.???? Best rod for welding malleable hand rail brackets to schedule 40 black pipe

[Budweiser John]

I am making a hand rail for our local church.
I ordered the brackets from King archetual metals and will use 1 1/4" schedule 40 pipe for the rail.
The brackets are malleable iron and my question is:

Should I use a 70 series stick rod, flux core mig wire, or something more exotic? Each weld would be about 2" in length connecting the malleable brackets to the pipe rail.

Thanks members, for any wisdom.
B. John

 

[Shield Arc]

Technically you should use a nickel base rod. But I would try some 3/32-inch 7018. Make short welds! Might want to use a little preheat on the brackets also.

 

[CCWKen]

If you have to ask, I wouldn't weld it at all. The welds may not meet structural requirements. I'd use mechanical fasteners. If your welds break, if could make for a bad day for someone.

 

[Walker1]

If you have to ask, I wouldn't weld it at all. The welds may not meet structural requirements. I'd use mechanical fasteners. If your welds break, if could make for a bad day for someone.

I disagree on this. It is a hand rail, likely using insert fittings, not steering parts or a trailer. 7018 will work fine.

 

[Shield Arc]

If I remember correctly, by code hand rail is suppose to with stand a 200-pound man falling into it. This is generally where apprentices get their start with welding, and lots of grinding!:laughing:

 

[2458n]

If the weld is good 7018 will sure do the job. Grlnding makes the welds look better-not work better. Aprentices best friend.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Back in my pipefitter days we tried to weld malleable fittings to carbon steel pipe. Malleable iron has a lot of carbon in it and is a few steps above cast iron. Like shield arc said a nickle base rod might work. Never tried it. We found that welding with a carbon steel rod; it brittelized the malleable and it broke apart easy under stress. We resorted to brazing with a nickle bronze rod and regular flux; when in a situation requiring its use. Usually this was a threaded fitting leaking and no good way to disassemble the pieces to remake the joint. There are also bronze based arc rods that work well also.

 

[ruffdog]

Certanium 707

 

[AGRIMAN]

We powder coat hundreds of feet of both 2 bar and ornamental railing a year that are built by three different fab shops. They are all mig welded with solid core wire.

 

[CNC Dan]

I ordered the brackets from King archetual metals and will use 1 1/4" schedule 40 pipe for the rail.
The brackets are malleable iron and my question is:

Should I use a 70 series stick rod, flux core mig wire, or something more exotic? Each weld would be about 2" in length connecting the malleable brackets to the pipe rail.

Have you asked King architectural metals?