Can you torch cut cast iron? and if not, how does industry handle cutting cast?

You can cut it the same as steal, torch, abrassive cut off wheel, hacksaw, or bandsaw, just depends on what it is (shape, size, weight) and how nice of a cut you want.

welder19

Cutting cast iron is painful/ugly with a torch, a lot of industry uses a plasma cutter these days.

If you can cut it with a torch, it ain't cast iron!

The best way I've used other than a saw is air arc or arc gouging. It's not pretty but effective.
Travis

What about the trick of welding a steel line where you want to cut and then cutting through it and the cast? Ugly but I've seen it done.

plasma cutter or cut off wheels are the two ways I like to cut cast iron.

I've used a waster plate, which is to clamp a piece of mild steel on top of the cast iron and cut through both. Same concept as Thomas' suggestion but with the added aggravation associated with stack cutting.

At work we had a pile of 2 inch thick cast iron drain grates that needed to be narrowed an inch (about 40 feet of cut) which we sent off to our metal supplier to cut as they have the biggest, baddest plasma cutter around these parts. When in doubt, farm it out!

SOME cast iron will come APART with a torch, but it's a real pain. It's doesn't CUT the cast necessarily, but melts it enough that the oxygen will push it out of the way (this is not how a cutting torch works to cut regular mild steel for those who think that this IS how the torch cutting process works). Very ugly and messy as all get out. Abrasive wheels work great, but they take a while. Especially if the cast has any "meat on it's bones" LOL. I have found that some can be scored just enough with a cut-off wheel and then snapped like floor tile. It's faster but not as guaranteed as cutting it out-right.

I only have one question though, why would you want or need to cut cast?? It's called CAST iron for a reason.... Because it's casted into what ever shape or object that it needs to be. I can understand a job like Cami said, but not much more than that.

You can cut it the same as steal, torch, abrassive cut off wheel, hacksaw, or bandsaw, just depends on what it is (shape, size, weight) and how nice of a cut you want.

welder19

NOWAY!!!!!!......... Norm :

Edited October 21, 200817 yr by nfinch86