Can cast parts be welded? UPDATE (blasted part)

[Modelakid31]

I went to my first Minuteman Model a Club meeting today with some friends from a local club i belong to. It was their auction night and I got a few good items.

One of the items i had purchased was this upper collumn mount bracket that I was looking at repairing. Isn't this a cast part? I know its original because it has the "M 1" stamped on it along with the #'s.

I have a mig welder. I have never welded on a cast part before tho. If cast parts can be welded, is it hard to do? Do i need special wire?

UPDATE: Page 2, post #22. part glass beaded.



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[Gary WA]

Yes it can check your local welding shops. engine repair places also.

[Modelakid31]

can it be done with a regular welder?

[Kurt in NJ]

if it is cast steel you can mig weld it

if it is cast iron it won't be strong and will likely have some cracks

A spark test with a grinder can help you determine what metal you have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark_testing

Brazing will work for both and with properly fitted pieces in the holes can have results that require very little filing and grinding

[Modelakid31]

I believe it is cast Iron.

[Mort]

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Thin cast iron can be very difficult to weld, it can crack if not done right. Brazing is the easiest way to go. A little filing and paint it will look just fine.

[jkeesey]

I would assume its cast steel. Cast iron when that thin is very brittle. Worst case scenario try to weld it if it doesn't work clean it up and braze it.

[Modelakid31]

how hard is brazing? what can i get for doing small brazing? can i get a small brazing setup cheep like under 100 bucks?

[jkeesey]

Brazings not that hard just takes some practice like welding. Its more like soldering than welding. The gear I use is about 50 years olds but I believe its cheaper than welding.

[Modelakid31]

I found this but i dont know if i need something to use this. Is this even what i need for basic brazing?
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/plumbin...lux-41768.html

[Modelakid31]

I actually like this and its at my local lowes: http://www.lowes.com/pd_26298-1703-K...zing&facetInfo=

Can i use this with a mapp gas torch? How Do i actually use them (the process of brazing with the torch).

Sorry for all the questions guys. just very interested in Brazing as it is a new field to me.

[jkeesey]

The rods look right, I use a oxyacetalyne torch. You have to make sure the metal is absolutely clean. I'm sure if you do a youtube search you can find some guy showing you exactly how to do it.

[Gary WA]

They make a brazing rod with a coating on the outside . It's fairly easy to braze practice first on scrap.

[Modelakid31]

Thanks for the Responces guys! i will do some more researching and youtube browsing.

[james hitchcock]

Hey there's always good ol Bondo.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I hit a tree stump with my Cub Cadet and broke the mounting flange on one of the blade quills (the bearing holder in the deck). I used a MIG welder to weld it and it worked great.

The cast iron alternator bracket broke on the front end loader at work and I brazed it and it never broke again.

There is also a gas welding rod for cast iron. It looks like thin strips of cast iron and is used with the oxy/acc torch and a can of blue flux. Years ago I bought 6 HP stationary engine where the pin fell out of place for the cam roller. This wore the cam lobe completely away, except for a thin profile on the edge. I used the oxy/acc torch and cast iron rod to build the cam lobe back, and it looked like a new cam when done. So far the only place I can find this cast rod is the welding store in Watertown, S.D.

I've also welded a cast iron base for a milking machine vaccum pump by using my old Lincoln buzz box and nickel rod. That also worked fine.

So, I know of 4 ways to repair cast iron, and in your case I'd use the MIG welder and use a piece of copper for a backing to form one side.

[jw hash]

cut yourself a piece of metal that fits the hole and mig it right in, do the hole first. on the sides mig one side at a time and let cool it will be just fine.

[Keith True]

I don't believe that piece is cast iron,I think it is steel.I welded one and it welded up like butter.It looks like you only have to fill in some holes and edges.The big thing with the wire feed is the part has to be clean,blasted is best.just a dot of rust will screw you up.The hole will be the easiest part,just hold a piece of flat copper behind it and get a puddle going until it fills up.The edges are a little trickier.just getting an arc started can blow away more than is missing already.Unless you are real good at it it may be a good place for brazing.

[Seth Swoboda]

Cast iron can be welded. You will need to use an AC/DC stick welder and high nickle rods. You also want to pre heat the piece and cool it down slowly by burying it in sand after you weld it.

That part you have looks to be stamped steel.

[Modelakid31]

Thanks again for the responses guys, Im gonna try and mig weld it today.

[Ron Lachniet]

I have had good luck welding cast iron with my mig welder. I just work slow and not build up too much heat.

[Modelakid31]

UPDATE! ...
-----------------

here is the part after i glass beaded it for 30 mins. just got to prep-all it before i weld. To me it looks like Cast STEEL???















Its pretty minty minus the cut marks and the one hole. :/

[John Duden]

I have welded cast that has snapped (axle on a cultivator) i put it in the grill for an hour pulled it out and welded it with the wire feed, ground deep grooves into the welds and shaft (1/4-1/2 inch deep) welded it shut on high, so it burned it in to the axle, and then stuck it back in the grill to let it cool off slowly,

I am 14 so you can probable do it!

[mystic122468]

I just had to fix my water pump housing, I used this to Braze it and it worked like a champ!
http://www.lowes.com/pd_98894-717-28...ing&facetInfo=