Galvanised watering can repair

plumbers solder and blowlamp/plumbers flux.

Exactly the same thing happened to mine, also galvanised, bought at ASDA. I used a hot glue gun to force glue into the join. That was five years ago and it's started to leak a bit again, so I'll just give it the same treatment.

MM

Will that "stick" to the *galvanised* can, though?

MM

That will not 'take' on a galv finish. I don't think they even solder them when new - I think they just fold the base/sides together, then rely on the galv dip to provide the final seal.

I would be inclined to suggest running some paint around the inside lip, hoping it were thin enough to make its way into the leak point and seal it.

Thanks for the replies folks:) That's me sorted for a bit this weekend - - -maybe I wont have to do much in garden now - - - - fat chance:)

In the dark ages the fix was to take 2 steel washers, 2 rubber washers, drill through the crack and bolt washers either side to make the seal. Don't know whether they still sell a "kit of parts" but these bits are easy enough to find in garage junk boxes.

Good fix for rust pinholes, but it won't work near a non-flat seam.

I'd dry it out well (maybe on the stove a bit) then paint the inside with some bitumen black paint (cheap from Screwfix, dead handy). Two coats should seal any crimped joints that have sprung open.

absolutely.

its only zinc, and that solders well.

it will with an agressive flux.

Mine is a Haws too and it's a favourite as has a long spout. The frost also got mine and it is leaking all round the base. I wonder if there is any 'rubber' type paint one could do on the inside and outside?

There's silicone. Or epoxy.

NT

You can get special low temperature solder that works on galvanised steel.

POR15 but may cost more than the can.

Aside from the fact that the original can leaked in 2011: regular tin/lead or tin solder will work on galvanised steel, also on sheet zinc. Just don't overheat, i.e. an electric iron is better than a blowlamp (which may burn off the zinc, or melt a hole in sheet zinc). Zinc chloride is a good flux, used to known as "killed spirits of salt".

Thomas Prufer

The question was asked 21 hours ago. Tin/lead solder will work in the sense that it goes on, if the workpiece is got spotless, which may be a challenge. But it has near zero strength.

NT

CLEAN galvanised steel solders very nicely using the new 'lead free' solder - in fact it's about the only thing I've found that it is useful for ! I bend up small boxes and fitting from 1.2 mm 'Zintec' sheet and fillet all the corners with this stuff. Take a time getting used to the longer liquidus but the results are very good given practice.

Andrew

epoxy would be stronger

NT