I need some help from the renaissance people here on repairing a wind chime

[Norm L.]

I've had this windchime for over 25 years, so long I can't remember for sure what Maine harbor's bell buoy it imitates. I think it is Boothbay. For about 20 years it was on the balcony on the lake so was often in motion, sometimes very loudly. Happily the neighbors liked it.
I just took it down from its new loacation, our front porch. And I saw the wear.

I'm open to suggestions on how to rebuild the ring or otherwise hang it. It is made of cor-10 steel so I don't know how that affects welding/soldering/Super Glue.

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[Tim West Coast]

What about drilling a hole the other direction and putting in a new ring?

[Wayne Howard]

Zip tie a keychain ring onto the old ring? I would be reluctant to do any other modifications to the chime for fear of changing the tones. But that's just me.

[Norm L.]

Wayne, I like that idea. Even two similar diameter metal rings wire wrapped, one on each side.

Drilling a hole at the top would probably not greatly affect the sound but if you drilled below the common weld point you would go through two plates and would have to have a heafty ring to handle the chafe on the sharp edges of each plate. Rounding the holes sounds like way more work than wrapping chafing rings to the existing ring.

[Charles Brennan]

Norm, If it was me, I think I'd simply use a 3/32 thimble and cut it down to match the inside circumference, then crimp the edges to the ring with some pliers.

Hope this helps,
Charles Brennan

[Norm L.]

Now you've got me thinking two ways. "Cheek"chafing plates or an "insert"

So into the tiny shop and see what is lying around that can be adapted.

Thanks

[Spot]

Norm, have you reached out to North Country Wind Bells?
They mention a welded ring repair on Cor-Ten bells in their Q & A / FAQ section.

https://www.northcountrywindbells.com/images/Q_AND_A_List.pdf

If you know of or can find a good TIG or MIG weldor (person, not the machine) locally and bring them the bell and the right-sized ring, you might get the job done for some lunch money and/or a pleasant conversation. I imagine they'd cut off the old ring, split the new ring a bit, grind the weld area clean, and perform the weld.

[Riley Smith]

Second the welder. Although I'd just add a dot or two where the wear is with TIG. The best results would take the right MACHINE...one with a button start  ($$$$ for the equipment). And another thing. I think I'd brush the corrosion on the whole bit with a hand wire brush, and coat it with some of that liquid green stuff....the name escapes me at the moment, but it chemically combines with the iron oxide and stops corrosion, and is in reality a primer. Then paint the whole with some oil based paint to inhibit further corrosion. Yes, it won't look so old, but that doesn't mean it won't look good. I don't think Coreten will actually matter on something like that. Concern in that area would be reserved for more technical welds that have to hold pressure and be watertight IMHO. I'd run this by the weld engineer if I were at work...but even there you get so many opinions. I've told those yahoos that going DOWN a wire size in their automatics to .035 instead of .045 wire would lessen the rate of defects but they think that you can do so much MORE with .045. Never considering how much time is lost on repairing defects. Typical.

[Norm L.]

Ha! nothing dies on the internet!

I went to the tiny shop and found that, EUREKA! in my grommet set there was the perfect size. I did do some minor filing on the existing ring to smooth the inside surface and the paired grommet fit tightly. A year later still looks great.