Hello David, I recently silver soldered a fabricated top slide nut for a Myford S7 it came out OK although nowhere near the size of the nut you are soldering, I also had the advantage of a tap to help with the clean up.

If you do solder it may pay to file some small grooves down the bore to help the solder flow through.

The loctite route would probably work, certainly no clean up needed, you could always fit a cross pin on the joint afterwards to give a bit more security or maybe a grubscrew vertically down the joint line.

Andy

I suggest soft solder would be the most appropriate, although I’m sure the right grade of Loctite would be just as good.

One big advantage is that either method ‘undoable’ so in a hundred years time a future owner of the lathe could replace the bush you have made (Best leave some notes written in indelible ink on suitable paper).

Ian P

Loctite is what I would do. If you have not already done it, beware that you will have very little adjustment time as the copper content catalyzes the Loctite cure.

Don’t under estimate soft solder.

Loctite quote a shear strength of 2300 psi on aluminium (the only non ferrous metal they quote) for 680 grade.

Engineer’s edge gives a minimum of 2900 psi for tin solders on steel.  My guess is that would increase on brass or bronze substrate.

Martin

Same for the X way nut on my mill and that was eons ago

Bad bay I think.

First result was to the pdf with Google by entering henkle 680 data sheet

Even just entering Loctite 680 the first result was the henkle page with a downloadTDS sheet at the top

I performed a similar repair on the cross-slide nut on my Harrison L5 lathe, using soft solder without problems.

However, I did give the insert a flange to take most of the thrust from the solder.

(If I use a rear tool-post for parting-off the solder will take all the stress, but the joint area is large and the axial load from a narrow parting-tool modest.)

On 21 April 2026 at 21:20 bernard towers Said:

funny that brass coppers and bronzes are not mentioned or have I missed them?

Don’t take my word for it, Bernard … but if memory serves me well, the ‘Accelerators’  from Loctite are mostly based on Copper Sulphate.

ergo … the resin cures to full strength onBrass, etc. … it just happens quicker !

.

See Charles Lamont’s post, above.

MichaelG.