Weld/braze cast iron DO

[Kossetx]

Evening folks,

About a year ago my Lodge no 12 cast iron dutch oven developed a crack in the very bottom. Not sure how but ovens larger that 10 aren't that easy to come by. I've been looking at youtube video's about a fix but they just confuse me. I've never welded CI but I cut my teeth on stick welding, have a flux core and mig welder that I'm not very good at, and haven't brazed in 30+ years. I'd like to fix it right. Any suggestions? I see the CI welding electrodes but they are all .125 and I'm worried that may be a little to large since Lodge's aren't that thick. I have a great way to pre and post heat to cool down, so that's not a problem. I can practice brazing but would kinda prefer the fix be cast or steel.

Thanks

[db@100]

I think you need to preheat the whole thing very hot. Use the cast iron rod to melt it into the crack. Then very slowly cool it down or it will crack again.

[bigdawg]

Drill out the ends of the cracks, preheat and then weld it. Drilling keeps the crack from running on you.

[BTLowry]

I think if it was something I could live without and had no experience then go for it.

If it was something I 100% wanted to save and use then I would let a professional deal with it

Never welded CI but have heard it is tricky

[Kossetx]

Originally Posted by BTLowry

I think if it was something I could live without and had no experience then go for it.

If it was something I 100% wanted to save and use then I would let a professional deal with it

Never welded CI but have heard it is tricky

Well, they're not rare but hard enough to find that I haven't messed with it. I'd also appreciate recommendations for someone who could fix it from Houston to Waco. Tricky is what the youtube vids make confusing.

[planomustang]

Do a youtube search for welding cast iron. Videos I have seen, use lots of pre-heat, then use layers of welding blankets to cover the new weld, to slow down the cooling. By slow, I mean from red hot to a 1000 degrees, in over an hour.

[RR 314]

Originally Posted by bigdawg

Drill out the ends of the cracks, preheat and then weld it. Drilling keeps the crack from running on you.

This. Get some nickel rods and give it a whirl. As you stated, heat it up good.

[bboswell]

Originally Posted by Kossetx

Well, they're not rare but hard enough to find that I haven't messed with it. I'd also appreciate recommendations for someone who could fix it from Houston to Waco. Tricky is what the youtube vids make confusing.

If you come through New Waverly I can get you fixed up

[Passthrough]

Drill....heat....and nickel rods

[LWolken]

tig with nickel rod

[Hoyt Man]

Lodge has a warranty. Just contact them and they will send you a new one.

[White Falcon]

I have welded a lot of CI. It's a BIT**. Must preheat work, CI doesn't flow like brass, but builds. After welding it should be covered and keep at 300 deg for a while, then slowly cooled. I would try welding on a piece of scrap first to see how it melts. Good Luck and let us know how it works.

[RifleBowPistol]

Like other people have said, you have to preheat any cast metal. For two reasons, one, you have to heat it hot enough and long enough to burn out all of the impurities that have gotten into the pours of the metal, which typically there will be a lot more than you would imagine. Then it needs to be hot when welding and then reheated after welding, to reduce the temperature difference, between the weld and the rest of the piece.

I have used nickel rod before, it works ok, but I am not that impressed with how it works. I had also used common steel wire in a MIG beore, that almost seems to work better than nickel rod.

I know of a guy who specializes in welding cast iron. People bring him all types of parts from all over the country to weld. He uses a powder and a torch, after heating the metal in a oven for a long time. He does some amazing work. Once he is done, you really can't tell where it's been welded. I can tell you that welding cast iron with either nickel rod or steel MIG wire. the weld will be harder than the iron. You can grind the weld down flat afterwards, with the nickel rod, you can clearly see where the nickel rod is, very obviously not the same metal and much harder. Not sure why they think the nickel rod is a good choice for welding cast iron. The iron I have welded with common steel MIG wire, it's harder to pick up the MIG wire than nickel rod is. That tells me, the steel MIG wire is closer to being the same metal than the nickel rod, but I don't know metals that well, I could easily be wrong.

The guy I know of that welds cast iron, is Spring Branch/Bulverde area. I know his first name is Danny. I am not sure what his last name is or the name of his shop. I have seen his work first hand. Seen cast iron LS blocks, that that had the whole bottom blown out of them, that he welded back together. I have also seen some old cast iron heads, he welded up, that were used in one of the Engine Masters challenge, some years ago. Those heads made some serious power.

[cva34]

after pre heat/weld /wrap with weld blanket so it cool slow

[JFFB]

Originally Posted by Kossetx

Evening folks,

About a year ago my Lodge no 12 cast iron dutch oven developed a crack in the very bottom. Not sure how but ovens larger that 10 aren't that easy to come by. I've been looking at youtube video's about a fix but they just confuse me. I've never welded CI but I cut my teeth on stick welding, have a flux core and mig welder that I'm not very good at, and haven't brazed in 30+ years. I'd like to fix it right. Any suggestions? I see the CI welding electrodes but they are all .125 and I'm worried that may be a little to large since Lodge's aren't that thick. I have a great way to pre and post heat to cool down, so that's not a problem. I can practice brazing but would kinda prefer the fix be cast or steel.

Thanks

Nickle 81 welding rod. Heat up crack with cutting torch real Hot weld it then heat up again as it starts cooling to make slowly cool down.

[Draco]

You could buy you some UTP rods called 85FN and weld it, no problem, no preheat and no post heat. Probably why they cost $90 a pound. They are an amazing rod and are easy to weld though.

[db@100]

If not welder with cast iron, will that strip of metal still work out to be non stick like the CI?

[RR 314]

Originally Posted by Draco

You could buy you some UTP rods called 85FN and weld it, no problem, no preheat and no post heat. Probably why they cost $90 a pound. They are an amazing rod and are easy to weld though.

Man, just seeing your reply. I bought some for around $50-$60 a pound a year or so ago to weld some cast iron to A-36. Dang price gougers!