Other: Cast Iron welding rods

[jts359]

Has there been any improvement in cast iron welding rods over the years ? I used them several years ago with fair to good success , So If you think you know of a good brand let me know , I would be using a stick welder , Thanks , Ed

[jclary]

Good question, ED. I have a couple of welders. I'm no welder and have the welds to prove it. My first exposure to welding was as a young teenager marveling at the skill of one of our neighbors in our rural community. He was actually employed by the railroad as a welding instructor, taught welding and certified welders for the railroad. It seems that in my faint memories I recall him working on patching up cast iron using some type of Nickle alloy? So, until you asked the question, I had never given it much thought as to what might have developed in the last half-century of progress?

So...once I read your post, (thanks to the internet), I typed in a search. My first youtube on the subject brought this up https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...JnM0oQSn6q5Wx4

I'm sure there are other videos and "how-to's." Couldn't hurt all of us to get up to speed on some of this technology. As our stuff gets older, breaks, and things become harder to find...things we once discarded and replaced might be salvaged and repaired. A timely topic.

[8E45E]

I'm sure there are other videos and "how-to's." Couldn't hurt all of us to get up to speed on some of this technology. As our stuff gets older, breaks, and things become harder to find...things we once discarded and replaced might be salvaged and repaired. A timely topic.

Thank you!

I made a similar comment here about not needlessly discarding 'broken' parts, like engine blocks: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/338272...-engine-block/

Sure enough, an outfit that specializes in cast iron repair posted with a link to some of his efforts: http://www.accastingrebuilders.com/

Craig

[Bob Andrews]

I haven’t welded any cast in some time. But if I did it would still be the old-school way: nickel rod with a stick welder. We always keep a Lincoln buzz box around just for cast welding.

I have always done it the same way: drill a hole at the end of each crack, V notch the crack with a grinder, then heat up the area with a torch before you weld. Make sure your heat setting is high enough for the thickness of what you are welding.

[PackardV8]

There is also an alternative to welding cracked cast iron.

locknstitch.com/index.html

jack vines

[sweetolbob]

There is also an alternative to welding cracked cast iron.

locknstitch.com/index.html

jack vines

Now that's interesting! Walking through the pictures on the site of the repair to the old engine that threw a rod is great. Couldn't be cheap but where would you find a replacement short block for that application. Probably 75 year old block.

As an aside, my BIL's father had a local business called Cracked Block Repair back when antifreeze was not used much. He just peened the crack until it didn't leak. He branched out shortly after he started it as there was less and less call for his services.

[gordr]

There is also cast iron rod for oxy-acetylene welding of cast iron. The rod itself is iron alloy cast in thin sticks. And there is a flux to be used with it, too. Many, many years ago, I repaired a broken vise using those materials, and it lasted just fine. The trick is to preheat the entire workpiece to a dull red, before heating the repair area to the fusion point. For large workpieces, that usually means a furnace.

[Jeffry Cassel]

There is no cast iron welding rod. As noted above a nickel rod is used. You need to go very slowly. If possible you can bury the part in sand to disapate heat. Just strike an arc, weld maybe 1/2 " and come back to it in 1/2 hr and repeat. Haste makes broken cast iron. For a water jacket crack, I would recommend you pin it. That's slow but it is January!

[23 cratae]

heres a thing i came across years back.. used to sell the stuff.. quite pricey too but seriously works well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoaPSaNYl34

reckon there is still a few welders round that still use these

[tsenecal]

It looks interesting. Any data on the length of life on a repair like that? I have cleaned them up and stick welded with Cast rod with fair success.

[23 cratae]

It looks interesting. Any data on the length of life on a repair like that? I have cleaned them up and stick welded with Cast rod with fair success.

personallyyup ,, had a 1984 mitsibishi l200 US market was a mighty max.. common fault here was the exhaust manifold cracking due to the "Y" shape of the head..

had that pickup for around 5 years after the weld job and no problems never cracked again..