[TheForge] Welding cast iron

Fri Dec 9 16:01:39 EST 2005

Braze.  Yup.  Maybe this weekend if it's not too miserable in the shop.  

Aubrey

________________________________

From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net on behalf of Tod Estes
Sent: Thu 12/8/2005 11:38 PM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Welding cast iron

Hi Aubrey,
 We got bout 3 inches, jest nuff for the kids to muck about in it. The
temp went to -2 for a little bit will be at -8 tonight.

If you already have forged a new part try brazing the old one. If it
dosent crack further or fall apart at the joint you are not out anything
and trying it would not hurt. You would proablably be surprized about how
well it will hold up once you are done.  I would use the stick welding as
last resort
 How about Gas welding? Since it is a small piece you could probably get
the temp high enough during preheat and slow cool. Naaa Braze it.
 .
IN OTHER NEWS: Will be hosting the Feb Meeting of Saltfork NE group here
at Oologah Smithy. & Just picked up my Christmas present from the freight
dock. Nice lookin Anvil from Old World Anvils. Have a little work to do on
it and have to make a stand. Cannot wait to actually use it. Do I have to
wait for St. Nick to drop it down the chimney? I actually get to put the
first ding in it, I have noone to blame now.

> Bernie,
>
> Spark testing is a good idea.  I wish I had a better developed eye for
> sparks.  I keep meaning to gather a collection of known metals and
> practice identifying the differences.
>
> In the meantime, let's have a discussion of the relative merits of nickel
> welding vs. brazing.  I have read many places that a good braze can be a
> very strong joint and avoids some of the problems of melting the base
> metal.  The few attempts at brazing that I have done have held up, but
> they were not under the strain that this piece will need to take.
>
> Tod, I think we got less than 1" of snow.  How about you?
>
> Aubrey
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net on behalf of Bisnette SSgt Bernie R
> Sent: Wed 12/7/2005 5:42 PM
> To: 'Sponsored by ABANA'
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] Welding cast iron
>
>
>
> In my humble opinion, one of the most forgotten arts that we forget about
> is
> using the spark test to identify what is contained within the metals.  Do
> the sparks look like arrows, or fire works, what is the color etc?  Much
> can
> be told by the grinding wheel...especially those of us who scrounge metals
> from scrap heaps and junk yards. I've actually tripped into some re-bar
> that
> had rather high carbon content, enough that it heat treated rock hard.
> Take
> the broken piece and run it against a grinding wheel and see if it is
> malleable cast.  I think you are sitting on a golden opportunity Aubrey,
> in
> that you have room to experiment.  Grab some nickel rods, preheat that
> piece
> and hit with a tack weld and see what happens.  If it crumbles, you can
> always forge one.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Washington, Aubrey O. [mailto:awashington at ou.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 12:40 AM
> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] Welding cast iron
>
> As long as we are talking about welding cast iron, I have a question.
> Recently I bought an Acme post drill that looks exactly like one in the
> 1915
> Sears catalog; the one for $7.10 at
> http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/drilling/postdril.htm.  After cleaning
> off
> 90 years of ossified grease and dirt and oiling it up, the drill worked
> great!  I was able to drill a 3/4" hole in 1/8" plate in a couple of
> minutes.  I was so happy I began gleefully drilling holes in everything I
> could find.  Then came the problem; I broke my new toy.
>
> The small wheel at the top advances the down-feed of the spindle by means
> of
> a pivot arm that works against the eccentric hub of the flywheel.  I broke
> the pivot arm by continuing to crank after the spindle reached its maximum
> extension. In my feeble defense, it broke at or near a previous repair.
>
> Now here are my questions.  Is this arm likely to be cast iron?  It looks
> like it might be because the angular shape of it looks like it was
> designed
> to release from a mold.  The interior of the break looks grey and grainy.
>>From this thread I take it the repair could be done by arc welding with
> nickel rod, brazing, or gas welding with iron.  Bernie points out that
> expansion is often a big problem in welding cast.  But that should not be
> much of an issue with this part since it is small and there is no
> restriction on expansion in the length of the arm.  It would also be easy
> to
> pre and post heat.  BTW, if I decide to weld it, I will find someone else
> to
> do it since I'm a lousy welder.
>
> Is any repair likely to be strong enough for the strain put on this part?
> Would I be better off just forging a new arm out of mild or medium carbon
> steel?
>
> Aubrey Washington
> Saltfork Craftsmen ABA, ABANA
> Rock Creek Forge
> Norman, OK
>
>
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Tod Estes
Oologah Smithy
Oologah,Oklahoma. (Home of Will Rogers.)
Saltfork Craftsmen ABA, ABANA
Time enough for sleep in the grave.

"Prometheus: I took from man expectancy of death.
Chorus: What medicine found'st thou for this
        malady?
Prometheus: I planted blind hope in the heart of
           him.
Chorus: A mighty boon thou gavest there to man.
Prometheus: Moreover, I conferred the gift of fire
Chorus: And have frail mortals now the flame-
        bright fire.
Prometheus: yes, and shall master many arts
            thereby."

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