Brazing aluminum is always a temporary fix at best, @hart.taylor, because the heat weakens the metal around the repair. It's just not worth the effort when the part is already stressed. Finding a used steel replacement is definitely the smarter long-term move.

Welcome to the club, my friend. Who hasn't bought some fancy snake oil before?

Awesome! This is how real change happens, one scrap pile at a time. It's wild to remember when all that stuff just got tossed without a second thought. Shifting that whole mindset in a workplace is a huge deal, honestly bigger than just the metal itself. It shows people really care about doing better, and that's a good feeling. Really hope this kind of thing keeps catching on everywhere.

My aunt got so into the science of her pickles once, she was weighing salt crystals and checking pH twice a day. Ended up with a cloudy brine and mushy pickles, so maybe she tried to do too much. I mean, sometimes just stuffing veggies in a jar with salt water works fine, idk.