The Singer legs were in really good shape. There are two breaks in them but the previous owners did not attempt to repair them and this will be a perfect candidate for TIG brazing. The legs are made from Cast Iron which has a different Coefficient of Expansion than normal steel. Too many people try to weld these closed and since the two materials expand and contract at very different rates, as the weld cools down, it puts a huge stress on the rest of the cast iron. The weld will look nice and strong but it is a failure just waiting to happen. Cast Iron is very brittle so the smallest stress point can cause big problems.
You can buy special alloy filler rods for Cast Iron, these are used to repair old engine blocks but they are not common and are priced way up in the nosebleed territory ($80/pack).
TIG Brazing uses a regular TIG torch with an inert shielding gas (Argon) to heat the metal and then you apply a filler metal that has a much lower melting point and is also a lot more ductile. It will squish and stretch to compensate for the cast iron expanding and contracting. The repair is not as strong but it is a lot more fool-proof and is easily reversed if something goes wrong.
Went South to Win-Co and picked up some kitty litter and a dish pan for it. As I said, I am looking at adopting a cat from the local shelter - Bear and I are both missing Grace and need a little bit of chaos in our lives.
Putter around here for a little bit - doing some spaghetti for dinner.
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