Iron Welding Advice

Is Iron Welding For Primma Donnas?

Iron welding is one of the most common and popular metal work processes, part

of its predominance in the market has been its long standing historical presence in the metal working industry.

Although it maybe almost universal, the actual process used to weld iron is not, there is no industry benchmark or standard by which iron is welded, the process involved is entirely dependent on the quality and type of the iron.

Well actually this is a little misleading, for the type of iron influences another factor, the level of pressure and heat required to shape and manipulate the iron.

This is not a factor solely unique to iron, but indeed is a common trait to all metals, and that is how "clean" the surface of the metal is. If the surface is dirty and tainted with impurities then the end result will be spoiled, producing a sub standard finish, not only will the metal be likely to crack, but it will be far more brittle. This causes concerns for the value of the finished product both from a functional point of view, and an aesthetic point of view.

Iron welding is something of the prima donna of the metal work world, it is incredibly temperamental, and proves to be extremely awkward and costly to repair, due to its exceptionally high levels of carbon that are present in iron as compared to steel, almost double the amount.

Rather frustratingly, due to the nature of iron, you cant totally eliminate the presence or possibility of cracks appearing, sadly that is one of the downsides of working with iron, this becomes especially infuriating when the casting has to be water tight. Making strategic use of a industrial strength filler can better offset the effects of this.

However, it is readily used despite such drawbacks, due to its relative cheapness and durability which will ensure that it lasts for a long time. When it works, it works well, when it breaks down…it can be a real pain in the foundry to fix.

One commonly used method to weld cast iron is the so called "fusion welding", which is a rather awkward skill to truly master, as it involves the tricky process of melting and puddling the base metal as the filter material is slowly added as well. There are two types of cast iron:

Grey and White.

Grey is the easier of the two to melt and manipulate.

Wrought iron is a far easier material to work with, it doesn't involve the complicated processes of fusion welding, and its big advantage is that it approaches its melting point in increments, allowing the welder a greater degree of control.

Another great benefit of wrought iron welding is the equipment you use to weld it, you can quite comfortably use steel welding tools, rather than buying specialized equipment.