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My local Menards has a item called a cast iron fire pit. It's 23" in diameter, 4" deep, and weighs about 25 lbs. I didn't measure the thickness, but I estimate it to be around 3/16" to 1/4" thick. I thought it would make an excellent discada/cowboy wok at a decent price of $56. Unfortunately, the firepit was designed to attach to a base and it has 4 small holes drilled in the bottom to connect to the base with screws.I've been welding steel for a couple of years, but I consider myself a beginner. I watched a few youtube videos on welding cast iron and I believe it is doable. Thought I'd ask the experts here about filling these 4 holes with welds and using this cast iron firepit as a discada? I have both MIG, TIG, and stick welders. Is this something too complicated for a beginner welder? Any opinions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by landrand; 3 Weeks Ago at 12:35 PM.
Reply:Or - just go to John Deere house of Case IH dealer & buy a steel disc for same price & use that?Preheat it, weld it up with Nickel rod, & bury it in ash or something & let it cool SSLLOOWW. Maybe it won't crack.
Reply:Are you sure it is cast iron?The visible marks would lead me to believe it is "formed" from mild steel.Either way after it is welded test it for pinholes with water or alcohol.I made one from a worn out plow disc and found out it had a pin hole in the weld afterI had a full load of fajitas half cooked!
Reply:It is cast iron.
Reply:As mentioned, get some nickel rods and TIG weld it then slowly cool. One small tack or dab, let cool, repeat as needed. If you try to weld too long, you heat up too much of an area. It will probably crack as it cools. That happened to me a couple times when I was doing something similar. On the subsequent pieces, dab, cool, dab, cool, grind smooth, repeat as needed. Sent from my SM-G996U using TapatalkMillermatic 252 MIGMiller Dynasty 200DX TIGMiller Spectrum 625 PlasmaAltas 12x36 Metal LatheBridgeport Milling Machinewww.psacustomcreations.com
Reply:You don't need nickel rod for filling in that hole. 7018 will be fine for that.
Reply:I would use a cast iron rod to make sure it doesn't crack later from all the heat of cooking. As you weld the cast iron, stop every 1" or so of weld and peen the weld to relieve the stress you are putting into it. Weld a little, peen a little until filled. Wait until you see how much the rods cost. You will most likely decide to use the plow disk. You can even find some suppliers have disks with out holes in them.
Reply:
Originally Posted by rexcormack
Are you sure it is cast iron?The visible marks would lead me to believe it is "formed" from mild steel.
Reply:Se if one of the neighboring farmers, a repair shop has discs take offs. Weld the hole up in a old disc. You may get used discs a lot cheaper than that price or free.Retired Old GuyHobart 210Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Evolution 14 Saw
Reply:Thread the holes and use a small bolt to fill them in. Grind the ends of the bolts if they are in the way.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power
) Hobart MIG
Reply:.
Originally Posted by SquirmyPug
Thread the holes and use a small bolt to fill them in. Grind the ends of the bolts if they are in the way.
Reply:Since we have gone off chasing rabbits
you could use plow bolts!https://www.mcmaster.com/90911a815/
Reply:or elevator bolts
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Reply:
Originally Posted by Oldiron2
.Just use carriage bolts like shown below;
Reply:
Originally Posted by rexcormack
Since we have gone off chasing rabbits
you could use plow bolts!https://www.mcmaster.com/90911a815/
Reply:
Originally Posted by Oldiron2
.Just use carriage bolts like shown below; no welding, no machining needed and you can more easily modify the cooker later, if wanted.
Reply:
Originally Posted by Lis2323
preferably black and unplated
Reply:
Originally Posted by StandarDyne
If it's made in China, I'm not sure I'd eat food cooked in it, though. God knows how much lead and other hideous crap is in it.
Reply:I wouldn't use bolts or screws with a head on the inside. If you're going to use it as a wok, you have to have a consistent, smooth inside surface. Not fun trying to scoop cooking food and hitting a bolt or screw head!! SquirmyPug's idea above of drilling and tapping the holes, inserting a bolt or screw, then grinding the inside smooth is simple. Otherwise, plug weld it, grind smooth.
Reply:
Originally Posted by shortfuse
I wouldn't use bolts or screws with a head on the inside. If you're going to use it as a wok, you have to have a consistent, smooth inside surface. Not fun trying to scoop cooking food and hitting a bolt or screw head!! SquirmyPug's idea above of drilling and tapping the holes, inserting a bolt or screw, then grinding the inside smooth is simple. Otherwise, plug weld it, grind smooth.
Reply:
Originally Posted by Oldiron2
But won't that make it taste like DIRT[/B] ??
Reply:There's lots of ready made options, here are the first two to come up on google :
There are some that even come pre-seasoned for a few dollars more, some donate to veterans groups, using known good metal sources. I think it better to buy the wok/discada , and build a nice burner , or fire stand , as most of the ones they sell are made pretty cheaply and don't look strong at all.If you already bought it , and don't feel comfortable filling the hole in with weld (any mild steel electrode your proficient with 6011, 6013, 7014,7018 ), then use an aluminum or copper backing plate to make it easier. Or even put the end of a bolt flush with inside surface, and weld flush. Grind/sand to finish.good luckAirco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60DPrimeweld 225 ac/dcPrimeweld mig180Miller AEAD-200
Reply:"take out" is sometimes a good option
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Reply:Like most welders, fabricators, hobbyists, etc, why spend $60 on a store bought item when you can spend twice that amount on an item you made yourself to save money?Millermatic 252 MIGMiller Dynasty 200DX TIGMiller Spectrum 625 PlasmaAltas 12x36 Metal LatheBridgeport Milling Machinewww.psacustomcreations.com
Reply:Mine usually start out with some element of the project being free, or very cheap...... ... and Then I spend too much time, and money on it than its worth. Once your in, you gotta finish it !!!Airco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60DPrimeweld 225 ac/dcPrimeweld mig180Miller AEAD-200The last two posts hit too close to home...
Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power
) Hobart MIG
Reply:
Originally Posted by SquirmyPug
The last two posts hit too close to home...
Reply:
Originally Posted by NotaVegetarian
Se if one of the neighboring farmers, a repair shop has discs take offs. Weld the hole up in a old disc. You may get used discs a lot cheaper than that price or free.
Reply:
Originally Posted by whtbaron
most ag discs would be a shallower disc depending on the application. . As others have mentioned, the cheapest alternative might very well be to just buy a decent wok.
Reply:
Originally Posted by Lis2323
agreed. A typical blade from a disc harrow would be too shallow. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Reply:
Originally Posted by 12V71
I dunno, one of the farms here had a pair of 20' Towner offsets with 36" blades that were close to 4" deep when they wore down to 24". I kept a half dozen of them and welded up the 2-1/4" square arbor hole, put handles on them and gave them to the gun buddies. We still keep one at the range for cooking. BTW, they are 3/8" thick too. Wish I had snarfed up more of them.
Reply:
Originally Posted by 12V71
I dunno, one of the farms here had a pair of 20' Towner offsets with 36" blades that were close to 4" deep when they wore down to 24". I kept a half dozen of them and welded up the 2-1/4" square arbor hole, put handles on them and gave them to the gun buddies. We still keep one at the range for cooking. BTW, they are 3/8" thick too. Wish I had snarfed up more of them.
Reply:
Originally Posted by Lis2323
THOSE would work
Reply:
Originally Posted by Insaneride
I worked at an Allis Chalmers dealers place as a teenager. Assembled many of those discuses new and repaired and replaced a few. Wish I woulda snarfed just one of them. New Recycled metal causes me to think newer discs are toxic but then so is everything else. Snarf, hm. Past adjective? Is snarfing a present adjective? Forgive my grammar, I did horribly in hi school English.Edit: btw these discus woks have been shown before, iirc they plugged the square hole with 7018.
Reply:Dragged out one of the spare discs for my Allis Chalmers 3350. They are 24" diameter, 5/16 thick (got the heavy ones) and heavy as hell when you start stacking them on the gang bolt. There is only 3 1/4" of dish at the center. I suppose it depends on how big of a crowd you're cooking for...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:i found one in the parts room. only 18" diameter and .141". just a tad over 1/8". that's all us wimpy veggie growers on muck soil need.
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Reply:I agree Disks are not hard to weld with per heat 🔥. Dave
Originally Posted by whtbaron
Unless you can find a set that were changed for wear, around me used discs usually mean broken or at least cracked. That could be welded up good enough for cooking as well, but most ag discs would be a shallower disc depending on the application. Cwby mentioned buying ag discs new, but you might want to check the post-covid pricing on those as well. They vary a lot with brands, thickness and application, but the last big ones I bought were around $100 Cdn. As others have mentioned, the cheapest alternative might very well be to just buy a decent wok.
Reply:
Originally Posted by Lis2323
i found one in the parts room. only 18" diameter and .141". just a tad over 1/8". that's all us wimpy veggie growers on muck soil need.
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发表于 2022-9-16 15:52:32