In order not to hire a welding master, it makes sense to learn this difficult craft on your own. To begin with, you should gain experience working with simple steel parts, since copper, titanium and aluminum are the most difficult to weld. However, do not forget about cast iron products that are widespread in everyday life (for example, plumbing parts and sewer pipes). We often have to work with this metal, so the article will describe in detail which electrodes can be used to cook cast iron.
Basic rules
In this case, the main thing is the observance of safety precautions and professional recommendations. Home crafters need to learn the following common difficulties and problems associated with welding cast iron products, namely:
- if the temperature regimes are not observed, then the overheating of the alloy is possible, which can lead to the formation of pores and the appearance of stress in the seams;
- welding is recommended to be carried out in the lower position;
- need to be careful with thisalloy, otherwise you end up with a brittle joint;
- defects (such as cracks) may appear on the parts if the cooling and heating processes were too fast or uneven;
- if it is necessary to carry out welding work with several inhomogeneous elements, the technical parameters of both alloys should be taken into account.
When the question arises as to which electrodes to cook cast iron with steel, it is best to use electrodes of the TsCh-4 brand. The main catch in carrying out such work is that it will be necessary to apply a graphite substrate to avoid leakage of cast iron.
You can make a reliable connection of parts at home, but the main thing is to properly prepare the surface of the product and carry out welding work, taking into account the technical characteristics of cast iron. Self-taught people should not forget: the welding mode and the type of electrode are no less important nuances that must be taken into account before starting work.
Types of cast iron
This is an alloy of iron and carbon, which includes special additives. The type of cast iron depends on the percentage of impurities (silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chromium and other substances). Some alloys lend themselves to welding, but this will require the use of electrodes with certain technical indicators. The features of each species should be described in detail:
- White cast iron has a high hardness index, and all the carbon in it is in the form of cementite.
- Machinable gray alloy in which carbonpresent in the form of graphite. Due to the high technical parameters, the material is used for casting. Inexperienced welders may have a question about which electrode to cook gray cast iron with. Masters advise in this case to use consumables OZCH-2, MNCH-2 and OZZHN-2.
- Ductile iron is obtained by heat treatment of the finished white alloy. This type of metal is used to create cars and agricultural machinery. If the question arises as to which electrode to cook cast iron with iron, then the answer is: Zeller 866 should be used. In addition, TsCh-4 can be used.
- Half cast iron is used to create parts that will be in constant use.
- High-strength alloy is used in mechanical engineering and for the manufacture of gas and oil pipelines.
Which electrodes to cook cast iron and steel without preheating? Professionals say that you can use Zeller 888 and Zeller 855 consumables for this.
Welding Methods
Work is carried out using different methods, each of which has certain advantages and disadvantages. Experts have identified three main ways to weld cast iron parts:
- Hot method, the specificity of which is that the alloy must be initially heated at a temperature of 500-600 °C. To create seams, OMC-1 electrodes are used, the diameter of which is 8-16 mm.
- The use of inert gas is a method used to repair cast iron pipes and automotive parts. In addition, the method is suitable whenit is required to weld inhomogeneous metals.
- Welding cast iron with an electrode at home is a feasible action in which it is recommended to use the cold method, since it will not be necessary to heat the workpieces.
Home craftsmen should study the composition of cast iron and its technical properties. Experts say gray alloy is easier to work with.
Preparing Parts
If the initial cleaning of the product was successful, then the welded joint will be easier to make of high quality. Prepare parts in this order:
- Clean the surface of the product from dust and debris.
- Degrease structure with solvent.
- The use of washers is an important condition if you have to work with thin cast iron.
- Edge cutting is performed before joining thick-walled parts, in this case a file or grinder is used;
- Before starting welding work, cracks on the products must be cut out and the ends rounded off.
Popular electrodes
Some consumables for welding have already been mentioned above. The main brands of electrodes for cast iron include the following:
- OZCH-4;
- OZZHN-1;
- CC-4;
- OK 92.18;
- OZCH-2.
Which electrode to weld cast iron to metal? From the mentioned list, a consumable brand TsCh-4 is used for these purposes.
Cold Welding Key Principles
First you need to purchase equipment and special electrodes containing nickel or copper. The main difficulty in performing welding work is that the brittleness of cast iron increases in the area of welding, since the alloy is subjected to excessive hardening. What electrodes to cook cast iron by electric welding? There are many rods, but experts recommend these domestic brands:
- OZCH-2 and OZCH-6 are electrodes with a copper tip treated with iron powder.
- Iron-nickel rods OZZHN-1, OZCH-3, OZCH-4, which are used for DC welding of cast iron.
- Consumables brand MNC-2 - the best option for welding, but they have one drawback - high cost. The manufacturer will use metal alloys of copper, manganese, iron and nickel for the rod.
But self-taught people can still wonder which electrode is best for welding cast iron using electric welding, which can be answered: it is recommended to use MNC-2, since these consumables can be used to make a high-quality seam. In addition, such a connection will be protected from the negative effects of aggressive environments and hot gases.
Hot welding electrodes
Craftsmen use different temperatures for heating the joints:
- from 500 to 600 °С - hot welding;
- 300-400 °С - semi-hot;
- 150-200 °С - warm.
But cast iron is iron, which, when heated strongly, changes its structure, so that the alloy cannot be heated above 650 ° C. Besidesthe product should cool down gradually. What electrode to cook cast iron? It is recommended to use consumables of the brand TsCh-4 if the work is carried out using hot welding technology, and OK 92.18 - at a warm temperature.
Electrodes for welding steel and cast iron
Consumables of the TsCh-4 brand are used to connect products made of inhomogeneous metals. All technical requirements for cold and hot welding must be observed. Defects can be easily eliminated with such electrodes. In addition, these consumables are used when it is necessary to apply several layers to prepare the part for subsequent welding.
Which electrodes to cook cast iron with steel? ZELLER 855 and Ficast NiFe are popular brands of welding consumables used by craftsmen to join different types of alloys. If the materials have not been previously cleaned and processed, this is not a problem, as professionals can work in this case with unprepared products.
Principles of welding steel and cast iron
The first thing to do is prepare two heterogeneous metals. You will have to spend a lot of time to clean the welding place to a shine with sandpaper or a steel brush. Cast iron is a porous metal, which is deeply penetrated by fats and oils, so it is recommended to thoroughly clean contaminated areas.
It should go to the welding process: so, if the voltage of the welding machine is not more than 54 V, then work is necessaryconduct using direct current of reverse polarity. Otherwise, alternating current must be used. To avoid strong expansion at the welding site, both metals are heated to a temperature of about 600 ° C. However, even when cooling, the weld may crack, so you must carefully and carefully carry out the initial work.
If you have to weld thick-walled parts, you will have to follow a different instruction. In this case, it will not be necessary to do heating, since two heterogeneous metals can be welded using small beads, each of which should be no more than 2.5 mm long. This is a complex process in which the tightness of the seam is not important. With this technology, each roller must be applied to another, previously cooled down. Such a weld, even made by a master, will turn out to be extremely fragile.
Non-consumable electrodes
Cast iron blanks can be connected using carbon, graphite and tungsten electrodes. The main thing is to choose a filler element, which can be steel, copper, cast iron and aluminum rods. The welding process is carried out by means of an inert gas or a drill (flux). As a rule, experienced welders use nickel-plated tungsten consumables.
Using SSSI electrodes
In special cases, copper-steel consumables are used during welding with cast iron products. To make such electrodes, it is necessary to wind a copper wire onto UONI 13/45, the thickness of which isfrom 1.5 to 2 mm. The main thing is that its mass exceeds 5 times the weight of the metal rod. If the question arises as to which electrode to cook cast iron, then you can safely use the SSSI.
You can achieve better results if you use UONI-13/55. However, in this case, the main thing is to prevent overheating of the cast-iron part, because this may cause cracks in the weld. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the metal does not get too hot near the area to be joined.
German electrodes
Germany produces high-quality cast iron electrodes, which are widely used in Russia. For example, this includes the UTP 86 FN grade and the UTP A68 HH stainless steel filler rod. The German company UTP Schweissmaterial makes nickel electrodes that are suitable for welding with cast iron. The welder will make high-quality and crack-resistant seams.
Capilla 41 - electrodes from another German company, which are used for hot welding technology. If a cold method is chosen, then it is better to purchase Capilla 43.
Manufacturers also took care of people who are interested in what electrode to cook cast iron with steel. Experts advise to buy carbon products from TEAM BINZEL, as they produce consumables that work with many types of metals (for example, copper and stainless steel).
In closing
Each experienced or novice welder has the right to decide for himself which electrode is better to weldcast iron, since the construction market has a large selection of such materials. In this case, the main thing is to choose the right electrode. The article cited popular grades of materials with which craftsmen make welds on cast iron products. In addition, if an experienced welder gets down to business, similar work can be done with different types of metals.
If you take the described rules and recommendations responsibly, you will be able to weld cast iron products technically correctly.
