When should you choose Arc Welding?

[Thomas Dean]

Glad you mentioned about AC machines and magnetized material. Not many folks know this and it sure comes in handy sometime!

There is a wire for cast iron, made by X-RGON, IIRC. It is a flux cored wire and works really well. It's been awhile but I seem to recall it comes in 1# and 10# spools and maybe the larger spools also. Personnally I would rather braze the stuff.

[irnsrgn]

There is a Tig rod for cast iron that has been on the market for many years, I got a couple of samples, but have never used it as yet as I only tigged Alum, SS, Magnesium and one large Brass Bell from a Steam Locomotive.

As far as wire for Cast iron, a nickel wire for cast iron has also been on the market for many years. Nickel or SS on cast was a last resort for me to use and only when someone had daubed a bunch of nickel on something to start with. Cast rod or Bronze with the oxy/acet torch was my choice for repairing Cast. They say you can't repair Nodular Cast, but any old time shopman has repaired it many times by brazing.

The shopmans nightmare is when a Rockmont or other high priced rod salesman comes around and peddles Super Missile weld to the farmers at $30 + a pound and tells them it will weld anything. 309 SS rod is basically the same thing for a lot less money. The repair price just almost doubles after someone daubs it full of missile gunk.

As far as Arc Blow with DC, there are several simple proceduress that can eliminate the Arc Blow when using DC and you can get it when doing any DC welding.

[tompdw]

John, You just lost me. I am not a welder but I do it as a hobby. I have an AC/DC Hobart stick and a Hobart mig. I have no idea what you are tlaking about when you talk about magnetized structures and arc blow. Could you please enlighten the uninformed? Thanks.

[Covforge]

Irnsrgn,
A trick I learned is to take a nickle stick rod and knock off the flux and polish clean with sand paper then tig as if welding mild steel. Heat to smoking and grind out to prepair. I've taught this to several people and they all swear it's the best for cast.
Travis

[irnsrgn]

tom, arc blow is a magnet phennomenum that can happen occasionally when doing welding with a DC welder as the poles do not alternate when actually welding. The 3 counter measures are in order of simplicity:

1. move the ground to a different location.

2. change the direction of travel.

3. wrap the ground cable around the item several times.

[Golden_eagle]

I've found Schematics for a moble (no 220, 120, 110, outlet needed at all) stickwelder powered by a single 12v marine deepcycle battery and A LOT of transformers (Flyback or microwave)