Many welders ask that “can you weld cast iron to steel?” Yes, you can because cast iron and steel are common materials to weld. It is accessible to weld. You can weld it with TIG, MIG, and Stick easily. How to weld cast iron to steel? The answer to this question is explained in this article. After reading this article, you will gain complete information on welding cast iron to steel. So let’s start.
How to weld cast iron to steel?
The method of welding cast iron to steel is discussed thoroughly and written in steps. Let’s start
Determine the metals.
Identifying the metals is the first step. Grey iron is the most frequent type, but you could have malleable or nodular iron. The type of cast iron component must be known for sure.
The method you’ll use will still work with most steels, even if you identify the steel component incorrectly.
You must determine the Cast iron because if you don’t do it, Cast steel could be used in place of cast iron. Cast steel is much easier to weld than iron, so you don’t need to follow the exact technique and spend as much money on filler metals, which is good.
Sanitise both metals.
Several impurities in cast iron need to be eliminated before working on metals. A flame torch or non-chlorinated degreasers can remove any oil that may have gotten into the cast iron alloy. Use chlorine sparingly when welding since it could produce toxic fumes in the event of an electric arc or gas flame.
You can sandblast or use an angle grinder. Remove any last traces of carbon or abrasive substance with a file.
Get the joint ready
Increase the flow of the stiff weld metal when using nickel filler metal; the angles must be at least 35 degrees.
A hammer and chisel work well for beveling the cast iron side. In this manner, abrasives keep out of the porous casting.
Making use of a die grinder with carbide burrs is the second-best method. However, watch out for any flying debris.
Finally, you can use an angle grinder with a small diameter. A lot of heat should not be applied to cast iron. There cannot be any colouration. After that, remove any remaining abrasive material using a file.
Preheat the joint.
Preheating the joint lowers the likelihood of cracking, mainly as it cools. Use welding temperature sticks to check the temperature; 500°F is the ideal temperature to preheat the metal. You can use an oven or a flame torch to preheat the food.
Weld the tiny beads that are scattered throughout the joint.
You cannot weld a continuous bead even after the metals have warmed because the cast iron may absorb too much heat and develop numerous fissures. Over the joint, you will weld 1-inch beads in various locations.
- If you utilise oxy fuel equipment, you should concentrate the arc or the flame a little more on the mild-steel component since:
One side is casting iron, and the other is steel. As a result, less residual tension will form as the cast iron cools down and protects from quick expansion. Stop a lot of carbon and other pollutants from getting into the puddle. The steel part needs more heat since it has a higher melting point.
- It would be better to weld straight stringers or beads rather than weaving them.
- The vehicle’s speed must be high to prevent overheating the cast iron.
Peen every bead
A small, rounded hammer is continuously hammered with medium force on each bead during this procedure. Since one side of the weld is steel, it will prevent shrinkage of the metal. It is even more crucial if you are not employing nickel materials based on fillers.
Preheating before the metal starts to cool
Insulating the cast iron component as it cools down is crucial in preventing cracking. If you preheated the metals in an oven, use it once more to cool them progressively.
Protect the metals so they can slowly cool down.
Cover the metal as it cools when the welding process is complete to prevent the iron from splitting. If you preheated the metals in an oven, use it once more to cool them.
How may cast iron and steel be best welded together?
If the proper welding rods are used, Arc/Stick Welding is likely the best procedure overall for welding cast iron. The flux in cast iron welding rods is particularly rich in graphite, which chemically binds up the cast iron’s carbon to prevent it from migrating into the weld metal and heat-affected zone.
Stick welding is often the best method for joining cast iron and steel because it offers so many benefits:
- Stick welding provides excellent manual control over the amount of heat applied to the metals.
- It has a selection of welding rods explicitly made for joining steel and cast iron.
- All cast-iron filler metals are expensive, but stick rods are about $1 (450gr) for a modest container. Preheating is unnecessary if you use cast-iron nickel rods for stick welding.
- It is more practical for fieldwork and portable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article explains how to weld cast iron to steel. Many methods to weld it, like MIG, TIG, stick and other processes, are used, but most experts recommend stick welding. Use nickel filler metal, such as NiFe-CI, for the best results. The success rate will rise if at least the cast iron component is preheated. Always make sure that cast iron cools down gradually.
Then you don’t achieve your desired goal with these methods, you use brazing weld.
We hope you will be satisfied after reading our article.
FAQs
Can you weld them without preheating?
If preheating cannot be used or is not desired, cast iron must be welded to steel using only nickel-based filler metal. Short beads must be dispersed throughout the joint and peened constantly. Lastly, let each bead cool entirely before continuing to weld.
Is it possible to weld stainless steel to cast iron?
Yes, it is possible. Cast iron and stainless steel are two common materials for welding, so that they can be welded cast iron to stainless steel.
Can you weld mild steel to cast iron?
Yes, you can weld mild steel to cast iron. Such an effort will produce a high-carbon steel weld that is quickly extinguished. More often than not, you’ll get Martensite, which is fragile and incapable of being machined. Check each component thoroughly to ensure there are no pressure breaks or other indications of damage.
Can you tig weld cast iron to steel?
Yes, casting iron can be joined to steel via TIG welding. For this, nickel rods, such as ERNiFe-Cl, are required. You must ensure that the base and filler components are clean for this. Rods made of mild steel, like ER70S-6, are not advised because of their high risk of cracking.
Can you weld cast iron to carbon steel?
Yes, you can because they have similar properties, but some differences make it hard to weld.
Although cast steel can be welded using the MIG or TIG procedures, many welding experts advise sticking welding with stainless steel rods for castings that are difficult to fuse and E7018 rods for low-carbon alloys. It is indeed feasible.
