Just a reply to an earlier post that mentioned the weldiablity of cast iron.

I've done quite a few repairs now including a great repair to a cracked pinto cast iron manifold (one of the branches had snapped right off) with just normal mig wire. The trick was to do it when with manifold at red heat (usually the whole part)and very little power is required as you'd expect. The heat from large parts can be a bit overpowering and you need thick gloves. Remember to let it cool down naturally ie. no quenching otherwise you'll have a lot more welding to do! If you tried to weld when it was cold it would just splutter and remove the metal rather than weld it.

Hope this helps you save that vital bit that was a tad more brittle than you first thought!

my case is cast iron (grey)

to normal steel.

they tell me to use a special electrode or inox 316 / 321 ..

any tips power related??

Tks

Not being a fan of the old stick welder Im not sure off actual amps or electrode types. I have never had a problem using standard wire for welding iron. My advice would be to give the joint a generous champher and slowly build up the weld. When welding red hot metal my welder's only set to second lowest power level(I also use this setting for normal car body work so that should give you an idea). Any higher and things get carried away. You have all the time in the world to weld as its like welding in slow motion and really very easy. Only point is it can be difficult to weld round a tube since the weld pool solidifies so slowly it has a tendency to end up on the floor. I think cast iron is usually grey and only goes dark once it gets grubby or oiled.

grey cast iron is a sort not a colour.

you also have nodulair etc. etc.

grey is the most common one..

Just found this!!

LINK

Tks

Stainless rods including rods designed to join dissimilar metals usually require less power to burn than the equivelent size mild steel rod. also best to preheat the job before welding



Originally posted by tks
my case is cast iron (grey)

to normal steel.

they tell me to use a special electrode or inox 316 / 321 ..

any tips power related??

Tks

think i dont gonna weld it.

but bolt it etc..

Tks

When weldng cast iron using a stick welder with nickel rods I always preheat it well and then do a short run of weld, before hammering the weld with a ball pein hammer as it cools before doing another short run and repeating the process. After completion I put it in sand or the oven to cool slowly, this method usually works well and i have welded manifolds, cylinder heads and other cast parts sucessfully.
The hammering is crucial as it stress relieves the weld as it cools.
Paul.

That’s a handy web page tks. It's a long time since I did metallurgy even then cast iron was consider a rather lame material. Why do they always use to make things that vibrate like exhaust and engine's. Bolting together if you can is the way to go, but you don't say what your making?

you read about a clutch problem.

i have found a clutch from the brand "Flender" but its from grey cast iron.
and i need to be able to weld/bolt it to the motor output thingy...

TKs

gghhhaaarh

don't do that for goodness sake TKS!!!!!!

The weld will be much weaker than the coupling you have now (which will be fine so stop worrying!)