cast iron to steel

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need to weld 300 of these cast iron scollsto 1/2" solid sq. hot rolled steelwhats the best way Attached Images
Reply:nickel rodLife is tuff,so be sharp  lincoln sp 100  cutmaster101  miller bobcat  miller 250 mig  $thousands in snapon
Reply:You can do it with either nickle or steel rod, for either one you should preheat 500-1200F but be careful not to exceed 1400F.  Nickle rod is preferred but because of the amount of rod you need (Nickle rod=$) and not being a weld that will see alot of stress steel should work fine.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Some guys use some form of Ni-rod (cast iron rod with different percentages of nickel)  Most, myself included, just use the MIG used for the welding of the rest of the railing. I find starting the arc against the steel and washing the puddle toward the casting works best for me. I use shorter welds,(if you want more weld, let it cool a bit, and continue on) on both sides of the "open" side of the casting, and sometimes some on the crossbar on the other side.  I usually weld all the castings to the pickets, dress them up a bit with the grinder, and then weld them into the rail.As you are unfamiliar with this, I would take a couple and experiment a bit. Try a couple different methods, maybe even some destructive testing, to find out what works for you.The weld will not be of great strength, but it will hold up fine. I have accidentally dropped a rail section nd had the casting break off the picketOn anothe rnote, did you ever make the hyd. bender? I am almost done with mine.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:thanks for infonot made bender yet thinking ofusing a pipe bender with some mods Attached Images
Reply:Ed, I always use a cast iron butter rod, UTP 85FN, most of the time. No pre heat required, just peen the weld till the flux is gone and you then know the stress is releaved. It's much stronger than using wire or a steel rod.
Reply:Try a 304 L or maybe even 7018-1 cast iron is never one grade that a blanket solution works on if allelse fails syl-brass and torch braze  Whatever you do buff the HRS. with a flop wheel and a soft preheat & post heat on the castLast edited by ol' Stick Guy; 04-27-2009 at 12:16 AM.
Reply:If its not standing up by itself on the top, and welded only at the bottom, I'd just MIG it , like Tessdad does.  I've been doing a number of  Garden "Planter Pieces" (often old cast iron chairs, etc.) with the MIG, cautioning the owners that the "welds" are no better than glue, but do just fine for decorative work.   I have a small, steady stream of these from a couple local galleries who get these broken pieces in all the time from estate sales...which is why I bought the 110 volt fluxcore machine...I was hauling stuf back and forth to my shop for little single weld quick repairs...now I haul the little Hobart there once a week, and do two, three four little jobs.  The ladies who run the galleries are happy, and its never anything that a welding shop would want to mess with. .The cast iron "welds" (I know its not really welded) pretty nicely with the MIG."Good Enough Never Is"MIller AC/DC  ThunderboltHobart HH180, 125EZRiland Cut 40 Plasma oxy/act  outfitTons of "stuff", all treasures to me!