WARRIORWELDING
Owner opperator Of WarriorWelding LLC.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
- Location
- Chillin, Hwy 64 Mocksville NC
I'm personally confused about the last few post, but here's my take on the discussion.
Yes, cast steel. Ford Radius arms and cast front brake brackets and a few other components are made of this alloyed steel. A grind test shows the correct pattern for a cast product. Cast iron and cast steel throw a very similar pattern.
Cast iron will be a much shorter spark shower and very deep red to non existant in color.
Cast iron is like stainless in one respect: their is numorous grades and composites. Some irons are so hard you can't machine, grind or weld the material. These are found pulvirizing equipment and very enourmous load bearing wheels or shives. On the other end you get very machinable, ductile irons that are found in largde equipment bases or even anvils.
Cast irons in general are known for being very strong in compressive loads. They can be very hard and resiliant to to punishing blows. Early engine block were cast for two reasons: easy to form into complex shapes, and able to handle (actually dampen) the forces found in a internal combustion engine. ie "all the explosions that make the crank go round and round"
Radius arms however require one quality you don't find in cast iron products. **This is with the exception of some modern cast iron alloys circa 1985ish and later** They must resist torsional loads and flexing. Cast irons have a very low threshold for elongation. They do not flex or handle shear loads very well. Cast steel is alloyed and designed to do that job.
The problem with welding cast anythingis the fact that when welding with most standard proceedures stick mig or tig the filler metal used is made primaraly for plain carbon or "mild steel."
Welding cast iron with these proceedures is definately a no go.
Cast steel does not have the high carbon deposits that cast iron does. What is does have is several other elements in the alloy to help it do its specific job. This difference is what cause some opperators to stumble and achieve poor weld fusion. Leading to or causing imediate failure and cracking along the weld zone.
The number one best way to avoid this is heat.
Without proper dillution of the weld pool the part fails. Think of it like salt in water. The better the salt is disoloved the harder it is to extract or strain out the salt. When joining two slightly dissimilar metals you must achieve the most even blend of the base and ajoining materials. In this case the factory radius arm and the mild steel. Heat input is what cuases the weld pool, if it freezes to quickly they do not dissolve into one another enough to make a good solution. This means a more distinct difference in the new alloy created in the weld joint. ANY WELD JOINT must combine two base materials to make a whole new material in the heat affected zone. This is the weld.
so the short answer is preheat to around 400 to 500 Far. and maintain this during all passes. Make all passes fluid and well blended and slow cool. Do not quench.
Yes, cast steel. Ford Radius arms and cast front brake brackets and a few other components are made of this alloyed steel. A grind test shows the correct pattern for a cast product. Cast iron and cast steel throw a very similar pattern.
Cast iron will be a much shorter spark shower and very deep red to non existant in color.
Cast iron is like stainless in one respect: their is numorous grades and composites. Some irons are so hard you can't machine, grind or weld the material. These are found pulvirizing equipment and very enourmous load bearing wheels or shives. On the other end you get very machinable, ductile irons that are found in largde equipment bases or even anvils.
Cast irons in general are known for being very strong in compressive loads. They can be very hard and resiliant to to punishing blows. Early engine block were cast for two reasons: easy to form into complex shapes, and able to handle (actually dampen) the forces found in a internal combustion engine. ie "all the explosions that make the crank go round and round"
Radius arms however require one quality you don't find in cast iron products. **This is with the exception of some modern cast iron alloys circa 1985ish and later** They must resist torsional loads and flexing. Cast irons have a very low threshold for elongation. They do not flex or handle shear loads very well. Cast steel is alloyed and designed to do that job.
The problem with welding cast anythingis the fact that when welding with most standard proceedures stick mig or tig the filler metal used is made primaraly for plain carbon or "mild steel."
Welding cast iron with these proceedures is definately a no go.
Cast steel does not have the high carbon deposits that cast iron does. What is does have is several other elements in the alloy to help it do its specific job. This difference is what cause some opperators to stumble and achieve poor weld fusion. Leading to or causing imediate failure and cracking along the weld zone.
The number one best way to avoid this is heat.
Without proper dillution of the weld pool the part fails. Think of it like salt in water. The better the salt is disoloved the harder it is to extract or strain out the salt. When joining two slightly dissimilar metals you must achieve the most even blend of the base and ajoining materials. In this case the factory radius arm and the mild steel. Heat input is what cuases the weld pool, if it freezes to quickly they do not dissolve into one another enough to make a good solution. This means a more distinct difference in the new alloy created in the weld joint. ANY WELD JOINT must combine two base materials to make a whole new material in the heat affected zone. This is the weld.
so the short answer is preheat to around 400 to 500 Far. and maintain this during all passes. Make all passes fluid and well blended and slow cool. Do not quench.
