About Us

Starting Them Young

James Ruther Sr. was born and raised in Vallejo, California. Early on, he developed an interest in welding and fabrication due to his father’s occupation as a welder on submarines, and their shared interest in early hot rods.

After years of enthusiastically skipping school to work on his project cars, James relocated to Vacaville, California, to begin his career in the automotive industry. As he grew in his trade, he gained experience, and more importantly, the certifications to employ a number of different welding processes while working with the many materials typically encountered when building cars.

From Concept To Reality

Over the years, James worked throughout the automotive sheet-metal industry, progressing from technician to owning a full-service restoration shop.

But his real interest was always the same: Finding solutions to problems that others considered impossible to solve.

One of those recurring problems happened to be a material commonly referred to as “Pot Metal,” though it is also associated with a number of other related terms, including monkey metal, white metal, Zamak, and spelter.

First, a brief explanation:

Pot metal is notorious for a number of reasons. The term generally refers to low-melting-point casting alloys, many of which are zinc based, though compositions can vary considerably between manufacturers and applications. Modern zinc-based pot metal castings may use alloys such as Zamak, but the term “pot metal” has historically been used more broadly. Zinc itself melts at approximately 787 degrees Fahrenheit, but the melting range of an alloy depends on its specific composition.

The condition of an old casting can also be affected by corrosion, oxidation, and exposure to chemicals and solvents, all of which can make an already difficult material even more challenging to repair.

As they age, these castings can crack, break, deteriorate, lose entire sections, and generally become more damaged than conventional repair methods can easily address.

For many years, the answer to the pot metal problem was something to the effect of, “Throw it away and get a new one.” Which works when a replacement exists, but most of these parts are rare, obsolete, still insanely expensive in less than optimal condition, or completely one-of-a-kind.

When there is no replacement available, the problem becomes much more difficult to solve.

And that problem became our mission.

A Different Approach

James Sr. dedicated years to developing a practical method for repairing pot metal that could serve as an alternative to legacy techniques like soldering or brazing.

These methods are fine, but they are just that – fine.

James’ goal was to produce a welded solution that fuses broken and cracked joints, rather than relying on a surface bond.

The reasoning behind our approach was that a fused joint would greatly reduce the risk associated with repairs failing during the re-plating process, which soldered repairs are known to do. This would potentially save customers thousands of dollars and months of additional waiting, by doing it right the first time.

After years with his nose to the grindstone, all of the long nights in the shop finally paid off, and James Sr. had finally perfected the technique that we still use today.

It was not long after the first few jobs were completed that customer testimonials confirmed our theory about the durability, and cost saving effects of a welded repair.

What began as a personal pursuit and a desire to help fellow automotive and antique enthusiasts became Pot Metal Repair.

A Family Business

Since 2017, Pot Metal Repair has been a family and veteran-owned business, dedicated to quality, integrity, and the continual refinement of our process.

The idea that was born in a garage, and began as nothing more than a personal goal is now a multi-generation shop with a thriving social media presence, and expanding capabilities that include but are not limited to 3D modeling, re-casting components, 3D printing, pot metal welding, cast iron welding, and cast aluminum welding.

However, we make it a point to remember our humble beginnings, and the people who helped us get to where we are.

No matter how much we grow, we are keenly aware of how much we owe every bit of our success to God, and the customers He brings us. To express that appreciation, all of the work we perform is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

If your parts fail at the chrome shop, or they break in shipping, we will fix them free of charge because we stand by our process, and we stand by our customers.

Thanks for stopping by!

– The Pot Metal Family