cast steel welding

i wasnt telling them how to do just some of the dangers of welding cast if you dont know what your doing, Max i in no way was trying to tell the public how to do it cause i feel the same way you do there is some things people dont need to know or take on them selfs.

you're right about pre-heating. If you have box of sand handy or an old oven, this will work even better. First prep the area, with a deep groove anad clean well, then preheat to about 300 deg(you can get a temp stick at any welding supplier) it will melt at 300 deg. Stick is best for cast, use what is called a nirod, it's good for mostly all cast steel. While it's still hot weled with the stick(drag the rod, don't push). After each pass, use a ball peen hammer and "Peen" the weld, this will put the molecules back in a relaxed state, so they don't crystalize to fast and shrink(this would make it very brittle). After at least 2 passes, put the cast into sand and let cool for about 12-24 hours, or put in an oven and every couple of hours, turn down from 300 deg to off. Trust me, peening is one of the most important things to do. As a general rule, you should never weld on any cast that holds your vehicle up, or on your steering. It's just not worth the chance of it breaking and killing yourself or someone else

My post is only for things othe that suspension or steering. If your fixing a hole on rear diff or an exhaust manifold or something.

I just thought there was more danger to it. The whole bomb in the kitchen line. I'm sorry if I may have offended anyone in questioning what was said. I was just trying to get a better understanding of the dangerous part. And I do understand why Max doesn't want tell someone how to do it. It was just the bomb part that caught my attention.

Whats wrong with teaching some one how to do something? We all had to learn too right? Fine if you dont want me to post in your forum thats fine, but dont act like he shouldnt learn how to weld cast. If you teach some one how to do something right ant that better then them just trying to figure it out? If he trys and cant get it then he knows it ant for him, but if he does and does it will mabye he will make a living at it some day. I dont feel you should pick and chose who learns and who dont.

no hard feeling eather way
Richie

Originally posted by pmiller



I just thought there was more danger to it. The whole bomb in the kitchen line. I'm sorry if I may have offended anyone in questioning what was said. I was just trying to get a better understanding of the dangerous part. And I do understand why Max doesn't want tell someone how to do it. It was just the bomb part that caught my attention.

You are really bad with similes aren't you? lolThe dangerous part comes where anyone with not enough knowledge and skill comes in and tries to do it because they saw instructions online, and then thay fail. Either someone welding to cast, and the part breaking, possibly on the road causing a bad collision; or someone trying to make a bomb and blowing up their kitchen.

None of you should take my post as anger. Most of you know that I will share any of my knowledge with you and I have done so for a while now, but there are still a few things that I feel not everyone should know.

Modifying and welding a cast knuckle takes more than just a good welder or a good fabricator, it takes both. I have seen successfull welded cast parts that are going to break because the parts that were welded to the cast were improperly designed. The knuckle isn't just an A-arm or a 4-link bar, it has loads being applied in too many directions to simply start stabbing at it with tabs and perfect welds.

Welding to cast isn't explosive, it's just not something that everyone should know how to do.

How scary are some of the bag jobs out there that some newby decided to buy a $500 welder and go for it? Imagine if that same guy thought that he could build his own drop spindle...

Originally posted by DroptSdime



Originally posted by pmiller



I just thought there was more danger to it. The whole bomb in the kitchen line. I'm sorry if I may have offended anyone in questioning what was said. I was just trying to get a better understanding of the dangerous part. And I do understand why Max doesn't want tell someone how to do it. It was just the bomb part that caught my attention.

You are really bad with similes aren't you? lolThe dangerous part comes where anyone with not enough knowledge and skill comes in and tries to do it because they saw instructions online, and then thay fail. Either someone welding to cast, and the part breaking, possibly on the road causing a bad collision; or someone trying to make a bomb and blowing up their kitchen.

Yeah... I don't use the smiley's. I got in trouble once on here for giving a friend a smiley with a gesture. No need for them.

You guys are great! Thanks for all the information.

^^^hehe...smileys

Max, i definitly appreciate your caution with that info. There are enough dangerous minis on the road already....thank you.