Household Repairs Dented. If you can get at back of metal, hammer out the dent. If this is impossible, clean surface with steel wool and fill dent with plastic steel. Sand smooth when dry.

Rusted, pitted. Clean with steel wool and apply paste or liquid rust-remover. Fill pits with plastic steel. Prime with rust-inhibiting paint and apply finish paint.

Small holes. Steel-wool area around hole and edges of hole. Fill with plastic steel.

Large holes. Cut a patch that overlaps hole about 1/2" on all sides. Hold in place over hole and drill a series of holes through both pieces of metal. Insert steel rivets, cut off all but about 1/8" of ends and hammer the ends down. If hole is to be made leakproof, spread plastic steel between metal surfaces before riveting. The plastic steel alone will hold the patch in place only if the steel is not subjected to any strain.

Another way to patch holes, large or small, is by soldering. See Basic Methods: How to Solder Metal.

Steel broken. If no strain is put on broken piece, you can solder pieces together or glue with epoxy glue. But if break is under strain, have the steel welded.




Page 1 2
Home > Household Repairs > S > Steel

November 21, 2008