Spot welded Kitchen Colander

This colander has been with me a long time so when the spot welds failed and the handle came off I wanted to fix it.

The handle had enough metal to allow a hole to be drilled for a bolt. I bought a small quantity of stainless steel M3 x 8mm bolts and nuts. Stainless steel is important in this case as it will come into contact with food. I also bought some 3mm drill bits suitable for drilling stainless steel.

The first step was to file off the old spot welds and then use a burr tool to make an indentation as a start for the hole. I then drilled the 3mm hole in the handle and basket. An old gardening glove proved useful to prevent the vice from damaging the metal. I then cleaned off the burrs with the file and fitted the bolts.

A final check was made to ensure there were no sharp edges and now it will go back into service.