# Hi-Temp JBWeld repair



## steelhorsep

Anybody ever try Hi-Temp JBWeld for patching a small hole? 

According to the manufacturer it can be used on firebox and/or grills and rated to 2400 degf.  

The hole on my unit is "dime-size" and on the grill side (not the firebox) and I don't plan to use that side for charcoal.  I am only gonna smoke in this unit.  It is a Brinkmann Pitmaster all-steel offset charcoal smoker.  So the coals will be far from the welded area, over in the firebox, which should help avoid poisonous gasses.  













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 23, 2017


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## robin h

I am wondering if you used this on your pit? I would like to use it as well.


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## wimpy69

From JB site

Is J-B Weld toxic?
No. When fully cured, J-B Weld is non-toxic. However, we do not recommend consuming the product.


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## steelhorsep

I have not used it yet..  

Plan to purchase some soon to repair a small dime-sized hole in bottom/side.  

Will give a report with pictures once complete.

Michael


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## johnmeyer

Wow, thanks for that link. The "normal" JB Weld is one of the most unbelievable glues I've ever used. It is good up to about 500 degrees F, but I had no idea that JB also made something that is good to a significantly higher temperature. I recently repaired a broken plug receptacle at the bottom of an old Presto "Fry Daddy" using regular JB Weld. The repair is outside the fryer and below the heating element (around where the plug goes into the device, so it probably only gets to about 200-300 degrees). I've used it a few times and it is holding. The receptacle that I repaired is some sort of plastic or Bakelite, so its operational temperature is obviously way below the fryer temperature which can easily reach beyond 500 degrees near the heating element.

I've also used regular JB Weld on other cooking items, including a cracked Cuisinart food processor bowl. The bonding ability is pretty amazing.

The only two things I have found is:

1. When JB Weld gets hot, it does give off some odor. After a few uses, this diminishes and eventually disappears.

2. I suspect it would impart a flavor to food, if it were in contact with the food.

I have no worry at all about toxicity, after it has been cured, but because of the potential taste issue, I would not want it in contact with the food.

Now that I know about this high-temp version, I need to get some.

[edit] ... or not. I just looked at several YouTube videos about repairing engine manifolds with this stuff, and the repairs failed. Hmmm ...


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## steelhorsep

ALRIGHTY then.  I Decided to proceed with the JB Weld ExtremeHeat (World's Strongest Bond) "Temperature Resistant Metallic Paste" repair of my offset Brinkmann Smoker.

I will document, in this post, the process I used (w pics) to assist others who may need repairs and are considering using this product!  

First let me say, this method is fine for small pin holes, and up to possibly dime-size holes but not recommended for huge gaping holes or crumbling metal.

Below are the holes I needed patching (see green grass thru holes in the rust on bottom of smoker).  Later you will see I also added the remainder of the paste (leftover after patching holes) to the base of my smokestack , and the outside edge of the drum, where I noticed a couple of weakened areas.  I didn't want to waste any product!













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


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## steelhorsep

Step 1.  Wash Smoker well.  Brush and Scrape affected areas to remove gease, loose metal, and rust debris.  Let dry a couple of days.

Step 2.  Ordered JB Weld product (see pic) off Amazon for only $6.99!  Received it in 2 days FREE Shipping with Amazon Prime!

Step 3.  READ ALL of the Directions.  That's easy as there are only a few steps (see 2nd pick below).

Step 4. Assemble necessary tools (ended up only using the industrial-strength duct tape and the putty blade/scapel in the pic)













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017






More on next post. . .


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## steelhorsep

Step 5.  Tape off holes with industrial strength duct tape on outside of smoker.  This will hold the weld in place until it dries! )see 2 pics of tape applied and also holes with white backround which is the tape applied)

Strp 6.  APPLY JB Weld Metallic Paste as directed using a small putty knife.  Note - make sure you stir product VERY well (getting all the hard stuff off bottom of container) BEFORE starting application.  Product when received and opened was settled and separated in layers of adhesive floating on top and metal powder in bottom layer!

Make sure you Apply LIBERALLY to the holes to fill them, AND surrounding areas, to get a good seal and as much metal contact as you can.  The putty goes on thick but then seems to spread out smooth on it's own, so you don't have to scrape it on too much! (See pic below of finished application).













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017






The last 2 pics here show the other two areas I applied the remainder of the paste to (smokestack base and outer edge of smoking drum):













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017






Final application notes on next post. . .


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## johnmeyer

Interesting that you chose to apply the patch to the _inside_ of the smoker. I would have done it on the ouside. Why? Because the surface area of JB Weld that will interact with the smoke is much, much larger when the patch is on the inside because the entire patch is exposed, whereas if it is placed on the outside, only the portion of the JB Weld that is over the pinhole will be exposed. Also, in my BBQ, the inside is all crusty and corroded, providing a much poorer surface for the bond, even after scraping, sanding, and other preparation.

So, if this works, then that is a pretty strong endorsement for the product.

I'm looking forward to more pics and, eventually, to a report of how it holds up after the first smoke.

BTW, after it has fully cured, I'd definitely "season" the smoker, without food, at full temperature, for at least two hours, just to get the material to "out gas." If it is similar to the regular JB Weld, I think you will initially smell it when first heated, but that smell will gradually diminish during the seasoning process.


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## steelhorsep

GREAT IDEA.  I think this will be Phase 1. 

Phase 2 will be to patch it from the outside.  This way I will have a COMPLETE SEAL of JB Weld on both sides of the steel "sandwiching" if you will the older rusted metal between non-porous, sealant to slow down the corrosion going on.

IMHO to just patch it from the outside would allow the weakened, rusted metal from the inside to continue fast corrosion and the plug of JB Weld would likely fall out in just a matter of time.

This unit I puchased off Craigslist for $50 must be at least 20 years old.  I just want to
Get a few years out of it to try my hand at smoking b/f investing $600-800 for a good unit.













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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017


















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__ steelhorsep
__ May 25, 2017






I will keep everyone posted.  Limited time to work on it right now so it may be another few days before completion.

Also sanding, painting, and replacing other parts like the front shelf, handles, wheels etc.


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## johnmeyer

To get the strongest patch you can't beat doing it on both sides: sort of a "pants and suspenders" approach to the problem.

I look forward to a report on how it works once you fire it up and use it a few times.


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## steelhorsep

Thanks John.  Will do!


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## johnmeyer

Well, the patch on my deep fat fryer failed. It's one of the few failures I've ever had with JB Weld, but it is quite clear the failure was caused by too much heat.

So ...

... I'm going to try this Extreme Heat stuff and see how it works. I can't get it locally, so it will be a few days before it arrives. I'll post back when I find out how it works.


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## GaryHibbert

I once patched a small hole in the differential of a 3/4 ton van.  It held for years with no problems.

Gary


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## johnmeyer

GaryHibbert said:


> I once patched a small hole in the differential of a 3/4 ton van. It held for years with no problems.
> 
> Gary


With which product? The original JB Weld (which almost never fails for me), or the "Extreme Heat" JB Weld?


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## steelhorsep

johnmeyer said:


> Well, the patch on my deep fat fryer failed. It's one of the few failures I've ever had with JB Weld, but it is quite clear the failure was caused by too much heat.
> 
> So ...
> 
> ... I'm going to try this Extreme Heat stuff and see how it works. I can't get it locally, so it will be a few days before it arrives. I'll post back when I find out how it works.



$6,61 on Amazon!  Finished my repairs today


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## GaryHibbert

johnmeyer said:


> With which product? The original JB Weld (which almost never fails for me), or the "Extreme Heat" JB Weld?



It was the original. I didn't even know about the high heat JBW.

Gary


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## johnmeyer

I just finished using the JB Weld Extreme Heat. I love regular JB Weld and give it a 10/10. This, on the other hand, is total junk, and my repair is a complete and total failure. The stuff is brittle and just flakes off.

My advice: stay away from it.


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## dward51

Does it need to cure under heat to set hard?


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## johnmeyer

Yes, it definitely needs heat. What's more, it isn't a two-part glue, like epoxy, and therefore appears to need air to set and dry. I'm still attempting to salvage my repair job and have baked the part at 150 degrees for many hours. I'm going to give it two more days and then try to tighten down the bolts that hold the two electrical prongs in place.

One thing that I suddenly realized, which will be a minor problem for me: this stuff is full of metal particles and is therefore somewhat electrically conductive. I am using it to repair where the two male prongs stick out of the opening at the bottom and mate with the plug. I measured the resistance between the two electrodes and it measures about 110 K-ohms. This will be in parallel with the heating element. The element measures 10 ohms, so there is a five order of magnitude difference between the resistance in the patch and the resistance in the heating coil. None of the patch is exposed to where anyone can touch it, and ohms law shows that the 110 K-ohms will only generate about 0.5 watts, something that will get lost in the 1,200 watts generated by the main heating element. So, while not ideal and certainly not something you could ever use on a product sold in the marketplace, it will be perfectly safe and OK for my use.

However, I am still very worried that the stuff will be too brittle to stand up for any length of time.

I'll report back in a week or so after I've let it set up for a few more days, and then actually used it for an hour of frying.

Here's the outside of the base, showing the two electrodes that the old-fashioned "appliance plug" will connect with













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__ johnmeyer
__ Jun 1, 2017






This second photo shows the inside. The patch is pretty ugly, although I did sand and smooth the part which matters (under the spade lugs).













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__ johnmeyer
__ Jun 1, 2017


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## johnmeyer

Well, the stuff did hold up to drilling and machining, but the metal content proved to be a problem. Even though the resistance is quite high when measured with an ohmmeter, when subjected to 120V, it shorted (sparks!).

So, back to the drawing board to see if there is some other high-temperature (more than 500 degrees F) substance that dries hard (RTV won't work). There is some really exotic stuff, but I don't want to pay $100 to repair a $20 item. I'd get a new one at this point, but the reviews on the modern equivalent (this was built in 1977) are quite negative (the non-stick coating apparently flakes off into the food).


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## radioguy

If you're not too attached to the cord.  Drill a hole in the side, attach some high temp wire to terminals, then splice a cord on the other end.  It won't be pretty but it'll work.

RG


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## johnmeyer

That's a great idea! I'll see if I can find a cord and a grommet that can withstand the heat. My older appliances, like my 1948 waffle iron, all have permanently attached cords, usually with a cloth-like exterior.

I've pretty much given up trying to find a substance that will withstand the temperatures involved, and also be strong enough to support the two prongs.

I'll let you know if I am able to find the right sort of cord and grommet.


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## gnatboy911

Have you tried QuikSteel? I've used it before and it's awesome stuff. I did a quick Internet search and it claims it isn't conductive, and heat proof up to 500.


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## johnmeyer

I used the original JB Weld on my first attempted repair. It is supposed to be good to 500 degrees F. However, it crumbled. Since I've been using that stuff for 20+ years and never had this experience, I'm pretty sure it was caused by the heat. My conclusion, therefore, was that I need something that can go to a higher temperature than 500 degrees F. That's what led me to the JB Weld Extreme Heat product.

If I can find a power cord rated for use in a high temperature appliance, I think I'll try the excellent suggestion of simply running that directly into the appliance, and not bother with the old two-prong appliance cord. I just looked through my kitchen, and I have a full-sized deep fat fryer that has a permanent cord, as does my crock pot and also an old 1970s electric fondue pot.


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## johnmeyer

RadioGuy said:


> If you're not too attached to the cord. Drill a hole in the side, attach some high temp wire to terminals, then splice a cord on the other end. It won't be pretty but it'll work.
> 
> RG


I just want to thank you again for this suggestion.

I bought a high-temp cord that had two round lugs crimped on the end. I removed the two male power plug prongs from the fryer that I had re-mounted in the conductive JB Weld Extreme potting material (as I showed in the pic I posted). Once removed, I found a way to mount them internally on a plastic support rib on the bottom cover, just adjacent to where they stuck through the two mounting holes in the original configuration. I didn't need the prongs, and was just using the nut and male press-on connector so that I could still connect to the internal wiring without disturbing anything. However, the prongs didn't get in the way, and so to save the step of cutting them off, I just left them there.

I then enlarged one of the ventilation/drip holes in the base, snaked the cord through that hole, and attached each lug between the threaded end of the prong and the plastic rib. I used new nuts with star lock washers on both sides of the arrangement. The installation looks quite secure and (he says modestly) pretty professional. I think it is safe and will hold. The 1/2 inch of the external cord that is actually inside the fryer is completely isolated from the heating element by the rib and cannot possibly move anywhere near the heating element.

Everything looks great, but to make it a proper fix I still need to add a strain relief. I'm going to use some RTV to plug the hold and also attach the cord to the bottom of the base so it never ends up under the five "feet" that are molded into the base.

As a bonus, I now have a longer cord (seven feet) which means I no longer have to use an extension cord to reach the plug next to my BBQ (I always use the fryer outdoors to avoid odors and to eliminate having to clean up afterwards).

Great suggestion!


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## johnmeyer

I just came back to this thread because I wanted to link to one of the posts and realized that I never provided the final chapter to my Fry Daddy repair effort.

It all works perfectly. The RTV gasket material, which is designed to work with hot motor oil, is exactly the right thing for creating a flexible strain relief. The fryer works great and the longer cord is indeed a real bonus for me.

The only downside is that a permanently attached cord makes it harder to clean the unit. Even though it cannot be submersed, I do put it into a dry sink to fill with soap and water, and having the cord attached makes it tougher to fill and drain. No big deal. 

Again, I really appreciated the suggestion to fix it this way. I should get many years of additional use out of it, all for the investment of about $10 in parts and materials.


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