Shrinking Aluminum

[confederatemule]

This is definitely off topic. I bought 2 used pressure cookers. A 4 quart and a 6 quart. After I got them home, I realized that they were not flat on the bottom. They both tried to roll when on a flat surface. Does anyone have any idea how to shrink the bottom so they will sit flat?
Thanks for any help.
Mule

[stevec]

I've come across that with alum. pressure cookers and some SS pots & pans with aluminum bottoms. What I've done is invert them on my woodworking bench and with an appropriate piece of hardwood on the bowed out portion given them a whack with a large hammer. A few tries will give you an idea of how much "whack" to administer. I had no problem with a few that I "overwhacked" that became concave slightly, they still sat so much better on the burners.
Good luck.
P.S. do you want a good recipe for pressure cooked corned beef?

[confederatemule]

I've come across that with alum. pressure cookers and some SS pots & pans with aluminum bottoms. What I've done is invert them on my woodworking bench and with an appropriate piece of hardwood on the bowed out portion given them a whack with a large hammer. A few tries will give you an idea of how much "whack" to administer. I had no problem with a few that I "overwhacked" that became concave slightly, they still sat so much better on the burners.
Good luck.
P.S. do you want a good recipe for pressure cooked corned beef?

Steve, yes please on the recipe.

Maybe I'll put it in my press and be careful.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[stevec]

Steve, yes please on the recipe.

Here goes.

4-5lb Corned beef brisket
2 sm. onions, sliced
1½ c. sliced celery
2 lg. garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. dill weed
3 bay leaves, halved
2 c. water
Place corned beef in pressure cooker (on the little plate to keep it of the bottom) with the 2 c. water.
add the remaining ingredients.
Cook at 15 lbs pressure for 50 minutes.
Let pressure drop of it's own accord, release cover, remove corned beef and enjoy!

[confederatemule]

Thanks for the recipe.

[confederatemule]

I placed them upside down in the press. Applied pressure to the portion that is out of shape and heated with a propane torch. Not too hot, just enough heat. I am happy now.

[steamin10]

A warning about aluminum and heat: Aluminum can loose all its strength and turn mushy in some alloys as low as 850 degrees. A temperature of 450 can change the hardness and temper.

A fellow diver had his 2 year old scuba tanks powder coated. This invloves cleaning, blasting, removing scratches from the outer surface, and then magnetically dusting plastic powder to it, and then heating in a set oven, so the plastic melts and bonds to the clean surface of the item. The tanks looked really good in hot red.

In charging the first tank to 3k lbs, it ripped open, and destroyed the water bath sink, shield, and parts of the back storage room. The second tank was hydroed and failed the test. It was determined with letters to the manufacturer, that the heat of setting the coating came above the transition temp for the aluminum, weakening the base material.

I have straigtened dinged wheel rims and such, but always with the proviso of no guarentee of success, as cast aluminum for wheels, once bent, fracture rather easily. Wheel forgings, and forged parts have a laminar grain structure, rather than crystiline, and are much stronger, and willing to be moved back into shape.

I see no problem, hackin, ore whackin, pressin' a steam cooker for low pressure. ( I have whacked one that was convex from freezing in the winter. Wasnt pretty, but still made a pressure pot for a paint gun.).

Just a tidbit from the ol' brain file, carry on.