Stick Welding Cast Iron Repair using 7018 Welding Rods

[@BrandonLund]

MORE WELDING AND FABRICATION VIDEOS HERE:kzbin.info/aero/PLfbf78fMz9Vol0uX2-GNc6mLi75zpqb5f LEARN HOW TO WELD VIDEOS HERE:kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3XEYnxpZp56gJI This video is for demonstration purposes only using a known cast iron material. Do not attempt to repair cast iron pans. If the weld fails there is a high risk of bodily injury, death or fire from hot grease.

[@john6784]

Thanks for this. Just welded up an inlet manifold for a Briggs and Stratton 10hp engine using your instructions. Used an inverter welder and 7018 rods. Worked fine. Very handy method for non critical jobs.

[@BrandonLund]

Right on! It's always nice using what we have and having it work without spending hundreds of dollars. Well done! @John

[@GraphicManInnovations]

I dont need to skip anything in your videos, keep it like that, thank you

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that!

[@lonewolf333]

I welded cast iron with 7018 some years ago, and I have to say it was one of the hardest things I have done. At first the cast iron kept cracking like glass (just like your pan there in the video!) because my pre and post heating wasn't good enough. I had to heat it up with an oxyacetylene torch (the shop was cold, and therefore, so was the work), and after I welded it, I took the oxyacetylene torch to it so it would cool down very slowly. This actually worked, but I don't know that I would want to try this again unless I was up for a real challenge!

[@BrandonLund]

It can be a real challenge and to add to that some cast iron is easier to weld than others. Congratulations on getting it done!

[@huckstirred7112]

@@BrandonLund I don't weld allot of cast but you are correct every piece of cast has been totally different than the previous one

[@Devoneakapimp]

So I watched this video a while back and thought it was complete garbage. Then I had a situation whereby I had to weld cast iron pipe for a pipe burner project. Lo and behold, this video suddenly makes sense. I was ignorant to the different techniques absolutely necessary for different scenarios. So thank you for your videos.

[@BrandonLund]

A lot of folks get stuck in that "cant do" mindset. I'm glad you found it useful :)

[@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys]

I always wondered about this so now I need some 7018 rod and get after it. Thanks for the education.

[@BrandonLund]

Your welcome!

[@kyrangerman519]

I used to weld cast cam follower bases to 4" x 4" hardened keystock, using 7018 rods. This was at a conveyor factory and what the engineers wanted. We never had an issue...

[@BrandonLund]

Good to know! Thanks man!

[@billarroo1]

I tried welding a truck brake drum to a 3/8" steel plate, then to a 4x4 - 1/4" square tube to make a pedestal for an 8 inch bench grinder, the 7018 - 1/8" from the brake drum to the 3/8" plate CRACKED right down the middle of the bead, But the 2nd weld over the cracked bead is 3 years old and still holding with no cracks. !!😃😃 GREAT VIDEO thanks William Orange County California

[@BrandonLund]

I've had simular issues when trying to weld on to brake drums. Thanks for watching and commenting William! Great fix!

[@JimBailey-w9g]

The reason that crack is the rest of the metal draws the heat away from the Weld .

[@melaniew77msn]

I used to have access to a huge forge that could be closed. I have put deep bevels for full penetration on cast iron. Then gotten the parts red hot and welded at super low amps. Then cycled in and out of the forge to keep the parts hot. After completion of welding back into forge red hot for 15 minutes then close lid and shut forge down. 24 hours later part still to hot to touch. At 2 days part is cooled to room temp. Using that method I successfully welded cast iron with 7018 stick many times.

[@BrandonLund]

That's awesome!

[@oceanic8424]

That's a functional repair in my books.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@mountainmiked8160]

MG 289 rods are excellent for this type of repair, but expensive. If you get a lot of porosity then butter it with Normacast first. You may also want to try Washington alloys Tensile weld or 312 stainless. There are so many other options besides nickel rod depending on the base metal condition. 7018 does work. I have also had good luck MIG welding some exhaust manifolds on import cars with 70S-2 wire. You don't know until you try. Good video!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks bud, I appreciate your support! You hit the nail on the head when you said "You don't know until you try". Thats what this is all about! I repaired a broken off leg from a cast iron park bench using 70s2 MIG and it worked like a charm. I did pre and post heat for that one. I'll have to check out the MG 289 and Washington Alloys rods.

[@akbychoice]

Did a similar test back about 1978 with cast iron heads and 7018 rod, worked just fine. Machined and surface ground and ran like a new head.

[@BrandonLund]

NICE! Just curious, was it cracked in the combustion chamber or elsewhere?

[@akbychoice]

Brandon Lund it was cracked along where the oil passages were.

[@BrandonLund]

@@akbychoice Impressive! Nice job!

[@sojournsojourntraveler1203]

Glad you have good results with this I on the other hand have to use HEAT , Heat and more heat for best results. That is my best vice Hot enough that the cast and the 7018 puddle together. Peen it all out the same way as this video and wrap it in isolation to where it was still too hot to touch the next day when I checked it out. Left it alone to finish cooling down very slowly and it still is holding.

[@BrandonLund]

Very nice! I think the reason this worked without preheat is because I welded very short beads and allowed it to cool to touch before I welded another bead. As you said, preheat and insulated cool down is the safest bet though. Cheers

[@sojournsojourntraveler1203]

Thanks for the comeback, some good considerations for success.

[@marksarovich5534]

Great job. I always wondered about cast iron. Now I have a go to process. Thanks Brandon!

[@BrandonLund]

You bet!

[@huckstirred7112]

The best home repair rod is stainless rod. High carbon steel , stainless steel, cast iron and cast steel are easily done with stainless rod. . You have to preheat cast. It is the unequal heating that breaks cast . Preheat gets both sides equal heat so the entire weld area is expanded . Other wise one side will be in tension and the other side will be in compression. Stainless rod is quite similar in performance to nickel rod . And on high carbon steel repairs " such as a high quality shovel or hay fork keeps carbon brittle from breaking the repair. Same applies preheat to 350 to 600 cool slowly by burying it in vermiculite.

[@eyuptony]

Hi Brandon. I'm going to buy some of these rods and have a go on my vintage Tangye cast iron stove top section. Its been broke since 1984. You make it look possible for even me to attempt to do using short bursts at a time. Great tip. Tony

[@BrandonLund]

Hey Tony glad I could help. It's worth a try. How great will that be getting it up and running again! Please keep me posted and feel free to tag me or post pics on my social media pages. Cheers buddy and good luck

[@eyuptony]

@@BrandonLund Will do, but it will be next year sometime before I get around to it. I can't wait myself to see I f I can do it. Thanks for your video info. Tony.

[@robertpena9468]

Hello Brandon some people think you cant weld copper and steel together but u can using a silcon bronze tig rod. Try it some time, its fun 😉

[@jbbolts]

@@eyuptony well how did it go? :)

[@eyuptony]

@@jbbolts Thanks for the reminder lol. I'm still in the process of moving my workshop so when I get sorted I'll have a go then let you know. All the videos I've been posting recently are old footage I'm sorting out. Cheers jbbolts.

[@marklee718]

Good work mate, helped heaps, fixed the top of my old woodburner, cheers

[@BrandonLund]

That's awesome! Glad to hear this! Cheers buddy!

[@shanec.6595]

Great video… thanks for sharing!!! Hey instead of filing the rod after each tack/weld, try this- after each weld while the rod is red hot, stick the rod into a piece of wood. Get a small piece of 2x4 that should suffice, it’ll prevent the tip from scaling. It’s a trick I use when fitting up pipe. Try it, let me know what you think.

[@BrandonLund]

@Shane C interesting...I've never heard of this so I'm curious to try. Thanks for sharing!

[@shanec.6595]

@@BrandonLund yeah man a little trick I learned from an old school pipe fitter. That way it’s a clean strike everytime.

[@ikesquirrel]

I mig welded some large brake drums together for a mailbox base. I peened the hell out of the welds right after making them. The mailbox got hit by a pickup truck a while later and only one weld cracked. The rest were in perfect shape and the mailbox still survives.

[@BrandonLund]

Nice job! Brake drums can be tricky to weld!

[@bobschwaller5293]

Old school cast iron welding trick is don't use a grinder. Clean the edges with a file or chisel. The grinder puts inpurities into the metal

[@BrandonLund]

Hes actually right. All the text books say what he is saying but rarely do people bother. I just clean it up with a grinder and call it a day.

[@EthanPDobbins]

it is impossible to "put impurities into the metal" without melting it down. The idea that cast iron magically soaks up everything like a sponge is an old wives tale. Whether it made it into books has no bearing on it's reality. Cast iron is impermeable just like steel.

[@BrandonLund]

Cast iron is porous. You can literally see it with your naked eye. When you grind, the grinding wheel is slowly abraded away along with the binders that hold the wheel together. Those particles end up embedding themselves into the porous cast iron surface, which is why the experts recommend using a file or chisel over a grinding wheel.

[@919dds]

That's very good. I'm impressed. Wouldn't have thought you could weld that and be successful without nickel rod.

[@BrandonLund]

Crazy right! It held more than I expected also

[@700bond700]

I used to be a industrial mechanic back in the eighties, had a broken cast iron arm that traveled on a roller on our wool scouring line. I was going to weld it with 7018 low hydrogen on dc current. one of the business owners said you can't weld cast iron. ( he was my department head.) I did it anyway and it lasted 7 years until we replaced the whole scouring line.

[@BrandonLund]

Nice...The one thing I'm learning by sharing this information is that everyone seems to think there way is only one way and there way is the right way. As you discovered, there are a bunch of ways...some are more unconventional than others. Good on you for giving it a go...it bet boss man was happy at the end of the day... you saved him a pile of cash :)

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

@@BrandonLund there is only one effective way and the way you used in the video is not it.. it cracks because its brittle and its flexing as it cools. heat the weld before and after and let it slowly cool. you can heat it in a blacksmiths forge or with an oxy torch and keep ot hot in a bbq as it cools. or bury it in the forge coals if its small.. cast iron has no flexability. and as youve observed steel bends whel welds cool

[@BrandonLund]

@Manchagojohnso... I prefer to let my work speak for itself.

[@dwaitlee242]

What kind of welder is the best to practice for beginners , mainly for car rusty parts welding?

[@BrandonLund]

For welding on cars, your thickest material would be the frame which is generally not much thicker than 3/16". A mig welder would be best for welding on panels and making automotive repairs.

[@davidbirmingham6462]

I have a tractor engin block to weld so if you can I would like to see it done .cast engin block , thanks

[@BrandonLund]

I like that idea David! I'll see what I can do. It might be hard finding one that is cracked though.

[@YO3A007]

I volunteer out at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista Ca. Turned some of our welders onto this. Thanks!

[@BrandonLund]

I'm honored! Thank you!. It's nice to see people willing to pass on information to others in an effort to try different things that have been generally considered not traditional.

[@quentinkaramitsos6446]

I love the testing set up !

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! I figured it would give us a rough baseline to see how our repairs are holding up :)

[@cialhangg235]

nice video. I just tried welding cast iron with 7018 this morning and was always wondering if there is specially formulated rod for cast iron.

[@cialhangg235]

by the way, my weld seem to hold tight but that's soon to find out

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man. Yes there are a number of specialty rods specifically designed for welding cast iron. Rods with a high nickel content work well. Check out my Welding Cast Iron playlist for lots of information on this. Thanks and congratulations!

[@1rustytree]

Good enough to hold my bacon and eggs, I'd call it fixed!

[@BrandonLund]

Now I'm craving bacon..thanks! 🤣🤣🤣

[@mikemullins3761]

Whatever works. 👍

[@jspec-vz3mc]

I like your attitude 👍

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks brother!

[@alekrudy5993]

My opinion on the reasons why you got crack in the middle - is different from yours. I think it happend not because of materials being dissimilar, but because of geometry. That cast iron in the middle of your frying pen had no room to move during its contruction when cooling. Your weld was all surrounded by very hard (and "strong") cast iron. That cast iron did not let it move, so it had to crack. Contrary to that, when you welded that round piece at the edge of the frying pen, it could easily expand to outside and then safely move back when shrinking. Thus avoiding cracks.

[@BrandonLund]

Good point and I agree with this. I also think the 7018 rod does not have the elongation charasticistics as other rods which are more compatible with welding cast iron. Im thinking nickel might have done the trick without cracking but I didnt want to use nickel because it's a carcinogen. Thanks for the great comment!

[@huckstirred7112]

It is the geometry. But that is why you preheat, so both are in expansion and tension equally. But with mild steel it has to cool slowly and equally. You accomplish that by burying it in vermiculite

[@kwaaaa]

@@huckstirred7112 Why I love browsing the comments, lots of wisdom from the experienced. Thanks for the tip.

[@davejensen8882]

I agree. It should be EASIER to weld steel to cast than cast to cast.

[@BrandonLund]

So welding dissimilar metals to one another yields better results? Not a chance. They shrink at different rates. This holds true for all metals

[@sulyanasilva9259]

Você é o cara

[@BrandonLund]

Obrigado!

[@casinogiant]

I would try the patch again and instead of tacking all sides before filling. Start on one side in ioncreaments allowing plenty of cooling between sections. I am willing to bet you wil find you will get a lot less cracks.

[@BrandonLund]

@casinogiant good tip! Thank you!

[@michaelheiss4456]

I know this is an old video , just came upon it ! Do you have to have the 7018 rods in the heat box or just use them cold ? I know for structural welds they need to be hot !

[@BrandonLund]

I just use them from a sealed container

[@mikemullins3761]

I repaired a vise with 7018 and it worked. But then it doesn't hold up weight. I did hear 6013 works too. You do have to pre-heat before welding then slowly "de-heat" after.

[@BrandonLund]

👍Pre and post heat is probably the safest way to go

[@mikemullins3761]

@ Brandon Lund. Yes definitely! I recommend pre-heating and the post-treatment. I was in welding school at the time and my instructor was gonna toss the vise so I decided to "save" it. Still have it. No problems. Surprisingly my novice welds are still intact. I must've done something right.

[@jimmywalden1615]

I have found that some 6011 rod will work good on cast seems like it helped to penetrate in to the metal the only issues had was the heat cause big cracks as it cooled and contracted but most of the time it seems to hole Ps added at end of video 6011 work well for joining cast with mild steel

[@BrandonLund]

I might have to give it a few more tries. I have not had any luck with 6011

[@ajsironworks3937]

Nice!!! Always fun testing how weld we make do

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks. It's kinda fun trying to break them too!

[@buygadgets8663]

My cast iron pan has a ceramic coating outside. Can I weld back the handle?

[@BrandonLund]

The coating will likely be ruined.

[@buygadgets8663]

Brandon Lund Thank you, man.

[@shaungronda2759]

Thermal growth co efficient are different one metal is expanding and contracting at a different rate. It will always pull and break

[@BrandonLund]

That's what makes cast iron difficult to weld. Limiting heat input and peening are key.

[@jetttskiman]

we got a new cooktop for Christmas. The old one has a cast iron griddle that you can throw on top and use over the center burner. New stove only has a crappy aluminum one that's Teflon coated. Old cast iron one is about 3 inches to long for the new cooktop. I was thinking about putting it on the band saw and cutting the 3 inches out to fit then welding it back together. It has a raised edge all the way around to keep the pancakes from dripping off the side. That's why it would have to be welded back together. Ya think it would hold up?

[@BrandonLund]

I personally don't repair cookware. I think it's just too dangerous if it should fail.

[@raviteja5477]

all things gud bro...but why crack developed in centre of the pan /???

[@BrandonLund]

I believe it was in part because of the dissimilar metal and heat input.

[@funbricknj]

GEE what do you fry that needs that much weight

[@walkertongdee]

I did that with stainless rod held well

[@BrandonLund]

Walkertongdee another tried and true method! :) thanks

[@jacksonms212]

309 works pretty good

[@eazyrider6122]

ive had success preheating and using stainless rods on a cast brake drum.

[@BrandonLund]

Stainless can also be a good repair method :)

[@anthonytrodriguez7166]

That pretty good hold with 7018 1/8” @50 amps. That what I need to weld repair for one of my wheel rims inner trigger steer hud that broke ,thank my man

[@BrandonLund]

I'm glad to help!

[@armandogonzales1365]

Have you tried super missle rod it works great for welding dissimilar metals

[@BrandonLund]

No but I've heard good things about it. I will test it in an upcoming episode

[@armandogonzales1365]

Yes buy several sticks of them and give it a shot I think you will like them

[@BrandonLund]

I can't wait to try them!

[@abdrahmanabdullah3113]

Awesomes brilliant experiments

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much!

[@bruced1429]

When I try to join dissimilar metals I use a rod from Air Liquide which they call the" Extreme rod" it is high in nickel , it seems to work well Like your work, can you do more welding repair videos?

[@rogerthompson926]

0

[@BrandonLund]

Hmmmmmm. I'm going to have to do some research. I have not heard of this rod. I'm glad your enjoying the content. I enjoy doing this type of video also so yes, you can expect more in the near furure... probably this Friday 😁

[@bruced1429]

thanks Brandon, the rod is Xtreme product ~ Blu-5321-12532 on Air Liquide's Canadian web page under Blueshield MNR specialty and maintenance electrodes

[@roberth7413]

Pre heat and peening is key.

[@BrandonLund]

Always

[@gigimorphe6194]

thanks for clues all make sense now

[@BrandonLund]

Your welcome

[@jacobpechatsko6403]

Lincoln electric makes an electrode that welds best on cast iron for repairs

[@rubennavegante3491]

Thanks for the video

[@BrandonLund]

You bet! Thanks for watching! @Ruben Navegante

[@BrandonLund]

This is a cast iron repair series. We all know that brazing / silicon bronze or nickle are traditional repair methods, but what about methods and fillers not usually associated with cast iron repairs? We are experimenting with different processes and different filler metals with preheat and without. There are many ways to repair cast iron, If you ask 20 people how to properly repair it, you will get 20 different answers. Do you guys have any cast iron repair stories to share?

[@JH-tk6ge]

Thanks! I'm going to try to weld back together some broken wood stove legs.

[@BrandonLund]

Your welcome and good luck brother!

[@Airborne-tb9hz]

you have to consider the thickness of the cast in the bottom compared to the thicker handle area

[@BrandonLund]

The handle and bottom were fairly close if I remember correctly, but I could be wrong.

[@VW5767]

Good stuff!!

[@BrandonLund]

VW5767 thanks man!

[@جمالدحدوح-س4ن]

hi can I weld cast iron cylinder head by 7018?

[@BrandonLund]

Theoretically yes. 7018 is a low hydrogen rod however I've never personally had good luck with 7018 but many have. I would stick to nickel rod

[@simbaline1000]

Excellent

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@briananderson3801]

If u hook the welder up backwards and use the ground rod for the rod it will draw the heat out and will have hardly any heat and no cracks I do it all the time a old man told me years ago and I've made a lot of money using it try it on hear as a test no leaks eather.

[@BrandonLund]

I think you are the 2nd person that has mentioned this in the last year or so....I had not heard of this before and I have not tried it yet. I am very curious to see how this works. It makes sense. Are you using an AC welder when you do this?

[@chappieworkz3288]

Nice job.. Very informative

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! 😁

[@carlteyssier6696]

hey thanks for the guidance.

[@BrandonLund]

Any time!

[@bandaralahmadi1711]

Thank you

[@BrandonLund]

You're welcome

[@Smikkelboy69]

Hi Brandon, Great video thanks sharing your knowledge :) How does peening relieve stress in the metal?

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! There is no short answer to peining. AWS has some good info but basically it works to take some of the tensil properties and expand the filler metal into compression

[@Smikkelboy69]

@@BrandonLund Thank you for the explanation.

[@shadowops3653]

Very informative 👌

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you!

[@gregtaylor6146]

Hi, may I ask why you chose not to pre heat this particular job?

[@BrandonLund]

Cold welding has mixed results. If it can be cold welded without cracking than the filler metal and the process used to weld it is superior. I use cold welding as a benchmark to see how forgiving the filler metal is. If it can be welded cold, you have nearly a 100% chance you will get a superior repair on the finished product.

[@gregtaylor6146]

@@BrandonLund - Many thanks for your reply Sir.

[@BrandonLund]

My pleasure Greg. Thanks for your support 👍

[@georgelasala6588]

is that the whit fox dot 7018 ex calba

[@BrandonLund]

Yes sir!

[@isaacsanchez-ruiz6820]

would it handle the temperature change without cracking?

[@BrandonLund]

It sure will!

[@slaphappyduplenty2436]

Is it possible with 6013?

[@BrandonLund]

I have tested this but I cant remember how it did. Please check out my playlist for 6013 and more kzbin.info/aero/PLfbf78fMz9VpweFv4IqUfrrNV6Vvro7Cd

[@hybrideclectic]

Have you test fcaw?

[@BrandonLund]

I have not, but I have tried with solid wire and c-25 with success. I might just try fcaw in a future video.

[@hybrideclectic]

Brandon Lund Can’t wait too see

[@toddbrewer8215]

Do they still make the specialty rod 30816?

[@BrandonLund]

They sure do!

[@toddbrewer8215]

I used some to fix the cast iron front end of a Ford 4000 farm tractor and loved it.

[@MetrologyEngineer]

I think I'm going to try this on my drill press table since it has a smiley face of shame... Hopefully it works with my rods that are a little old. I've kept them in a box with tape around the lid.

[@BrandonLund]

It cant hurt!

[@MetrologyEngineer]

@@BrandonLund Ya been trying it an I keep getting a lot of porosity. I don't think it's because they soaked up water I think it's because the slag gets caught since I'm not able to angle the electrode/move enough.

[@BrandonLund]

@@MetrologyEngineer it could also be white cast iron - which is almost impossible to weld and you will see a lot of porosity as you pointed out.

[@MetrologyEngineer]

@@BrandonLund Huh I've heard of the different kinds but I'm not sure how best to tell. And it's more porosity in the weld itself not really ever in the base metal. It looks gray in color to me :)

[@TheDerekeder]

Sweet!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@rossmckinnon5442]

Used to weld engine blocks using nickel rod

[@BrandonLund]

It's good stuff Debbie! 👌

[@jessehudson1611]

I'm a student welder. Could you explain the metallurgy behind peening these welds? It's seems pretty self explanatory, but could you maybe so a short video on that method. Love your video, keep it up!

[@alekrudy5993]

The previous answers were quite out of subject... The right answer is: when after welding you hit your deposited metal from the top with a hammer, the deposited metal would slightly expand to its sides. And on its sides it has that brittle cast iron, that wants to shrink and thus crack, when cooling. If you hit your soft weld in a proper moment from above, your deposited soft metal would expand to its sides and somewhat compensate for shrinkage of your brittle cast iron nearby, thus saving your workpiece from cracking along the weld when cooling. No metalurgy in it, only common sence and finding the right time for peening on deposited metal and thus compensating in time for cast iron contraction when cooling; by means of forcing your deposited soft 7018 metal to expand, following the cast iron contraction...

[@Leothelion357]

mic jam funny how you dismiss every correct thing Alek said just because u don’t understand how the peening expands the metal. Saying its comical is condescending and you seem like a complete douche, truly. You know Alek is right, stop being a douche 😂😂

[@alekrudy5993]

Leothelion357, thank you, Sir. mic jam, you "took advansed welding in Boston..." Really?! Then you have to take your hat off your head before daring to speak to a man like me, boy... I am Journeyman Welder in Canada, boy. Since 2009. With according Canadian education. I had many pressure tickets and CWB certifications during my carriers in welding, I had it all. I worked as welding tutor in local college, SIAST. I am Mechanical Engineer from Ukraine since 1997, after 5 years in Construction University. It would be equal to Masters degree in Canada, if I could pass my English proficiency test here. I also took a few classes in welding in Paton Welding Institute in Kyiv before coming to Canada. And... What a coincidence: my instructor in TIG class (Mr. Dochkin) welded titanium parts for "Soviet Moon Tractor" half of century ago...

[@alekrudy5993]

mic jam, just when you are so uneducated and that ignorant as you just showed in comments, you need to wear a much simpler face. Otherwise you can run into a much bigger guy, like now, who would slap you with your own wet pants over your face even in Internet, and you would run back to your mammy crying and calling bad names from a safe distance. Yeah, boy. I have already forgotten more university level welding metallurgy than you will ever be able to learn during all your life...

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

It's called cleaning the Flux off your fresh weld before tieing back in to continue your weld. No other reason

[@cintulator2]

it is very hard to keep shoulders and wrists relaxed enough when welding

[@BrandonLund]

It can be, that's why it's very important to make sure your as comfortable as you can be.

[@pedrosixfour]

Always thought it was a bad idea to grind cast iron before welding as it just adds more contaminants from the grinding process, and the only real option to prep the pieces is a chisel. Am I totally incorrect?

[@BrandonLund]

Yes and no...the best method is to use gouging electrodes. The gouging rods will bevel out the joint while burning out any oil and contaminants. The next best method is to use a die grinder with a metal cutter (not a stone) and lastly to use an abrasive wheel. You could use a chisel but I've never tried....does any of this matter? Probably not for most repairs. I've had excellent results with preheat, welding / peining and then burying in sand.

[@pedrosixfour]

@@BrandonLund Wasn't having a go at you, I was curious to hear your thoughts on the subject is all. I must investigate the gouging electrodes you mentioned. Keep up the fine work!

[@BrandonLund]

@@pedrosixfourthanks brother! I have a few boxes of gouging rods but I've never tried using them on an inverter welder. I might have to give it a go and see what happens. I knew you were just asking, i didnt take take your comment in a negative way 👍

[@outwhitu08]

Good test, gotta love the 7018! Lots of stuff still holding with those rods, its been my go to rod for years, have you ever tried any certainium 704? They supposed to be for dissimilar and unknown base metals, i think there 100k psi, i have a pack of them someone gave me, run just like the 7018, great video and test, thanks

[@BrandonLund]

outwhitu08 thank you, I have not tried them. I will have to look into it though :)

[@moekakke]

I think the kracks are because you did not preheat and heat after to reduce tension. ...

[@BrandonLund]

It would have helped. Anytime you preheat and post heat you are bettering your odds of success. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@charlietanner6211]

what is wrong with arc welding is intence heat cast cant take that draws out carbon in cast

[@georgiojansen7758]

they have battery powered hand hammer, and i would use limarosta,

[@BrandonLund]

georgio jansen Yes sir! 😁 I will do a stainless / cast iron repair in an upcoming episode. Thank you 👍

[@flhusa1]

they make welding rods for welding cast iron to steel,steel to stainless steel, and stainless to cast iron. look up dissimilar metals welding rods. they are also called maintenance rods. they have a very high tensile strength. nickel rods are a joke.

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you!

[@aktrapper6126]

I think he is well aware of the different rods made for cast iron to steel ect, the point of the video however was to see how 7018 would preform. Better then I expected but I think his success was in the technique.

[@vikassm]

This comment actually helped me. A lot. I can stick weld all day, but tig and brazing are not practical on certain locations in certain environments. Sometimes people say 'no you can't weld that, you'll need to braze it', and not knowing what type of rod to use for dissimilar metals was a definite negotiation handicap, especially when it came to pricing. So a quick printout of what metals can be welded with what other metals using what rod, and now you're the expert 😂

[@treefrogjoness]

If you are trying to weld a crack in an engine block or cylinder head, it's very difficult and I would say that even if by chance you seemed to have welded it with 7018, it wouldn't hold up because of the difference in expansion rates of the metals.

[@BrandonLund]

I have never tried to weld and engine block or a cylinder head with 7018, but one of the commenters below actually posted that he welded up a cracked cylinder head and the repair lasted for many years. Another poster said he welded an old tractor axle...If that's all you got, It appears it can be done.

[@MrRussianProduction]

do a preheat and post heat, sudden heat on cast creates to much tension

[@BrandonLund]

I agree that pre and post heat are best, but this was an experiment to see how 7018 worked doing cold method. If you go low and slow, it can be done in certain circumstances.

[@irondiver292]

Why no preheat?

[@BrandonLund]

This is what is referred to as the "cold welding method". Its often used when a casting cant be brought up to preheat temperatures (500 degrees).

[@BrandonLund]

By the way, my notification i got from when you commented said "No Comment Commented" 🤣🤣🤣 well played!

[@irondiver292]

Brandon Lund :-)

[@garyvancollins6762]

The same method works with flux core wire feed too. Weld a little here, peen and weld a little there, peen moving around with no preheat like you just did.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Gary! I've been wondering the same, so I'm going to do a video doing just that! It should be out in a couple weeks. I get a lot of criticism when I do that type of video, so be sure to hit the notifications bell...I'm sure the comments will be interesting :) take care brother!

[@carljorgensen2813]

Nice job keep it up.

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! 👍

[@WinstonDANIELS-sb9ft]

I am welder. How do i weld crack on a dredge houseing ?

[@BrandonLund]

V it out, preheat, Nickel 99, short beads with peining then post heat and pray

[@WinstonDANIELS-sb9ft]

@@BrandonLund i Will try it.

[@BrandonLund]

Let me know how it goes!

[@tomflower6960]

The best rod to use is nickel rod. The shrink characteristics are almost identical to cast iron. No preheating is required.

[@BrandonLund]

Nickel is one of the methods I prefer, but for something like this you have to be careful using nickel because it’s a carcinogen. This or stainless is going to be the safest.

[@miquelanesto1762]

Fluxcore mig will work a lot better for the reasons I do not know.

[@BrandonLund]

Well if you think it can beat this weight, maybe we need to have a smackdown where we try a bunch of different fillers?

[@g-low6365]

ive welded and added lost material to cast iron with regular 0.9 mig wire. but i preheated it and let it cool down slowly in hot sand. it didnt break yet. so i think its good.

[@BrandonLund]

Gaston Glow Right on! I have a video where I fixed a park bench using mig wire and I used preheat also. So far so good with that repair also! Thanks for your support

[@Mr91caprice]

Get that pan red hot then weld in that mild steal

[@kennethcaine3402]

I don't know what you're trying to prove, using a 7018. There are so many cast iron rods on the market, and I have used some of them with great success. The best one I have ever used was a certainum 889. But I have used other brands with good results.

[@BrandonLund]

I am not trying to prove anything Kenneth. I'm just a guy welding and experimenting on some cast iron and trying to help others at the same time.

[@SWATT101]

I'm about to remove exhaust manifolds from a Ram truck...I'm pretty sure I might have a crack to try and repair...cool

[@BrandonLund]

Good luck!

[@evrenforest2578]

Since cast iron welding rods are expensive, I use 316 stainless steel rods instead. Much cheaper, almost as strong as cast iron rod and neat as well.

[@BrandonLund]

Great point!

[@MrDirtysteve75]

Cast iron needs to be preheated before welding. That would help with the cracking.

[@BrandonLund]

It can be done successfully without a preheat as I have demonstrated in a few videos. I just wanted to give a few more examples of cast iron repairs. Cheers.

[@marioramirez5478]

I don’t think any food weight that much 😂 good welding

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! 👍

[@marchofsaints]

My dad is one of the best welders I know. I asked him about ni-rod, but he said that, if pre-heated, kept hot, and peened enough, low-hydrogen rod can be used to weld cast back together. My welding teacher in high school said otherwise... Guess who was right?

[@BrandonLund]

Your dad is a wise man 👍

[@zone4garlicfarm]

We now know the breaking strength when repaired with Muggy weld and 7018. The first number we should have known is the breaking strength of a new Lodge pan.

[@BrandonLund]

I thought of that after the fact...A new lodge pan would be much more...probably around 150 pounds before breaking. Unlike steel, cast repairs are never as strong as original.

[@steve8566]

If you have repaired this with 7918 3 times, maybe try using a nickel rod designed for welding cast iron. 7018 is for mild steel only.

[@BrandonLund]

I take it this is the first video of mine that you've watched 🤔

[@tracycurtright2671]

Did better than I thought it would but if I didn't have cast rod I would use 309

[@BrandonLund]

Tracy, it surprised me too! I plan to do some stainless testing in an upcoming video. Cheers brother!

[@RANDALLOLOGY]

Pour Skillet will never fry an egg again.lol

[@BrandonLund]

Hmmmm. Now you got me thinking! Maybe I will see if I can get this thing repaired and back in service...that might be interesting considering all the abuse it's seen lately :)

[@macvena]

Why not Nickel?

[@BrandonLund]

MAC VENA this is an ongoing series. I have been experimenting with a bunch of different repair processes and methods repairing cast iron. So far nickle rod made by muggy weld has come out on top, but as I mentioned in the video, it's just another tool in the toolbox. If you go to the beginner welding series playlist, you will see some cast iron welding and testing videos that you might find interesting.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

They make a cast rod for cast iron