I have a vintage Kenwood Chef which stopped working.
A pinion was spinning on a shaft which is like:
I thought I was being smart in fluxing the parts and trying to run some solder in the joint.
Unfortunately, just after melting the solder, the pinion started to melt.
What is the likely material of this pinion?
If it's like what you showed in the link it could be what they call 'pot metal' or Mazak, a low grade alloy?
I'm surprised it melted at soldering temperature though, assuming you were using an iron rather than a flame?
Cheers, T i m
Nylon, polycarbonate or acetal. Or was it metal? Id be surprised that something metal that would melt at solder temps would be employed.
And frankly is a right bitch to stop them spinning once they start./ I'd advise a new unit. I was surprised to find that the factory or at least some semi official repository of spares carries nearly everything needed to do a proper repair at insanely treasonable prices.
If it really is spinning and to can get it right off and totally degrease it, there is a loctite - a series of loctite products that are designed to glue (brass) pinions onto (steel) shafts. Metal ones anyway. Came across them with model aircraft gearboxes.
However, depending on whatever, it may be cheaper to buy a new shaft and pinion assembly.
OUCH. Received wisdom seems to be that the plastic pinion splits, and that's that. Get a new pinion, and unfortuneatley they are NOT insanely reasonable. Just insane!
Oh hang on, if you go here
they have the pinion alone for < £9. That's more like it.
Looks like its Acetal (Delrin)
You will need to organise some sort of press - a G clamp and a small socket perhaps, to press the new pinion onto the shaft
Yes, me too. I am sure I did something similar to this many many moons ago with no issue, though the joint was not that good due to the dis similar metals. The later one she bought from another company used nylon gears, a lot quieter till a tooth broke off!
The material, on the original was rather rough looking as if it was a casting but the teeth site had obviously been machined. The shaft had originally been splined I think. Brian
The shaft had splines but they are nearly levelled from the spinning metal gear.
It all depends on how tight the new plastic one clamps down on the shaft.
I was considering making a silicone mould of a new one on a shaft, so I could cast a new metal pinion. But the alloys quoted by Tim have too high temperature for the direct casting pot metal of pot metal into silicone.
This was using a small blow torch. The alloys you mention melt at 400C or thereabouts. I'm still surprised I managed to melt it. I'm also surprised that such an allow is used as the primary gear wheel and thought wear would be a major issue.
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