Repairing broken cast iron grate

[News]

Recently bought a new 14 inch fireplace grate, and, on arrival, it was
broken. One corner, complete with leg, snapped off. The supplier is
sending a replacement, and does not appear to want the damaged item
returned. I'll keep the damaged one as, at a pinch, I think it would
probably work as it balances well on three legs and, as the damaged
corner is at the rear, could probably be wedged in place.

Could I repair the damage? I believe welding cast iron is not
straightforward, and I can't weld anyway, but any other method? Is
there a glue for that range of temperature? I cannot imagine fire
cement working?
--
Graeme

[Bill Wright]

Ignorant of the fact that it can't be done I welded a cast iron vice
many years ago, and I've been using it ever since.

Bill

[F Murtz]

Welding cast iron is usually not that difficult depending on type and
strength required,it can also be bronze brazed.

[harry]

There are two ways.
One is to braze it using gas welding.

The other involves special arc welding rods but the job has to be preheated with gas to prevent expansion cracks.

I once tried to electric weld wrought iron.
That was a failure.

[Brian-Gaff]

It very much depends on thw qualityof the casting from what i can remember
from my childhood. Some are very porous and tend to crumble when welded. Bit
like welding powder!

I guess if you were careful and had the right materials it could be drilled
tapped and screwed together, though when heatcycled it might crack due to
the expansion and contraction of the different metals.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Remember, if you don't like where I post
or what I say, you don't have to
read my posts! :-)
"Bill Wright" <wrights...@f2s.com> wrote in message
news:n3de21$6k5$1...@speranza.aioe.org...

[F Murtz]

Huge wrote:

> I've had 3 goes at welding cast iron, one very successful (a grate, as it
> happens!) and two miserable failures (a frying pan and a bracket from an
> old bed.)
>
> I believe you need special rods, which I wasn't using, which probably
> accounts for the failure.
>
>
Yes and differing ones depending if you want strength or beauty and also
expensive.

[News]

In message <565af187$0$2909$c3e8da3$f626...@news.astraweb.com>, F Murtz
<hag...@hotmail.com> writes

>Yes and differing ones depending if you want strength or beauty and
>also expensive.

The original point was, welding is not an option :-)

Any suggestions that don't involving arc welding, brazing or any other
form of welding?
--
Graeme

[News]

In message <dc0c5v...@mid.individual.net>, Huge
<Hu...@nowhere.much.invalid> writes

>On 2015-11-29, News <Gra...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Any suggestions that don't involving arc welding, brazing or any other
>> form of welding?
>

>Drill holes & bolt/rivet some kind of brace across the break?

Yes, I think that is the best idea.
>
>Use this as an excuse to buy an arc welder?

<smile> I'm already inventing excuses to buy an electric chain saw,
having chatted to a neighbour who was doing in a few seconds what takes
me a lot longer with a hand saw!
--
Graeme

[damdu...@yahoo.co.uk]

On 29 Nov 2015 13:16:47 GMT, Huge <Hu...@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:

>
>> The original point was, welding is not an option :-)
>>
>> Any suggestions that don't involving arc welding, brazing or any other
>> form of welding?
>

>Drill holes & bolt/rivet some kind of brace across the break?
>

>Use this as an excuse to buy an arc welder?

Depending on where the ashpan needs clearance put a bolt through the
slats of the grate ,put some oversize washers each side and a nut
tight enough to hold in place ,hacksaw the bolt to length and you have
a replacement leg .
If such an arrangement gets in the way of the ashpan it might be
possible to use some studding and bend into a shape that clears.

G.Harman

[Bill Wright]

If you get one, watch a few of the safety vids on Youtube.

Bill

[News]

In message <ue0m5bp10sausn56j...@4ax.com>,
damdu...@yahoo.co.uk writes

>
>Depending on where the ashpan needs clearance put a bolt through the
>slats of the grate ,put some oversize washers each side and a nut
>tight enough to hold in place ,hacksaw the bolt to length and you have
>a replacement leg .

Yes, that is roughly the conclusion I had reached but, given that the
slats are already there, I think I'll be able to use them to bolt the
two parts together using penny washers, and thereby use the original
leg. Once in place, the grate tends not to move often. Thanks.

--
Graeme

[News]

In message <n3f6sh$mbu$2...@speranza.aioe.org>, Bill Wright
<wrights...@f2s.com> writes

Thanks Bill. I have always shied away from chainsaws, thinking in terms
of petrol, but, having seen a neighbour effortlessly cutting up a
sycamore tree with a mains powered Makita, may think again. My needs
are simple - logs up to 3 or 4 inches, old pallets etc so a cheap one
may suffice.
--
Graeme

[ne...@loampitsfarm.co.uk]

Chances are the vice was cast steel.

I welded cast iron with nickel rods successfully but they cost a lot.

The alternative is to heat the casting to nigh on red heat so it's in
its plastic region, weld and then slowly cool it otherwise it tends to
fail immediately adjacent to the weld.

For blocks and gearboxes metal stitching is more successful but not
worth it for something cheap like a grate.

AJH

[Rod Speed]

"News" <Gra...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ZOgGjKL4TvWWFwA$@nospam.demon.co.uk...

> In message <565af187$0$2909$c3e8da3$f626...@news.astraweb.com>, F Murtz
> <hag...@hotmail.com> writes
>
>>Yes and differing ones depending if you want strength or beauty and also
>>expensive.
>
> The original point was, welding is not an option :-)

It is actually if you get someone else to weld it for you.

[Rod Speed]

"News" <Gra...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message

news:m$WZPXOj7...@nospam.demon.co.uk...

Yeah, you won't regret it.

I much prefer electric over petrol too, much more convenient than
starting a petrol one when up the ladder when its just stalled etc.

[Rod Speed]

"News" <Gra...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message

news:M08jtNUK...@nospam.demon.co.uk...

> In message <n3f6sh$mbu$2...@speranza.aioe.org>, Bill Wright
> <wrights...@f2s.com> writes
>>On 29/11/2015 13:34, News wrote:
>>>
>>> <smile> I'm already inventing excuses to buy an electric chain saw,
>>> having chatted to a neighbour who was doing in a few seconds what takes
>>> me a lot longer with a hand saw!
>>
>>If you get one, watch a few of the safety vids on Youtube.
>
> Thanks Bill. I have always shied away from chainsaws, thinking in terms
> of petrol, but, having seen a neighbour effortlessly cutting up a sycamore
> tree with a mains powered Makita, may think again.

I think you should.

> My needs are simple - logs up to 3 or 4 inches, old pallets etc so a cheap
> one may suffice.

Yeah, I got a Talon, no regrets, works very well indeed.

[Tim Watts]

How about a battery one if it's for odd small work?

I've been *very* impressed with my Bosch LiIon mower and hedge trimmer.

[Tim Lamb]

In message <x8qsP43T...@nospam.demon.co.uk>, News
<Gra...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes

Any chance of drilling and tapping. Cast iron is easy to drill and cut a
thread. Clearance hole from top and tapping size down the leg. 6mm cap
head should hold it together.

I would attempt welding as I have some rods intended for cast iron jobs.
Not had any problems with local cracking on cooling where the total
thermal mass is low. Anyway, you don't weld:-)

--
Tim Lamb

[John Rumm]

On 28/11/2015 22:42, News wrote:
>

You can do a silicon bronze braised repair on cast iron. You might be
able to get it hot enough with a mapp gas torch and some good padding
round it to keep the heat in.

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
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\=================================================================/

[newshound]

On 01/12/2015 03:33, John Rumm wrote:
> On 28/11/2015 22:42, News wrote:
>>
>> Recently bought a new 14 inch fireplace grate, and, on arrival, it was
>> broken. One corner, complete with leg, snapped off. The supplier is
>> sending a replacement, and does not appear to want the damaged item
>> returned. I'll keep the damaged one as, at a pinch, I think it would
>> probably work as it balances well on three legs and, as the damaged
>> corner is at the rear, could probably be wedged in place.
>>
>> Could I repair the damage? I believe welding cast iron is not
>> straightforward, and I can't weld anyway, but any other method? Is
>> there a glue for that range of temperature? I cannot imagine fire
>> cement working?
>
> You can do a silicon bronze braised repair on cast iron. You might be
> able to get it hot enough with a mapp gas torch and some good padding
> round it to keep the heat in.
>

I'd expect to be able to do it with the big burner (25 mm) on my propane
cylinder, with judicious insulation. Any rod suitable for steel should
be OK (I would have thought). Easy-Flo flux.

[dennis@home]

On 01/12/2015 20:24, newshound wrote:

>> You can do a silicon bronze braised repair on cast iron. You might be
>> able to get it hot enough with a mapp gas torch and some good padding
>> round it to keep the heat in.
>>
> I'd expect to be able to do it with the big burner (25 mm) on my propane
> cylinder, with judicious insulation. Any rod suitable for steel should
> be OK (I would have thought). Easy-Flo flux.

I think you will struggle to fix it without either a mechanical fix
(rivets, bolts) or a weld unless the fuel you burn doesn't get very hot.
The grate on my parents fire used to get hot enough to soften and glowed
cherry red at times.

[newshound]

Fair point, it does depend a bit on where it is and, as you say, how the
fire is run.

[News]

In message <565e04c2$0$48727$b1db1813$1367...@news.astraweb.com>,
dennis@home.?.invalid writes

>I think you will struggle to fix it without either a mechanical fix
>(rivets, bolts) or a weld unless the fuel you burn doesn't get very hot.
>The grate on my parents fire used to get hot enough to soften and
>glowed cherry red at times.

Indeed - which is why I'm replacing the grate. This is just an
ordinary, domestic open fire burning mainly coal with some logs. The
original grate now has more holes than designed. Some of the bars have
burned away allowing smaller pieces of coal to drop straight through to
the ash pan.

A new grate arrived by post, but with one corner, including leg, snapped
off. Supplier is sending a replacement so all is well, but, not wishing
to waste the broken one, I looked at ways of repairing it, without
welding. Yesterday, I bolted it together, using one bolt and two penny
washers through one of the slots. Given that a grate in use is unlikely
to move, it may work. Time will tell.

--
Graeme