gwdixon
Elite Member
Boy, going through the posts and searching the Internet sure has conflicting advice on using 7018 for cast iron!
An old Mott flail mower that I sold to my neighbor had a Zerk guard on the roller snap at the single mounting hole. It is about 6" long and 2" wide.
The break looks to be the grainy structure of cast iron but it could be cast steel. It is not a load-bearing or vital piece for the operation of the implement. In fact, I took off the remainder of the broken piece and told him to get back to mowing and I'd come up with something for a repair. (Photos soon.)
So now I'm looking for you experts to bail me out.
I want to avoid brazing and he wants to avoid a high dollar repair rod (nickel, Certanium, and the like). The piece does run in the dirt on occasion.
So here is my plan and criticism is welcomed:
>Bevel the broken edges on both sides.
>Tack the two pieces together.
>Heat the heck out of it with a propane weed torch.
>Weld 1/2" to 3/4" lengths of 3/32" 7018 at 80 amps and immediately peen with an air powered needle scaler.
>Repeat on both sides until the bevels are filled.
>Bury the finished piece in a galvanized bucket of sand to cool.
>Grind the mounting side weld flat to allow installation.
Another issue with the piece is that a small chunk was lost when the break happened. Can that be filled with 7018 using the method above?
Thanks ahead for feedback.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that DC stick welding is my preferred method. Well, I do have O/A and a 110 Hobart flux-core.
An old Mott flail mower that I sold to my neighbor had a Zerk guard on the roller snap at the single mounting hole. It is about 6" long and 2" wide.
The break looks to be the grainy structure of cast iron but it could be cast steel. It is not a load-bearing or vital piece for the operation of the implement. In fact, I took off the remainder of the broken piece and told him to get back to mowing and I'd come up with something for a repair. (Photos soon.)
So now I'm looking for you experts to bail me out.
I want to avoid brazing and he wants to avoid a high dollar repair rod (nickel, Certanium, and the like). The piece does run in the dirt on occasion.
So here is my plan and criticism is welcomed:
>Bevel the broken edges on both sides.
>Tack the two pieces together.
>Heat the heck out of it with a propane weed torch.
>Weld 1/2" to 3/4" lengths of 3/32" 7018 at 80 amps and immediately peen with an air powered needle scaler.
>Repeat on both sides until the bevels are filled.
>Bury the finished piece in a galvanized bucket of sand to cool.
>Grind the mounting side weld flat to allow installation.
Another issue with the piece is that a small chunk was lost when the break happened. Can that be filled with 7018 using the method above?
Thanks ahead for feedback.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that DC stick welding is my preferred method. Well, I do have O/A and a 110 Hobart flux-core.
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