Stick welding cast iron

Ok, heres is what I would like: What rod have you used on cast iron. Who made it. Is pre heating needed. Ac or Dc Rod. And finaly what is your opinion and how were the results. Thanks for your time

Mac Leod

MG 200 or 210 DC have used this rod over 30 yrs. with no problems. When arc welding cast at least take the CHILL out of the part being welded.

Check the archives this subject has been covered several times.This should get ya pointed in the right direction! Maybe? BobRR

Ni-cads 1/8 rod Ac welder... Its better to break the part all the way off, then to try to fix a crack... I do not pre-heat... I only weld 3/4" and walk away... My part never gets hot... It might take me a few days to get it welded, but it works...

An old timer Master Welder still into repairing cast iron showed us a new to us, but old way of welding old porous cast iron as we tried to repair a crack in our Reid. We used nickel stick rod on AC. "V" Grooved away along the crack and then while metal is cold, arced about an inch weld starting at the end of the crack. Immediatly pean the weld with the ball end of a ball pean hammer until it is cold to touch. This causes the nickel to mash down into the crack. It is time consuming but works and holds great!




http://www.downards.com

Greg, Our Die welders in the shop use the peen method to remove air bubbles and relieve stress. Great tip. Dave in Holt.

The trick with peening Nickel is to know when to STOP. You can peen the weld until it expands right out of the weld area. While I'm at it, peening is NOT beating the hell of the weld!!! Continuous tapping with the ball peen until the weld area is cool enough to not burn yourself. MANY cast pieces can be arc welded with plain old 6011 or 7018. Brazing is another option. Nickel just isn't needed every time a piece of cast iron shows up. Unless a machinable weld is required we seldom use Nickel at all. Craig

Just remember that no welded part is ever as strong as an unwelded one. if the part is under a load go very cautiously and NEVER weld on flywheels!

DAN

The part I am welding is the bracket for the fly ball governer on a 3 hp herc. engine, when it broke the first time it was brazed together while in place, the brazing failed again and at that point the engine ran no more. My engine had a rough life on the cement mixer...the mixer was by a chain drive and some how the engine riped the top gear that turned the mixer from its shaft, 1 1/8 diameter shaft that is. the gear was welded back in but it was not true with the shaft so the chain rubbed the fly wheel removing "just a bit of metal". The piston was re ringed with 6 rings instead of the normal 3. Then it was put in upside down with out the oil tube from the piston skirt to wrist pin...goodby wrist pin and bushing. the pin its self was worn down about a 32 of an inch the bushing was about 3/32 off. I think this was the second pin the engine went throught because why else woud the piston come off the con. rod, which would allow the piston to be put on upside down...hmm if only the engine had a oil tube. The governer was apart once also, there should be a ball bering in side the governer but it was missing and the governer was reassembled wrong, the engine ran a bit fast and the fly weights hit the cyl. wall where it extends from the block. there was no damage to the cyl. but the cyl wall has a 1/4 inch chunck of metal missing...there are other problems also.

Having fun in the warm ca. sun

thanks Mac Leod

I have had excellent luck welding cast with stick and TIG using nickel rod. The secret is the peen. I used the point end of a welding hammer for years and then discovered that a pnumatic needle scaler held 90 degrees to the weld works fast and easy. It peens the heck out of it without the excessive beating you were warned against earlier. You have to spread the filler metal to allow for shrinkage when it cools. Works for me anyhow. I hope it works for you too.