Cast Iron Kettles

[jimmyb1]

I bought a couple of kettles, some one drilled holes in the bottoms I would like to fix one of them can some one give some advice on how to repair. It is 23" a cross an 13" deep holes are 3/8". I have a turkey fryer can use to get her warmed up, should welds be on inside an out, or just one side? An how about cooling it back down how long should it take?
Thanks Jim

 

[Egon]

Use a bolt with washer and the nut on the outside.:thumbsup:

 

[Scooby074]

Bronze it?

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

The easiest is to braze it. I have seen several repaired that way and used for boiling peanuts...Not much preheat necessary.

You can use some nicast rods to weld it up after some preheat and some slow post cooling. Probably by just putting them in a fire to heat them up and slowly cool.

 

[jimmyb1]

Was thinking about brazing, never repaired cast so was waiting to see what everybody thought first.
Jim

 

[chips papaw]

hope this will help you. i learned this from my father in order to weld cast you will have to use a stainless or nickle rod.the reg welding rods wont work.for example if you have a crack and try to weld it as it cools the crack will just keep running the trick is drill a round hole in front of crack the crack will run into the round hole and stop for good then just weld the hole up and your done.works great. we have did this on a lot of jobs on the farm for years. but you cannt weld it after it has been brazed unless you can get it all off before try and weld it.

 

[Raspy]

Chips is right. Use a 309 or 316 stainless rod or ask for a high nickel rod for cast iron. Works wonders on hardened steel or cast iron.

 

[yomax4]

312 Stainless, Brazing rod, NiSilver or Bronze. Any Cast Rod. Or my favorite,
Spray Powder. Good Luck all will work. :thumbsup:

 

[Dozernut]

My son bought a cast iron kettle at a yard sale, nice 20 gallon kettle with a stand for $10. The problem was just like yours, someone had drilled a hole in the bottom and made it into a planter.
First we took the angle grinder and cleaned up the around the hole, both sides, until we had bright shiny metal. Then we took a die grinder with a tapered stone and cleaned up the the inside edges of the hole. We purchased some cast iron rods for the stick welder, shined up a spot on the lip for the ground then started filling the hole. Filled it from both sides then ground down the weld. We put water in the kettle to check for leaks for a couple of hours and found none. Used a cup brush on the angle grinder to clean the kettle, then washed it up and seasoned the cast iron with lard and heat. Been some good chili come out of that yard sale kettle.

Good luck with yours.

 

[cjputzier]

I had the same thing happen Just tapped hole and put set screws in them and I still have a drain if needed