Re-welding a knee lever on a shobud in Austin, TX?

Tony Rincon · Post by **Tony Rincon** » 1 Oct 2013 7:54 pm

My LKR or F# to G knee lever managed to come un-welded from the 'shaft' or 'barrel' that makes the change. Anyone know of someone in Austin that could re-weld it for me? I'm not any good with aluminum welding...the picture below will hopefully answer any questions. Thank you!

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 1 Oct 2013 9:09 pm

I'm thinking 3 options here:

1. Cheapo option: try JB weld or Devcon 2-ton epoxy

2. Find a welder that can do small parts. Maybe a brass musical instrument repair guy.

3. Replace the assembly with one from James Morehead or Michael Yahl. If you get a longer shaft, you can place that LKR lever further to the rear of the guitar, which is usually more comfortable (unless you have really long legs).

Good luck. That guitar looks like a nice, clean R&B ShoBud.

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 1 Oct 2013 9:37 pm

I don't think you need be concerned about aluminum welding,
as it looks as though the piece to which the actual knee lever
broke loose from the round shaft, both of which are steel.
Remove that piece from the lever and remove the shaft from the cabinet.
Chances are, the 'break' in the old weld will show the way they were
'positioned together' for the welder to re-weld the joint, if not, bring
the cabinet to the welder and show him how they're to be positioned.
~Russ

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 1 Oct 2013 10:52 pm

How about drilling a clearance hole in the knee lever (where it surrounds the shaft), then drilling and tapping a 8-32 hole in the shaft itself. This will allow you to bolt the two together with a socket-cap screw.

Anyone with a punch, vice and drill press should be able to easily do that for you.

Malcolm McMaster · Post by **Malcolm McMaster** » 2 Oct 2013 3:04 am

Ricky Davis lives around Austin area (I think) , being a super rebuilder of Buds ,should be able to help you.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 2 Oct 2013 5:43 am

Ricky Davis is your first best choice.
If I were hacking up my own steel I think drilling would be one way or I have a MIG wielder.
Is it aluminum or steel?

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 2 Oct 2013 6:34 am

I don't have welding equipment.
I've used JB weld in the past for the original parts and has worked mighty fine. This is a newly made part and takes a different weld...like silver solder weld type stuff...I would take it down to the local machine shop and say "hey dude; weld me up real quick and I'll buy ya a beer for lunch".
Ricky

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 2 Oct 2013 6:34 am

I don't have welding equipment.
I've used JB weld in the past for the original parts and has worked mighty fine. This is a newly made part and takes a different weld...like silver solder weld type stuff...I would take it down to the local machine shop and say "hey dude; weld me up real quick and I'll buy ya a beer for lunch".
Ricky

Jerry Jones · Post by **Jerry Jones** » 2 Oct 2013 6:52 am

As a rack & barrel, you most likely need a weld. Make sure the shop understands that the weld goes only on the outside of the knee lever bracket.... don't want to mess up your axle surfaces. And make sure your aluminum brackets are in place before the weld.

Jerry Jones · Post by **Jerry Jones** » 2 Oct 2013 10:47 am

And just to add.... this Rustoleum Professional silver spray paint is the very best I've found for touch-up or repaint of old Sho~Bud hardware. It sprays a thin coat that dries quickly and does not mottle like other metallic paints. Available at Home Depot.

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 2 Oct 2013 2:05 pm

No alum. welding needed. Lever is bolted on to a inch and 1/4 metal strap with a 5/16" hole in it. Anyone with a $89 Harbor Freight welder could easily do it. Even me. Weld around the outside as Jerry stated. RP

Ron Pruter · Post by **Ron Pruter** » 2 Oct 2013 3:02 pm

I'd like to ad, bringing "just" this part to a welder
will be very hard to do. You would need to pull all the pull rods that go through that rack, take off the complete puller assembly and either bring the whole assembly to the welder, or grind off the rivet that connects the linkage to the rack and then you have to re-rivet it back together. If it were me, I'd cover the whole bottom of the guitar with alum. foil to protect it from sparks, allowing just the area to be welded uncovered, and bring the whole inverted guitar to the welder. Don't bother trying JB weld at this joint. It will break the first time you try it. Good luck. RP
PS..I don't think Michael Yahl makes this bracket.

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 2 Oct 2013 4:50 pm

Tony, I've been waiting for you to email me a picture so I can just send you one. Now I know what you need, so send me your address. Problem solved, my friend!

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 2 Oct 2013 6:23 pm

I am a retired high pressure pipe welder , I have welded the main steam lines in nuclear reactors. If anyone needs something like that welded let me know I can do it very reasonable.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 2 Oct 2013 7:34 pm

It looks like the knee lever just has a hole in the bracket the lever attaches to. A simple weld the rod inside the hole from the outside. Any good machine shop welder should be able to do it. Mark the top dead center on the shaft looking down on it, so you will have an alignment point if the broken weld does not line up to make it fit correct. Looks like there is not enough shaft length to drill a hole in. Don't try any epoxy or glue the thing. It may not take the stress. Then a welder will have to get the parts clean of epoxy before he can do a proper weld. When I worked as a welder, bring it to me first. I did not want to clean up someone else mess. Good Luck in getting it fixed.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 3 Oct 2013 6:32 am

Tony
As stated I have a MIG wielder and torch I use to solder copper.
Another good idea would be go see Jim Flynn of Lone Star in Salado.
Jim is set up for manufacturing and things of this nature.
jflynn22538@earthlink DOT net
254-947-5867

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 3 Oct 2013 7:30 pm

Tony just needs to let me send him another. That part was from an era where these were "silver soldered". We have gone to arc welding them since, which is much more robust. That part is guaranteed, so will not cost Tony anything, and he will see this when he gets a chance to get back on the forum.

It's nice for ya'll to offer to weld it, but you can't finish it, and it will just begin to rust. Mine are plated to prevent that. It's as simple as it gets to just swap it out. Let a new one show up in the mail box.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 4 Oct 2013 10:07 am

Tony, you sure can't beat that offer. : )

Steve Alcott · Post by **Steve Alcott** » 4 Oct 2013 8:27 pm

Jim Morehead is a mensch among menschen.

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