I bought a cast iron casita. Its a fire place and pizza cooker. After 2 uses, the fire box cracked. Blue Rooster shipped another one no problem after i sent pics. They felt it was dropped in shipping and that led to it cracking.
But since i have a welder , i thought i would try and weld up the crack since i have a back up.
I drilled the ends of the crack to stop the progression.
I cleaned and ground the crack. Cleaned off a spot to ground the mig.
I used 309 stainless wire. This wire seems to run hot.
I built a fire and got the cast iron good and hot. Then i mig welded it.
I had to stop some, as my gloved hand got hot as i rested it on the stove for support. It still was not easy to weld on a really hot surface, and steady my hand.
Its not be best beads i've ever done, but turned out pretty well.
question is, should i grind it down? Or just leave it for the surface strength and go ahead and paint it flat black?
I don't know if the welds will hold or if i will have other cracks form outward from the welds. Time will tell.
Pics below from new, to cracked to welded.
But since i have a welder , i thought i would try and weld up the crack since i have a back up.
I drilled the ends of the crack to stop the progression.
I cleaned and ground the crack. Cleaned off a spot to ground the mig.
I used 309 stainless wire. This wire seems to run hot.
I built a fire and got the cast iron good and hot. Then i mig welded it.
I had to stop some, as my gloved hand got hot as i rested it on the stove for support. It still was not easy to weld on a really hot surface, and steady my hand.
Its not be best beads i've ever done, but turned out pretty well.
question is, should i grind it down? Or just leave it for the surface strength and go ahead and paint it flat black?
I don't know if the welds will hold or if i will have other cracks form outward from the welds. Time will tell.
Pics below from new, to cracked to welded.
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