Welding a Fireplace Heatalator

[Industrial Toys]

FINALLY got to this, in conjunction with gluing the mantel back on.

Dragged my Lincoln 250 MIG into the house and living room.

When I could not even tack a bolt onto the side of the heatalator, for a ground, I thought it was a bust. I could not get bright metal with a stone, but eventually got the bolt tacked on. I did not even attempt to add a patch, preferring just to try and close the crack. It worked, but has to be my ugliest weld EVER. Hey. I'm pleased it worked and will make a fire shortly. May 8, and Snow Squalls here!

 

[BrokenTrack]

I was welding one year at a fabrication shop, and they had a cast iron job came up, and so I got the job.

I hate welding cast iron.

But they gave me a to do list, I followed it, and then...they were doing x-ray in the shop, so for fun, they x-rayed my welds. The worst thing ever happened: it passed, because after that, guess who got all the cast iron to weld?

At home, I weld cast iron, but I have found for stick rod 6011 rod works well. Yes it takes preheat and post heat, but it pulls enough cast iron into the steel filler rod to make it really work well. I might use real cast iron rod, but I do not weld enough of it to justify a box of cast iron rod, and 6011 works just fine (with preheat and post heat obviously).

 

[Industrial Toys]

Interesting. But I don't think this was cast iron. Just steel that has seen thousands of fires sind 1972.