Welding a crack in a wood stove?

[mommucked]

I'm buying a used WS and it has a crack about 3" long in the front of the stove above and @ the top,outside corner of one of 2 doors. Will the weld hold or will the heat/cool/heat/cool just crack it again? the steel is about 1/8" thick.

 

[C.Berry]

If it were me I’d weld the crack then plate it where you can! Is it cast iron?

 

[mommucked]

The doors are cast iron, the stove is all steel.

 

[C.Berry]

By no means am I professional welder or metallurgy!! Lol I’m sure one of the guys on here know what would work best but unless cosmetic is a issue weld it up run a chord see how it does the cast you’ll need to heat up first at least 500 degrees slow no more than 1000 iirc, in my experience use a 99% nickel rod if stick welding it which is all I’ve ever done on cast Im pretty sure!

 

[Jeff B]

Gouge is out and weld it. It will he fine.

 

[Mac5005]

Nickel 55 is more forgiving that nickel 99.

Or maybe silicon bronze and tig-braze it.


I’d probably hook it all up, build a fire in it to pre heat. Weld it, and use the fire to keep it warm to let it cool as slow as possible.

 

[Jody Treadway]

Question for the pros:
With the door being cast iron, would this be a situation where drilling a hole at each of the crack prior to welding would reduce the chance of cracking post-weld?

 

[a_kelley]

Stop drilling a crack always helps. Though I guess technically you should perform NDI to determine the actual end of the crack. But stop drilling is to prevent the crack from continuing, whereas a crack along side the weld would be due to uneven cooling/heating/expansion/contraction/HAZ (if I'm not mistaken).

 

[mommucked]

I realize my description is shitty. The crack is in the steel on the front of the stove it is the firebox. It cracked @ the right, top corner of the opening for the doors, the steel is 1/8" the crack is about 3". The doors are fine. There is a hood across the top of the door but there's enough room to get the stick under it. A hole could be drilled @ the end of the crack if that's needed, but it will have to be drilled from inside as the hood hangs down @ 45* and the end of the crack is up under it. If the crack needs to be opened up w a grinder, It will have to be done from inside as the hood is in the way, or could it be opened w a torch from the front. I'm also concerned that the steel has been through countless cycles of hot/cold and it might be brittle or not take or hold the weld for long? The guy is selling it for $100 and the blower works. There are also some cracks in the steel on the top of the stove around the flu. I plan to just lay some pieces of steel over them, the top is flat as a pancake.

 

[Jeff B]

I realize my description is shitty. The crack is in the steel on the front of the stove it is the firebox. It cracked @ the right, top corner of the opening for the doors, the steel is 1/8" the crack is about 3". The doors are fine.

That's why I said gouge it out & weld it.


You can drill it if you wish, but since its just a wood stove this shouldn't be needed.

 

[Jeff B]

I'm also concerned that the steel has been through countless cycles of hot/cold and it might be brittle or not take or hold the weld for long?

can you weld and then fish plate it?

 

[1stgenxxx]

This stove better be cheap or free. If you're paying good money then get one that's not cracked.

 

[mommucked]

The crack...

 

[Jeff B]

The crack...
View attachment 279747

Dude, taken grinder with a cut wheel. Dig that crack out, pull a 6011 down from the to the bottom and dig it in, especially when you start and stop. Just bury the arc.

If your slick, you'll weld inside and out in one pass.

Then, forgetaboutit.

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

It's not a water stove or pressure vessel....most take less care welding a cage.LOL....

It started from the corner being a stress riser and the related heat cycles. Grind to clean, wire brush first if your feeling froggy. Run,it hot and burn it in.

If it cracks repeat. If it's in a place hard to repair as it sits take a little more care. Other then that a single pass in a v-ed out crack and two stringers for overkill and call it done.

 

[jeepinmatt]

Why not just use it?

 

[jcramsey]

 

[mommucked]

Why not just use it?

I thought about that, there are 4 screw type dampers on the the doors. I've never seen an insert w upper dampers before I assume the stove would just suck a small amount of air through the crack, w the upper dampers choked. But I also think the crack will grow and warp the piece of steel that is the front of the stove, it's already a bit twisted @ the crack now, if it twists much more the door won't be able to close/lock.This is the the stove but a larger version.