Cast Iron Repair Job: Machining a Replacement Casting and Brazing in Place

A while back, I started a project to replace a missing piece in a cast iron base for a drill press table to fit on my Carlton Radial Drill Press. Previously, I made a wooden pattern and had a new piece cast to match the part that was missing. In this episode, I begin the process of replacing the area by first machining the casting with a few features that were needed and then brazing one side back in place.
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[@byrnejr]

Like my grandfather used to say. If we all liked the same thing . Everyone would be chasing your grandmother! Nice job!

[@whositwassit]

I enjoyed your talk about why you gas braze, my opinion is there are hundreds of "right" ways to do a job, but the best way and usually the most successful way is the one you are most comfortable with.

[@Hoaxer51]

I liked the one part of the video where you can see you turning the hand wheel on your x axis. For us that are not that experienced, I liked that we could see how fast (or slow) you were feeding the part into the cutter. I wish that all the machinists would show more of that in their videos, on the milling machines and on the lathes. Or all of their machines. Thanks for sharing, and nice job on the brazing.

[@phillipyannone3195]

I completely agree with the brazing technique but I believe the preheating should extend to the entire casting.

[@davidmotoman4956]

Ive always found Torch Brazing to be the best, specially as you said Keeping a lot more heat into the Cast iron. My dear old dad showed me this more than 50 years ago on a Large Old Dawn Vice which i still have and still working like a Charm to this day. regards Dave from Australia

[@morriewyatt6234]

And as their old slogan used to go: "Make Dawn your only vice." Also from Australia.

[@geoffmorgan6059]

Brazing is the best way to go as long as the section is not really thick. An additional way to secure cast iron is with the "Metal-lok" or "Metal-lace" proprietary systems. For extra heavy sections (like the gear box on a Caterpillar D9). It works, but brazing is still used along with Lab Metal or Belzona, etc. You could pin this casting if you are concerned about bending loads, also helps with alignment. Of course you have to pin first. Good job!

[@boldford]

@@geoffmorgan6059 One of the problems with welding cast iron is the additional heat converts the iron into very brittle carbides. This is avoided with the lower temperature used in brazing.

[@andreturnbull1259]

Your brazing experience is valuable to novices like myself. It would great if you put together a video or two with all your tips and tricks on brazing. I have struggled with brazing but would like to master it. Great KZbin channel by the way. Thanks for your efforts.

[@tracylemme1375]

I have found that most problems people have with brazing is the lack of heat. Preheat then preheat some more. Remember that the heat conducts to the entire casting. My dad said when choosing a tip, use one that is two sizes larger than you think you need. If it isn’t hot enough, you will fight the process until the very end when the casting finally becomes hot enough.

[@donmittlestaedt1117]

Love it. Thanks for doing it on video. I look forward to the second episode.

[@bookerol]

That is a big hunk of cast to preheat. I was surprised that the woodworker, in you, didn't scribe that joint in with dividers. Looking good though... can't wait for the finish.

[@AffordBindEquipment]

As a journeyman cabinetmaker, I agree. it could even be scribed from both sides to get the taper from the broken piece.

[@brandenpatterson2776]

Keith what a beautiful job on the repair glad I got to go back and watch this one!

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Great job Keith thanks for sharing 👍

[@bgcal50cal]

Great job brazing up the joint. I have been gas brazing cast iron parts for many years. The idea of an old oven to soak the whole part to 500 degrees over nite is what I always did on large cross section parts. I finish joint with filing surface vs. grinding prior to brazing, Was told years ago that grinding draws out graphite to the surface and inhibit good adhesion between parts. Great seeing old parts saved instead of sending to the dumpster.

[@63256325N]

Beautiful job! Thanks for the video.

[@kmbrady1a]

Thanks for coming back to this, I was thinking I missed a video

[@waiakalulu3501]

Great job, Keith!! I'm delighted with seeing this repair putting this piece back into useful service.

[@johnstrange6799]

Thanks, Keith.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Excellent brazing job!

[@SpiritWarriorOne]

Been waiting a long time to see how this turns out looks great so far Keith

[@dananelson479]

That's a pretty massive part to braze. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to seeing it finished and set up.

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Very interesting video thanks for sharing.

[@petersimmons743]

Love what you are doing and because I learn so mutch.

[@windyhillfoundry5940]

Looks great Keith, sure glad I didnt have to cast the whole thing😁

[@windyhillfoundry5940]

@John Doe thankyou, I try my best

[@hendrikcattoor]

👍👍👍Keith, I've seen you do several similar repairs, and every time you surprise me with the perfection, love your videos. best regards from belgium.👍👍👍

[@buckburton7318]

Great Job, I know nothing about what you do, maybe that's why I find it so interesting.

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing. Enjoyed.

[@johnwarkentinnikiskialaska8364]

Great job 👍

[@steveg4iwr]

At the end of the day its your job so you do it how you see fit. 😊 I love the videos having been an electrical / TV engineer this me a different sort of engineering to learn.

[@aserta]

Yey, the table is getting fixed. Been waiting for this one so i can soak up some knowledge. Have a few repairs myself, and i've been chickening out of them for a reason or another.

[@southjerseysound7340]

I don't know what you need to fix but take a look at lock n stitch. Since using it I was amazed.

[@andyZ3500s]

Looking good Keith. You did a nice job on the preparation, getting everything linded up and looking straight. By the time you clean the top up and get it painted nobody would ever know that it was broken. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks Andy

[@morelenmir]

The old adage of 'Grinders and paint...etc' never fails to apply does it! I hardly need to say it, but simply *excellent* work Keith! How you could get that rough casting so well matched to the broken piece is simply beyond me. I would have messed that up in three hundred different ways. Many, many thanks as always for the video. I look forward to seeing the next section of the repair.

[@catfishgray651]

GREAT JOB KEITH...

[@jimkodysz5404]

Nice job Keith! I've brazed a lot of exhaust and intake manifolds, and I've never had one fail!

[@SuperAWaC]

one of my favorite things to look at is freshly machined cast iron

[@richardcurtis556]

I've seen you braze cast iron before and I think your judgement on this job is spot on. I also like the idea of finding an old oven to preheat/bake pizza - has the added advantage of baking out any oils that might bugger up the brazing.

[@vicpatton5286]

Hi Keith Very nice piece of work and quite enjoyable to watch while you expended all the effort. Sure the base will serve you well for many, many more years. The complexity and quality of those vintage machine casting is something I always find impressive. :-)

[@NikColyerMachineWorks]

That was a braze job and a half. Came out great!

[@ladamurni]

Most of the time I have no idea of what you are doing, your explanation helps a lot and I can see the craftsmanship you are having. That is what makes it interesting to watch your videos. My father (the lord has his soul) used to be a black smith maybe that's also why I like to watch your videos. Thank you for the upload Keith!

[@timelessengineering]

G'day Keith always great to watch you perform tried and proved methods. Hand made patterns to flame tip brazing. Like they say when you're on a good thing stick to it.

[@keith73z28]

The more i get to observe you Brazing Cast iron the better. I recall from some years back that when i tried stick again after many years away from it, noticed I was more adept at it after many thousands of hours under the weld helmet working and watching that puddle during production Mig Welding. Exellent project planning. I kinda consider myself as part of my tools, that is like what I am more able with ME low on "Gas". One of the most enjoyable skills that I learned in the Weld dept. of a fab shop I worked at, was learning how to fix others mistakes. AND have it be a good part. I don't always say it but great effort and also a good product; Video and a good Part.

[@BROCKWOOD64]

Jon Kaase in the 2015 Vintage Engine Dyno Challenge quote, "I've got more money in the 10 pounds of special welding rod it took to modify the heads than I do the actual cost of these brand new heads." That's reason 1 for me to stay with gas brazing cast iron! Great job, as usual Keith!

[@davidhoward2237]

waited up for this nice

[@dougguynn2622]

great job, and enjoyed

[@rickpalechuk4411]

Those were some big cuts. Thanks for sharing Keith, Cheers

[@godbluffvdgg]

Nice work!

[@july8xx]

What your shop needs is a good used oven, soaking large cast iron parts over night makes brazing them a lot easier and reduces heat warp as the entire piece is close to the same temperature. Ten years ago I picked one up from Habitat for $25.00, as a side benefit it can still cook a frozen pizza for lunch.

[@dhc4ever]

What sized oven did have in mind? I can see the point for small pieces say up to 15 to 20 inch, but the bit he's currently working on, not a hope, its got to weigh 300 lb. You are right about the pizza idea though. Cheers

[@july8xx]

@@dhc4ever It is a used Kenmore 30” wall oven, it came with a broken door handle and a burned out upper element, $25.00 from Habitat. You can get a 24” wide and 20” deep piece in it, longer if you take the door off and wrap the front with some Nomex blankets.

[@outsidescrewball]

enjoyed...great discussion/build...

[@dingui875]

Good job!!!

[@gvet47]

Gave me a flashback of when I was watching my father-in-law braze an Old International 101 combine variable speed pulley half to re-build and bore the pin holes it road on. He was sitting with the pulley in a stump mounted vise, somewhat between his knees. A hot molten bead ran out and down the slope of the pulley and right in his half open laced boot. Big 6'-6" 280 pound man pulled that boot off tearing right out of the leather. Had went all the way to the sole of the boot and cauterized the wound on the arch of his foot. Last time I seen him braze anything.

[@hughedavid1]

Keith I agree whole hearted that flame brazing is the way to go on something that large and thick. I have been doing that sense I was 9 you ears old and have worked for a company where we repaired large mechanical press rams and knuckles etc! . We always flame brazed and I have never had a failure to my knowledge. Good choice. I have also made a many repair using Ni - Cad rods and others but you still have to maintain a good bit of heat so I am confident you made the right choice.

[@bcbloc02]

You are half way there! It looks like a very proper repair to me.

[@d.mushroomhunter3528]

Hey Keith it's me mushroom hunter.. I think I confused a whole bunch of your viewers when I was running my mouth off about the rebuild.. I'm kind of hoping that you got it.. but just in case you didn't. I was just making a reference on how much I appreciate the master craftsmanship that it takes to be a skilled machinist, compared to what I do as a trim Carpenter.. I love your videos.. keep them up.. and I still hope to watch the rebuild enough times to comprehend the accuracy and dedication to precision that it requires to do the project you're doing.. most people cannot even comprehend 1/64 of a piece of paper.,... good on your brother!! cheers!!

[@chrismate2805]

It looks like a good cast and that was a good braze, like this repair. If you grind the weld a bit and then sandblast the whole part, maybe it blend in good and hardly noticeble after painted.

[@fox32223]

Didn’t we see a video of you standing next to a 20” DoAll Band Saw a few months ago??? That would have cut that down to size with no trips to the museum! I love your videos!! Can’t wait to see it all together!

[@johnapel2856]

Nicely done. I wondered like several others why you didn't try and get heat into more of the part before you began brazing, but I guess you just had to be sure you could keep the repair area hot enough while brazing and the rosebud supplied enough heat? Thanks for the video.

[@dessilverson161]

Nice one. My choice of brazing method as well. Des.

[@ZaphodHarkonnen]

That harmonic. Wow

[@DavidChadwell]

Those deep cuts had me on the edge of my seat, I was ready for a broken end mill or clamp slippage.

[@boldford]

Made my bum clench too.

[@garywills5682]

I agree brazing is the best , welding in opinion allows for air and water migration if not solid thruout. And ive been around longer then most on here preaching the welding. Tig may be really good with the bronze filler rod from my perspective it should flow in to the pores of the metal like brazing rod with flux, borax.

[@andywithers592]

Awesome. I'd wondered what became of this base plate after watching the earlier video where you made the pattern.

[@DavidChadwell]

Keith, do you have a profile gauge? It would make your life a lot easier for matching up parts like that. You set the profile of the existing part in your profile gauge, then put your new piece in place until it contacts the existing part as you had it, measure how far your part sticks out along that outside straight edge, then locate your profile gauge to the correct dimension from your existing part edge and trace your profile gauge onto the new part for a perfect edge geometry. This is useful for all sorts of jobs, even tile floors and millwork.

[@N1gel]

Or a pèncil and sheet of paper.

[@PhilG999]

Years ago I had an "interesting" brazing project. Somebody in shipping knocked a scale off the table and the cast iron base shattered! Wasn't critical to the operation of the scale more to cover up the inner workings. 1/4" thick or so. All these triangular pieces had to go back together like a jigsaw puzzle (and that took a while). Beveled the mating edges and started brazing. The tricky part was working in different areas so the heat from where I was working didn't melt the other brazed joints. Did one per day and let it cool overnight, then did one FAR away the next day. Got about halfway through and got laid off so I don't know if anyone ever finished it... :(

[@curtisvonepp4335]

If you have a veary large piece to Braze for added strength drill and tap studs at different angles in the gruves use Borax flux generiously and use plenty preheat burners on the bottom castings 🙌🔥

[@jasonhull5712]

I have a cross slide I need to fill in where its pulled up and busting. Missing chunks. I'm thinking this is great inspiration to proceed with the repairs.. thanks Keith.

[@WoodNMetalWorkshop]

Great video as always. The only thing I would have done differently is I would have preheated the parts on the charcoal grill to about 350. Saves a lot of gas. Kent

[@jameshatfield7634]

I agree to that,more even heat.

[@WoodNMetalWorkshop]

@@jameshatfield7634 That too. I used to have an old electric oven in the shop for preheating parts and small powder coating jobs, it was nice to be able to take a freshly brazed part and toss it back in the oven for a controlled cool down as well. I may have to check Craigs list for another one.

[@jasincolegrove6651]

I’m alright with doing what you’re comfortable with. I had no experience and when I learned to weld cast iron. But I have also seen some brazing repairs hold the test of time. You were spot on with your assessment. Thanks for the video, like to see what’s left up your sleeve

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

No school like the old school 😁. There's a little too much tig fluff out there anyways imho 😊. Nice work, Keith.

[@boldford]

The heat is too localised with an arc.

[@edwardkawecki8101]

My GO to is also brazing when I can put the preheat into the c

[@edwardkawecki8101]

My go-to is also brazing when I can safely put the preheat and the heat into the cast iron part. Second is a nickel or cast iron stick rod if looks don't matter, but I have had a lot of great repairs on cast using LH 7018 welding in very short runs and peening the heck out of them immediately and skipping around. Weld matches very good and keeps the heat low enough not to distort anything. Always worked best for me when having to weld mild steel to ductile material like manhole risers for asphalt road paving. Nice video Keith, thanks.

[@CrimeVid]

Brazing is the way to fix cast iron, I’ve asked old press operators when the press they have spent their life on was repaired, the answer is always “before I got here” !

[@dillydallydollcomachineand8246]

Great Job on saving a old piece of great equipment !!!!!!

[@AmericanJusticeCorp]

That is a massive piece of metal to braze. I can see how you would have trouble keeping enough heat in it.

[@Landrew0]

If only more of us would get things repaired instead of throwing everything out.

[@ohammouda]

@Barry Manilowa If you're sick, go to a fucking doctor don't complain here.

[@organbuilder272]

@Barry Manilowa Barry, That is really uncalled for. If you are a fan of Keith's and other similar sites, I think you understand how Landrew feel. He's not sanctamonious, he is making an honest comment. Okay...

[@bettytherussiantortoise2808]

Barry Manilowa stop acting like a chromosome deficient pile of crap and how about go crawl back under the rock you crawled out from

[@SuperAWaC]

on a braze that big i'd have one or two helpers with torches keeping heat on the part

[@jrneff9773]

mr rucker do you and or was able to get the brazing rod to flow at least to the bottom of the vee?? and when u flip it over and re heat it will the brazing rod bond to what you had laid down on the top my thought if I had any brass looking at me on the bottom I would've tried my best to melt it bond back to it on the back side minus it dripping out of your last weld. cant wait to see how you finished the project thank you sir

[@osgeld]

Keith's brazing speech is a bit like norm's safety glasses speech hehe

[@chakathewolf]

You need a Do-All bandsaw!

[@Devin82m]

Very cool videos, I dicovered you via ThisOldTony and Abom79. I'm curious why you didn't use oil or coolant for your cuts? I'm still learning, so didn't know if there was a specific reason why you shouldn't.

[@firemedicseven]

Can you roll up you door with that add on insulation on it? I have been trying to figure a way to insulate both my doors to make my air conditioner more efficient. It looks like I have the same style of door.

[@mrbrown3462]

I know this is an old video but I do alot of old farm equipment repair which consists of a lot of cast repair we don't have time most of the time to heat and weld and reheat and pack cast to do so called proper cast repair and most of the time the piece is still on the tractor or implement. If it's a no load item I always braze it I have cast things I brazed 30 some years ago still holding up still doing their original job, If the part is something with a load or is in contact with ground such as tillage implements I weld them back together with 308 stainless rod bonds cast nicely and wears good in the abrasive dirt I've never once have had a repeat repair on cast parts welded with stainless many of the old timers did it and many of their repairs are still holding strong see them everyday just about. You'll of course have your keyboard warriors tell you brazing or welding cast with stainless is wrong it will never hold it's weak and so on because they have never done it or they can't weld period or they never cleaned their parts properly or someone told them it's wrong and doesn't work. I have a Cat D7 dozer that was abused it's whole life in a rock quarry that machine is pretty much all brass and stainless with all it's welds and cracks that were repaired over it's life but the machine at 73 years old will still go out and push dirt all day long like it was built to do.

[@141poolplayer]

Keith mentions a previous video where he makes the wood pattern for the casting. I looked in his past videos and was unable to find it. Could someone post a link to that video? Thanks.

[@Vandal_Savage]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJ2kmIyfe9WXhJo There you go. :)

[@ohhpaul7364]

Would leaving the welding blankets on top of the majority of the casting helped to hold heat in while you were brazing? Could you use something like a Kao-wool blanket to help hold the heat in? (Although, that stuff really needs to be coated with a rigidizer or something, so maybe Kaowool wrapped in a welding blanket.)

[@abdulghanibinothman]

nice good for shaving piston head

[@8056443232]

Have you ever lost a camera to heat while trying to get a chunk of Cast Iron hot enough to weld or braze? Sure seems like that would get everything hot for many yards around! Nice job as always Mr. Rucker!

[@charlietanner6211]

i have a reed prince vise with the metal that holds the jaw in broke can this be brazed up and machinedout to hold the jaw

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Just curious why you didn't layout the metal removal in 7:00 and band saw out the bulk of it instead of milling? Finish it out with your finishing end mill.

[@samueltaylor4989]

William Garrett probably because it’s easier drilling holes instead of bandsawing because you can’t turn the blade in metal you would have to make many straight cuts.

[@JohnnyUmphress]

I'm the same way, my goto method is brazing if possible. I am much better at brazing than welding.

[@southjerseysound7340]

I used to be the same until I used lock n stitch. Now it's my go to although might've brazed this too.

[@cojones8518]

That left-hander loved to squeal. Had my teeth on edge. LOL

[@Eluderatnight]

Pretty sure that was a production carbide cutter built for speed. Needed higher feed rate.

[@firearmsstudent]

13:00 RIP headphone users

[@athopi]

Wish you had more choo choo stuff...

[@paulkoomen5262]

The company I work for has motors with inter graded gear boxes. That have circular cutting blade on them as they run on a track and have a hard stop they brake the ears off . This was due to the wrong size blots to hold them down I found out later when I took it apart I was asked to look and see what was wrong I saw that the ears had broken off and told the lead Hand and he said to shut the machine down Untill we get a unit. I told him I can fix it give me two hours and we will be running .As the gearboxes are cast steel I brazen the ears Back on and we where running. Only to find out their where three other units all the same , so I fixed them all that was their and saved the company $ 1500.00 dollars unit. I had to use the cutter torch to get enough head in them too brace and it worked well.

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

Keith, what rods did you use for that job? I have to braze up a broken cast iron garden ornament for my wife. I do have SIF Silicon Bronze No.1 rods which is supposed to be suitable for both mild steel and cast iron. I will be using a Carbon Arc 180 Amp AC welding torch as I don't have gas but will pre-heat with a butane torch. The alternative would be to use some 2.5mm nickel/Fe cast iron welding rods but like you, my results with these have not been wonderful and have looked a bit messy. The cast iron is quite thin and I find it is easy to get holes with the Ni/Fe rods on an AC arc welder. From past experience, I find they work better on a DC welder, which again I don't have.

[@josephnorton1996]

I have always brazed small parts that cant handle the welds, never did such a LARGE patch. There is a lot of brass there. When brazing large gaps like that, is the brazed joint weaker than the casted metal around it?

[@siggyincr7447]

Depends on what the base material is, grey iron or cast steel, but I'm guessing by the way it broke its just plain grey iron, in which case the brazing can actually be stronger than original.

[@jimbeaver3426]

I'd imagined the fit-up gap would've been closer to ¼" but then getting adequate heat on the bottom side would have required some challenging heating strategies compared to the wider gap and a rosebud tip from the top side. In retrospect, the much wider gap was the best choice for achieving proper heating.

[@R.E.HILL_]

Would have been nice to see a comparison between welding and brazing strength wise repairing cast iron... Probably not a huge difference...?

[@zanechristenson3436]

Wouldn’t you normally want to just use maybe a 3/4 inch end mill and step over to your finally dimension? To avoid things like the harmonics that may be made worse by cutting on either side of the slot

[@steelcantuna]

So what does the foundry charge to make a piece like this after you send the pattern?????????

[@dudleycornman1624]

Might be nice to have a heat source to heat the table under the part?

[@altonriggs2352]

One wonders how that massive piece got broken off...someone got his tool box and went down the road.

[@markbernier8434]

Any reason why you didn't keep a blanket over most of the piece while you were heating the corner?

[@jonka1]

Perhaps he didn't think about it.

[@jdgower1]

Couple of comments from one old school maintenance man to another: If brazing gets the job done for the intended purpose, why weld?!? It's kinda like going to prom in high school. If you can take your girl in a ragged out AMC Hornet and get as much "action" either way, why rent a limo? Yeah, I drove a Hornet in high school. It worked just fine for me... As for torch versus TIG brazing on cast iron of parts that big; Torch all the way. With cast iron you HAVE to spread the heat before you braze or weld. the important thing is to keep the heat differential down between the part and the weld/braze area. You kinda want to 'feather' it out. Unnecessarily changing tools to get a job done is frowned upon in the real world. It's also important to evenly cool the piece down after brazing, and passing the rosebud over it every once in a while while it cools helps to relieve any stress imparted by the brazing. The blanket helps a lot, too. Interesting trick taught to me by my mentor in industrial maintenance is what I call the "Rosebud Trick". If you take a rosebud oxy acetylene tip and light it on just acetylene, you can coat a part in pure carbon. Interestingly enough, once that part gets to about 400 degrees F, the carbon on it wants to make CO2 with the ambient oxygen in the air. Even more interesting is that 400F is about the temp you kinda want to pre heat cast iron and aluminum to, before brazing or welding. Long story short, that torch in your hand is literally a 'multi tool' if wielded right. It is not only a pre heater, it is also a pretty precise temp measuring device, and it is the tool you can use to weld/braze. Side note: If you want to case harden some steel, you don't need to buy Carbonite case hardening powder. Just use a rosebud and switch the oxygen off to add some elemental carbon, then on to raise the temp. Rinse and repeat. It's slower in a sense, but quicker over all. You're not sprinkling powder or dipping parts in a can. You're just turning a valve every once in a while. Oxy acetylene torch sets are golden tear drops of God's sweet love to old school maintenance guys. Molon Labe! Come and pry my Oxy Acetylene kit from my glove covered hands!

[@StevenAndrews]

Noob idea... What do you think about using some sort of insulating spacer under your part so your table isn't a big heat sink? Any value there?

[@ryanwilson3424]

ive done that before but the point of the welding table is that its pretty flat and very strong to limit how much the parts move so adding anything underneath would probably mess with that.

[@grntitan1]

Steven Andrews When at all possible, I braze and even silver solder on top of insulating fire bricks.

[@paulcarre4719]

Would have stuck with the roughing mill myself.

[@fartzinacan]

Is the green flame from copper?

[@royreynolds108]

And the flux.