengthen and seal the butt soldering joint.   But it will destroy the value as antique.


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## Jennifer Edwards (Nov 2, 2019)

You should make one from spun brass like goldstar31 mentions in his post. It really is not hard to do.

I would turn a Wood plug the shape of the inside of the “cups” leaving a nice “handle for later mounting in your lathes chuck.

The fact that there is a hole in the Center is perfect for screwing a small lag bolt thru a hole in the brass disks.

Before spinning anneal the brass disks by heating them red hot and quenching them in water.

Chuck up your wooden form with a brass disk bolted on it in your lathe.

Spin it up at a relative slow speed, a few hundred rpm will suffice. Using a heavy (say one inch) dowel with its end rounded, begun in the Center working your way out pressing the dowel against the disk.

Just keep on moving from Center to edge over and over shaping the disk to the form a little more each pass.

You may be able to clamp the dowel to the lathes compound and use it to get a better purchase on it.

It’s just like forming the end cap for a model boiler.

BTW -Are you sure it is a milk shake machine and not a cocktail shaker?

I’ve come across a few different designs of them from the 1920’s and 1930’s. They usually held two glass shakers with plated brass tops.







Here is a video of something similar. This person is using what appears to be a polished metal bar to shape the metal disk:


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## bikr7549 (Nov 2, 2019)

Buy a length of appropriate size brass tubing and solder  machined endcaps in place?


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## Noel Gordon (Nov 2, 2019)

Please guys,,,lets use the KISS principle and simple machine a new one from brass bar, only about 45 min to do.


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## goldstar31 (Nov 2, 2019)

Initially, I don't think that this is 'antique', no more than collectable or even - well, I'm being polite!
If your friend thinks that he has something valuable, the least one can do is  replace 'like for like' and that is copper sheet- and spun!
I suppose that we all have different ideas of what 'value' is but the classic answer is  'whatever 
someone is prepared to pay for it'


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## BaronJ (Nov 3, 2019)

Noel Gordon said:


> Please guys,,,lets use the KISS principle and simple machine a new one from brass bar, only about 45 min to do.



A disc of brass sheet is going to be a lot cheaper than machining from solid !


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## Noel Gordon (Nov 3, 2019)

But which is the quicker way to get a good result??


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## goldstar31 (Nov 3, 2019)

Noel Gordon said:


> But which is the quicker way to get a good result??



I recall the thousands of sheets of tern steel and aluminium being used in a week locally at the local Metal Box co factory that was in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Your whisky corks , then cased in aluminium were produced there-- and the blanks were pressed out by girls using rows of flypresses.

Again, I recall the streets of Lisbon and the rows of doors each with a home workman making domestic artefacts for all and sundry- in copper sheet.

Again, in the still distant past, I had a City and Guilds in Motor Vehicle Restoration where we worked with English Wheels as well as sandbags and dollies. That is the way it was-- and it worked.
Is that the answer which you require?
I 'll get me old  leather coat. No sorry,  I forgot, I cut it up and made a sandbag!

As Mr Punch would say -- That's the way to do it!


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## BaronJ (Nov 3, 2019)

Noel Gordon said:


> But which is the quicker way to get a good result??



You must be a rich man !  Most hobbyist couldn't afford to buy a big chunk of brass bar to turn the vast majority of it into swarf !


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## errolf2 (Nov 3, 2019)

werowance said:


> a friend brought 2 brass cups to me last night from an antique milk shake mixer.  these cups are what the glass parts set in and you crank a handle to agitate the milkshakes.
> at any rate the sheetmetal brass cups are cracked sevierly and someone has tried to solder one back already.  so he asked me if I could machine something and I said yes I could but would be expensive in brass and a huge amount of wasted stock.  I know that I cannot silver braze these back because my skills are not good enough on silver soldering.  so he asked if I could find a company or someone who does this type of repair and get a quote.  I really don't know who to ask so I'm asking here if anyone knows of a company or person I could get a quote for him to repair these.
> 
> View attachment 111974
> ...


What Are the dimensions? It is easy to make this kind of article out of brass or copper firstly anneal the copper or brass and then using a wooden former punch it into a former tube of the correct size. You could also fabricate it from sheet there are also brass fuel tank kits online that may have the right size tube


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## werowance (Nov 4, 2019)

I don't have the piece with me any longer (he took it home with him) but it fits in the palm of my hand and is smaller than a normal size coffee cup.  been out of town for a few days but if he doesn't get up with the guy at the flag pole plant I thought I might try metal spinning on my lathe.  except instead of using the hand tools I saw used on line I might just take a ball bearing and mount it to a piece of 1/2" square stock and mount that in my tool post, use a piece of oak wood as the form to spin it over or something.  looked like a lot of fun watching the youtube videos.


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## werowance (Nov 4, 2019)

Jennifer Edwards said:


> You should make one from spun brass like goldstar31 mentions in his post. It really is not hard to do.
> 
> I would turn a Wood plug the shape of the inside of the “cups” leaving a nice “handle for later mounting in your lathes chuck.
> 
> ...




thanks,  I havnt seen the actual machine, just the cups.  as for antique or not as mentioned by goldstar, I really cant say.  just that a friend wanted my help and that its valuable to him so its important enough for me to want to help him if I can. 

but using a wooden dowel for the spinning tool?  what do you think about a small ball bearing on a pice of 1/2" square stock in the tool post as the spinning tool?   what those guys do in the youtube videos is really nice.  even if I cant make his cup for him I want to give spinning a try some day.


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## goldstar31 (Nov 4, 2019)

I studied Pelmanism  which is a form of memory training. Write it down if you usually forget things
There is a quite marvellous series of ancient magazine articles called Popular Mechanics and by good fortune remains on the net.

So Google it for 1934-when I was beginning to learn engineering and probably page 952 and there is a brilliant article on metal spinning.
So what have you to lose? 

I would exercise caution on another article on making skis, but that is not the question, is it?

Cheers

Norman


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## werowance (Nov 4, 2019)

thanks goldstar,  I do read the PM magazine a lot on google. ill have to look that issue up.

so I have to ask,   Making Skis?  bad experience?


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## goldstar31 (Nov 4, 2019)

werowance said:


> thanks goldstar,  I do read the PM magazine a lot on google. ill have to look that issue up.
> 
> so I have to ask,   Making Skis?  bad experience?



Well, I was vice chairman of the British Norwegian Ski Club and my late wife was Membership Secretary and one winter there was  little or no snow here----- and we decided to increase the membership. 
So I have 4 wonderful but terribly expensive grandchildren now!

Best wishes in your efforts.


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## BaronJ (Nov 4, 2019)

Hi Werowance,

Trying to use rigid tools in the toolpost won't work very well !  You need to be able to feel the material moving and thus control its behaviour.  

Use tools and rests similar to the ones that you have seen in the vids.  The ball race on the end of a bar is fine, as is a polished face.

A common lubricant for brass and alloys is soap or wax.


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