a Chimera Frame uh oh....

[mr doo doo]

In the first picture, there is a hole behind the trigger, making a trigger stop useless. Obviously, there is a hole in the trigger guard. In the second picture, there is a hole behind the trigger frame, in the upper half.

please, dont worry, i bought it like this. Frame is still usable, but i would just like to fill in the gaps. what do you guys suggest? maybe epoxy? Someone said maybe bring it to a welder, but that will just ruin the whole frame, and that wouldnt be good.

[C.J.]

In the first picture, there is a hole behind the trigger, making a trigger stop useless. Obviously, there is a hole in the trigger guard. In the second picture, there is a hole behind the trigger frame, in the upper half.

please, dont worry, i bought it like this. Frame is still usable, but i would just like to fill in the gaps. what do you guys suggest? maybe epoxy? Someone said maybe bring it to a welder, but that will just ruin the whole frame, and that wouldnt be good.

Remove the frame and ALL the guts.

Bring it to a local metal shop and have them weld the section closed, then grind it down so it matches the contour of the frame. If you want to powder coat or ano it again, you could. I'd suggest just spray painting over it and then putting a urethane top coat on. Probably set you back $20... no biggie.

[mr doo doo]

well, as much as i would love to do that, welding that very small spot is a very hard thing to do. and already asking luke to help me, he tells me there isnt much for me to do since the job will be very difficult.

[lasrsktr]

well, as much as i would love to do that, welding that very small spot is a very hard thing to do. and already asking luke to help me, he tells me there isnt much for me to do since the job will be very difficult.

Well as much as luke's reputation and skill is not at test here today.

Heres the thing. He doesn't like to take on "difficult" projects, only does things he knows will succeed over and over again which is why his things are not to amazing.

The suggestion about finding a local metal worker is a great suggestion, because to a full time metal worker(not just someone with a metal working hobby) this would be a very very simple job that won't require to much cost on your part.

[C.J.]

well, as much as i would love to do that, welding that very small spot is a very hard thing to do. and already asking luke to help me, he tells me there isnt much for me to do since the job will be very difficult.

FWIW, I had a 440C stainless steel axe that I cracked the head of. A local welder fixed it quickly for less than $20. Seriously, this is NOT a big deal. A professional welder could fix this frame in his/her sleep.

[mr doo doo]

what is FWIW?

ahah, anyways, well, ill go ahread and give it a try. welders around me always ask for a $50 minimum job, so i have to keep on searching.

but lasrsktr, luke still is a great worker at custom work, dont get me wrong, but i do agree that this project is a little risky to some extent.

[mostpeople]

someone did NOT know what they were doing..

[mr doo doo]

hahah, hey juliano, yes, yours does loot more nicer than mine.

well, it happen mostpeople... cant blame the person for not trying

[djellum]

threads

A real simple fix would be some rubber plugs pressed in tight and flush with the outside.

you could thread the holes (if theres enough meat to thread) and put threaded plugs in them. painting the plugs would make them hard to notice, or stand out in contrast, as you see fit. If you want a smooth not modded look screw the plugs in about a mm or so past flush and fill the hole. you could really use anything; bondo, fiberglass, jbweld, superglue, whatever (someone here may know a way better material than i do). Sand and contour how you wish. if theres not enough metal to thread just glue a thin piece of aluminum on the inside of the frame.

How your going to finish it will decide what you can fill with. Annoing will eliminate metals other than aluminum, powder coat might have problems with something, painting will probably work with most anything.

The trigger guard i would jbweld or use the gas tank repair putty. then sand until it looks normal and paint or coat with whatever..

you could also clean up the hole in the trigger guard and remove more material in a pattern so it would look it was intended. Same could be said for the other holes, repeat around the frame with a good clean circle or shape and glue an accent metal on the inside so it shows through.

just some ideas, maybe one gets you going.

[djellum]

my idea

Forgot to add...

I would clean up the holes and get the frame anno's, powder coated, or painted nice and then do accent colors inside the grips. i think that would look good and clean.

[FiXeL]

Welding the frame would be easy enough, but the trigger guard will be nearly impossible to weld. It's too thin and will melt away if welded. The bad thing about aluminium is that it conducts heat very well, so if you want to weld it you need to put more heat into it for a good weld, compared to steel. The trigger guard is just too thin i'm afraid. Also it cannot be annodized to hide the welds, because the welding material is slightly different than that of the frame so you will see it after anno. The best option would be to plug the holes with JB weld and have the frame powdercoated.

[C.J.]

I'm not a metallurgist but...
... different materials, as alluded would be used to "patch" the holes, melt at different temperatures. I'd take this to a welder and ask what could be done.

When I had an axe fixed, it was a very thin section that was patched and it was fine. The welder just used a slightly more malleable, ductile material so he didn't have to heat the axe head up to the point where it melted.

Unless there's a welder here on the forum willing to give us a professional opinion, take the frame to a welder and ASK what can be done.

[punkrex]

You can't get a good weld on the trigger guard. Clean the wound and slap some JB weld into it. A good patch is all your gonna get.

[FiXeL]

Maybe i should have specified it a little better... When welding aluminum you do use aluminum to weld, but it will be of a different alloy than the workpiece. Also you can get different kinds of welding material, depending on what kind of metal you are welding, and what properties the weld should have. In the wire are also other materials that inprove the flow of liquid metal and bind impurities. I used to be a welder, and have occasionally welded alu at my previous job. (altho i worked there as a CNC milling machine operator and do this also at my new job)
And it's no easy task, let me tell you that. More amps, more heat and alu reacts violently when impurities are near (oxidation, dirt, moist, oxigen from the air) causing small air pockets in the weld. Of all the materials that i've welded, (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, brass) Alu, brass and bronze were the worst. With brass and bronze the zinc and tin would burn up when heated too long and the weld would be pourous with the copper remaining.

If you want to have it welded, have the anno removed from around the holes and have it done by someone that has expierence with welding alu. Don't bother with the trigger guard, because its so thin it probably would melt away.

[blake20]

I really should be workin'

Maybe i should have specified it a little better... When welding aluminum you do use aluminum to weld, but it will be of a different alloy than the workpiece. Also you can get different kinds of welding material, depending on what kind of metal you are welding, and what properties the weld should have. In the wire are also other materials that inprove the flow of liquid metal and bind impurities. I used to be a welder, and have occasionally welded alu at my previous job. (altho i worked there as a CNC milling machine operator and do this also at my new job)
And it's no easy task, let me tell you that. More amps, more heat and alu reacts violently when impurities are near (oxidation, dirt, moist, oxigen from the air) causing small air pockets in the weld. Of all the materials that i've welded, (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, brass) Alu, brass and bronze were the worst. With brass and bronze the zinc and tin would burn up when heated too long and the weld would be pourous with the copper remaining.

If you want to have it welded, have the anno removed from around the holes and have it done by someone that has expierence with welding alu. Don't bother with the trigger guard, because its so thin it probably would melt away.

Mig welding no I don't think you would be able to weld the trigger frame and your correct that you would not be able to anno after due to the difference in welding wire and the frame itself. But I'm sure that you could have it Tig welded and would have no problems with melting. As for anno a tig weld should work not 100% sure, but it should have no (impurity pockets like a mig weld) Finding a good tig welder may be the hardest part.