pin holes in galvanized flue pan.

[DJ Lasell]

I have been offered a 2 x 3 leader flue pan - it had only been used 3 seasons.
It was stored for the last 5 years under a tarp - without brushing the soot off from the flues.
There are now lots (hundreds) of pinholes mostly in the bottoms of the flues.
Is there a way to patch these pin holes?
Perhaps with a paintable coating.

I have been given several suggestions by well meaning friends, of trying anything from JB weld to having them re-tinned......
I have no experience, except to know that fixing a car radiator is not an easy job - and then there is that whole food grade thing?
It seems that even a time consuming patch job would be cheaper than buying a flue pan ($1000), if it works?

Is it a lost cause?

DJ

[blissville maples]

I can tell you from experience that if it's not leaking very bad I would boil on it and sooner or later the holes will plug with burnt syrup the problem with trying to clean the metal and get back to something that is clean enough to solder is that a lot of times the steel will Rust all the way through so you cannot get any good metal to solder to. I have made Fairly good repairs on them when everything is clean but certain spots are just too rusty to do anything with. And then if you do solder you have to have the right type of solder and flux Etc I do not think JB Weld would hold up as the fire is too intense and you will have expansion and contraction differences of dissimilar materials. If you do boil on it as is just don't brush the flues to clean them

[maple flats]

It is unlikely the pan is galvanized, especially if it is by Leader. However pans before the use of SS began were made of what was called English tin. Those pans have not been made in about 30 years or so. As for pin holes, if truly pin holes, do as blissville maples says, the holes will plug themselves. Then don't clean them too much.

[maple flats]

Unless they are labeled as lead free on an official sticker with Leader's name on it, check for lead in the solder. Back in the days of English Tin, the solder had lead in it. If they do have the lead free sticker the pan is likely stainless.