Hi I have had numerous stoves that have damage around the leg housings caused by the stove having been dropped on a leg or something heavy having been dropped on the leg. Previously I have inserted shims which cures the problem but I have had difficulty keeping the shims in despite trying to glue them in. The problem is that the inside of the housing is dirty so the glue cannot grip on the dirty surface. I am now using this method. Basically the idea is that the upper part of the shim can attach to clean brass which holds the bottom in even if the solder in the housing does not bond to the tank. The shim is shaped to fit the housing and to cover the tank damage. It is then dressed over the tank top to closely follow the curve of the tank. The shim is then cleaned on its inside, fluxed and tinned (covered with a thin film of solder). After the tinning has set the surface is again cleaned and fluxed as is the tank surface. The shim is then pushed into the housing and held down with a leg pushed into the housing. The shim is then sweated to the tank top. Sweating consists of heating the metal until the solder appears around the edge of the metal. The shim is held down with the leg until the solder sets. The repair is shown after cleaning but before polishing The repaired housing is a snug fit on the leg and looks a lot neater than the dinted tank Regards Bryan
