Sorry if this isn't the right forum, not sure where to post this...
One of the aluminum ribs (spokes) of my patio umbrella snapped in some high winds while I was at work.
How can I go about mending this?
I can't shorten the length, so I need to mend it so it stays the same length. I'm thinking to cut a piece out of a/c duct work metal and wrap it around the broken rib and rivet it together.
Any other easier or better ideas?
Also was thinking to put something on the inside between the two pieces which I can epoxy to give it rigidity when I put the two pieces together. The ribs are hollow, rectangular tubing.
So that is a rectanglar shaped piece of hollow tube.
Not sure what home improvement stores you have over there but they carry short pieces of aluminum stock.
I have like 35 different types of stock that I make parts out of.
I would try to get a piece to go inside the tube you have there.
You can also use something like a short piece of steel line.....like brake line......maybe 3/16 of an inch and flatten it out to fit inside the tube.
We have Lowes, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.
I will see what rectangular tubing they have, maybe something just small enough to fit the inside of my tubing.
You can also use something like a short piece of steel line.....like brake line......maybe 3/16 of an inch and flatten it out to fit inside the tube.
Good idea, like it.
I have all my stock lined up at the top of a shelf as well as in a small rack.
I save small pieces of metal all the time.
It's great to be able to walk in and pick a piece of material to make a small repair.
A flat corner brace cut in half would probably work too. They come in many different sizes and thicknesses.
Classic case of a stress-riser (the screw hole) causing fracture of a member, by reducing the cross-sectional area significantly.
Had a similar thing happen to our cheapo patio cover last year, except it was a heavy, wet snow that did the damage to at least a half dozen members. I was going to repair them with smaller tubing, glued inside, but decided on a much cheaper (and easier) fix. Find either a long (4 min.) hex bolt that just fits, snugly, inside of your tube, or a piece of aluminum or brass round--mine took 3/8 aluminum (or magnesium) which happened to be in my bolt stash. Cut the bolt head off, and goop everything up with a heavy dose of J-B weld before sliding things together. Clamp both halves to a scrap board with waxed paper on it to keep things in alignment. You may have to true up the inside tube profile (tapered drift works great) where the hole countersink is, otherwise the bolt won't fit properly. Allow the J-B weld to cure for a day, and it will be stronger than new. Clean things up with flex-wheel grinder, add some paint, and drill a new hole for the attachment screw. If you happen to use a steel bolt, drill the hole slightly over-sized to avoid stripping the screw.
Tags: patio, umbrella, broke, repair, inside tube, also something, also something like, also something like short, also something like short piece, brake line, brake line maybe, brake line maybe inch, brake line maybe inch flatten
