cast welding fun

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I thought I posted this here when I finished. Better late then never I guess. Picked up a cheap old metal shear with a broken head.Threw the casting on the fire before leaving to pick up some nirod. Came back and stood around watching the head bake for awhile. Pulled the head out of the fire, cleaned up the crack and went to town. 1.2lbs of rods later the weld was complete and I threw the casting on top of the wood heater and covered it with insulation for about 4 hours with a fire going. At 6 hours I pulled the insulation off, the fire was down to coals, the casting was still hot to the touch so I left it a couple hours longer. At 8 hours of cooling the casting was down to an estimated handle-able 150-175f(ish). I pulled the railroad section off the casting and cleaned everything up again. Drilled the 1 hole out and bolted the blade on and put the head back on the shear with help from my brother. After about 10 minutes of tinkering with the adjustments I cut some cardboard then some 22g sheet metal then some .060 aluminum. I did the paper test that I see mentioned a few places and am pretty darn pleased with how it turned out without any shimming of the head blade! The leg repair I did earlier with the tig and 308l just to see how it would take. I bolted on the bar on the side for extra support for 'when' the weld cracks.The last couple hundred degrees.The welds aren't pretty, I very very rarely arc weld anything any more.The paper test.The other side of the shear had about the same results. Seams there is a very very slight bow in the middle of the head but only looks to be a problem with the paper. I had no problems cutting cardboard or the sheet metal full length. I could shim the center but I'm not to worried about cutting paper with it. It very well could have not cut the paper in the middle because I wasn't holding it down well. The day after I put it to work and cut up a whole stack of 20 gauge 3x9" sections to be bent up for another project. Man I can't believe I lived without a shear so long! It cut a 4 hour job down to about 20 minutes and did it with perfect strait cuts!
Reply:Awsome! I did a cast repair today on a shaker for a coal stove. what a nightmare. it will last forever and not my type of work that I would be proud to put my name on but it was a job. Good on you though, nice save bud! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys