Nick Esposito Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I know this has probably been discussed a million times before on this forum but I guess I'll ask anyway. Is there any way of hard-facing a cheap cast iron doorstop? I have read that the process of welding on a hard face is a waste of time with no guarantee of success. that being said, is there any other way of doing this, such as epoxy glues or with fasteners. I am kind of obsessed with this, but I should probably just drop the idea and get a real anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulsepushthepopulace Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I know this has probably been discussed a million times before on this forum but I guess I'll ask anyway. Is there any way of hard-facing a cheap cast iron doorstop? I have read that the process of welding on a hard face is a waste of time with no guarantee of success. that being said, is there any other way of doing this, such as epoxy glues or with fasteners. I am kind of obsessed with this, but I should probably just drop the idea and get a real anvil! #1,000,001 :D welding any kind of hard-facing rod to cast iron, you have to lay a nickel rod butter layer.. last time I checked nickel rods like $60-$70 for 1 pound... after that initial layer, if it adheres, you're looking at hardfacing rods in the $8-$25 a pound range. im probably missing another layer or two of something else... It's not that it cant be done, it's the cost of the material needed to accomplish the task without the guaranteed end product, or any gains whatsoever... get a mass of steel... a forklift tine, a RR track, a granite slab... use it... no sense in polishing a piece poop if you catch my drift... (hope that was kosher mods...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Why not try hardfacing another piece of cast iron with hardfacing rod as a test. I just purchased some Stoody hardfacing rod at about $110.00 for a box of about 100 rods. I did not use it on cast iron but on mild steel. Contact one of the welding machine makers as they may have technical assistance that may help. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Buchanan Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 has anyone had any first hand exp using nickle mig wire as a base ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Cast iron can be repaired by stick welding with cast iron or nickel rods, or an acetylene torch and silicon bronze brazing wire. Pre-heat and post-heat is critical to avoid cracking in most cases. The problem with welding anything else to cast iron is that it has too much carbon, above 2%. When the filler rod mixes with the base metal, even 60 and 70 series wire, you get a very brittle deposit, and a very weak heat-affected zone at the interface. Apply enough force, and it will separate at the interface. Applying a hard facing rod directly to cast iron just makes it worse. That is why you have to use nickel rod as a butter layer, to keep the carbon out of the build up layer. It is relatively soft, and prevents carbon migration between layers. Build up rod is relatively flexible compared to hard facing, and can be applied in any number of layers. Hard facing is seldom applied more than 2 layers thick, or it will crack on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Agreed ! John has it . Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Esposito Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 Thanks! this basically confirmed my previous notion, that is that the process is just not worth the time or effort to fix a doorstop. I have been in the process of finding a giant piece of mild steel for a while now. I guess I will just have to be a little more resourceful. Does welding a large piece of steel require preheat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulsepushthepopulace Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Thanks! this basically confirmed my previous notion, that is that the process is just not worth the time or effort to fix a doorstop. I have been in the process of finding a giant piece of mild steel for a while now. I guess I will just have to be a little more resourceful. Does welding a large piece of steel require preheat? Depends on your setup... Parent metal. Filler. The function of your end product; Is it a scrap sculpture or is it a structural component??? So many things to consider... I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if your welding a large piece of steel, YES... look it as waking up on a cold morning and as soon as your feet hit the floor you run a 300 yard dash, at top speed, ... You'd probably pull something, tear something, and really hurt yourself... Take the same scenario, you wake up eat breakfast, stretch, jog a little, warm up... then sprint 300 yards... the stress on your body would be greatly reduced... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Alloy plays a big part too 1020 doesn't need a preheat but you better do one on 1095 for example to prevent martensite in the HAZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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