[TheForge] Brooms and Welding Cast

[Jonathan Nedbor]

Thanks for all the leads on the brooms. Appreciate it .......

As for welding cast iron, after I read the info on the "metal stiching" 
website I'm amazed that I was ever able to weld cast iron successfully. I 
have avoided using the nickel arc rod, as I find it looks terrible and is a 
different color (which matters for some things).

I don't know the name of the rod I use - someone out there will probably 
know - it is about 1/4" square and looks like cast iron ie. "pebbly" surface 
and mold marks. It is even brittle like cast. This stuff flows great with 
TIG or torch. I have built up, modeled, broken/missing parts with it, joined 
large pieces, etc. I even used it for an antique cast pedestrian gate that 
had been badly broken in a attempted robbery.

I have preheated and not preheated my repairs with success. I recommend the 
preheat - till the piece glows dull orange - and welding while hot, stopping 
to reheat if necessary. It is important to "V" out the weld area to get good 
penetration and as Ralph mentioned to leave a little of the original mating 
surfaces to "key" the positioning.


I have found that there have been some things that I could not successfully 
weld, I think that the items were exposed to extended periods of heat in 
their lifetime, such as some old cast andirons and engine parts - the weld 
area seems to keep "running" away, the liquid area keeps receding.

One question I have, someone mentioned that the preheat should use diesel or 
nat. gas, not propane? I have used a large Johnson propane forge and my coal 
fire for my preheating with no problems.

Got a foot of snow outside and still coming down! Do I go skiing or stay 
home and be responsible and work - tough choice!

Jon Nedbor