any idea of what would be involved in repairing this pan?

[SapTsunami]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1635107650756260

BB-sized hole in the base of the pan

Does this look like something I could fix with solder and a torch, or would it likely need to be taken into a metal fabrication shop?

[Brian]

You can solder it but not with a torch, it will burn the pan and may put a wave or a high spot in the pan. Use an old fashion soldering iron. Heat it up with a propane torch and go at it. Make sure to use a lot of flux and the solder is lead free.

[SapTsunami]

yeah sorry, when I said "torch" I meant a propane torch, not an oxy-acetylene cutting torch

[Brian]

I figuare as much but the ss is so thin you cant solder it with a propane torch

[BAP]

Soldering stainless steel syrup pans is very hard to do. Particularly if you haven’t done it before. The best thing would be to find someone to TIG weld the hole up for you. It will be a less frustrating and better fix.

[buckeye gold]

I agree BAP. I had a leak develop around my draw off and I had a machine shop Tig weld it. You will have a little roughness around the repair, but it'll hold. I think the guy called it sugar texture. That was 5 years ago and it's still solid. A good tig welder could do that in minutes. The shop I went to only charged me $50.00.

[Brian]

Yes I agree that welding is better but it depends on the stainless steel, The rule I was taught was if the pan was orginally soldered, then solder it, if it was tig welded, than weld it. Some stainless cracks after it is welded because it is so thin and the weld takes all the temper out of it. Most soldered pans are a thinner gauge of stainless steel than welded stainless steel. Good luck