repairing cast iron

[Sam Falzone]

Hi there,
I was wondering if someone may have an answer for this. I have a really old cast iron pot that I cracked a few years back. This thing is huge and hard to replace and really old.
Is there a way to weld a cracked cast iron pot and still make it useable (food safe and all that stuff)?
If there is, how do you do it?

Aeneas

[Finnr]

I couldn't do it with 100 percent results. May be others on here who could.
Finnr

[racer3j]

in the last couple days we discussed this in this sub or perhaps Prob. Solv.mike--- Problem Solving --4th thread down.

Edited August 13, 2008 by racer3j
thread location

[Metal Head]

Grind out the crack to recieve a weld,then heat with a torch until hot, then weld with some nickle rod,i have done this with cast electric motor housings,it works well,if not find a good welding shop,if they know there stuff you will be pleased

[irnsrgn]

lostt cause

[rlarkin]

If you just want to patch it make it water tight, v it out and braze it up.
To weld properly you need to pre heat, weld with nickel rod, then bury it in sand for a day to cool REAL slow.
I have used a rod by Forney called NOMOCAST with fairly descent results and no pre heat.

If you plan on using it for a cooking vessel, or something that will see heat, forget it.

[Travis Covington]

Just v it out take a nickle rod nock of the flux & sand it clean then tig it.
Travis

[Hillbillysmith]

It can be done, but if you have never worked with cast before and you want to be able to use it, don't do it yourself because you never know what type of cast iron it is. But depending on how valuable it is to YOU, and depending on how much you use it, you may as well use it for decoration because it won't be worth it to get it fixed. But if you want it fixed, go to the local welding supplier and ask around to see if they know any place that welds cast.

Like I said, it CAN be done, but don't do it yourself b/c it's just going to be too much of a pain to deal with.

-Hillbilly

[Sam Falzone]

Thanks Hillbilly.
I think I'm going to bring the idea to an old welder/Blacksmith I met 2 months ago (he did another welding job for me then) and see what he says. I've been meaning to go back and introduce myself and hopefully talk some shop with him.
Thanks again for the advice.
Aeneas

[PeterDE4]

I may have luck doing some things simply because I don't know any better, but I Mig weld cast iron on a regular basis with mild steel wire. I use decorative cast iron panels in some of my railings and gates, and I just Mig weld them to the steel frames. I met a fellow one time who made up metal grills for the windows of his gun store, and he just Mig welded the panels together. I'd vee it out a little before trying it, as some of the other folks have suggested. And, if you have access to a Tig welder, just use a nickle rod.

[Hillbillysmith]

Peter, it's not that easy. for ornamental work, MIG welding the cast iron will do just fine. But the object that he is talking about doesn't just need to hold together. It will be frequently subjected to heating and cooling at different rates which will expand and contract both the weld metal and the cast iron at different rates. This will almost guarantee a weld failure ie; cracked weld, cracked base metal, etc.

-Hillbilly