Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
(OP)
Hello,
I am frequently asked to repair castings via welding or brazing and I do not know of a way to distinquish between a cast iron and cast steel casting.
Does anyone have a way to tell if a casting is made of steel or iron?
Thanks in advance for your help.
krue0101
I am frequently asked to repair castings via welding or brazing and I do not know of a way to distinquish between a cast iron and cast steel casting.
Does anyone have a way to tell if a casting is made of steel or iron?
Thanks in advance for your help.
krue0101





RE: Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
RE: Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
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RE: Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
RE: Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
If I was going to do any weld repair, you need to know what you are working with, period. As a side note, the chemical analysis would also tell you if it is a CI versus cast steel, based on carbon and Si contents. Also, if the material is even weldable.
RE: Cast Iron or Cast Steel, How do you tell?
With a very sharp small chisel get on a square edge and try to remove a thin chip using a very low angle on the chisel. It the chip curls or stay in on piece it is CS or DI. Cast iron will not form a chip.
I would run a weldability test, mainly for CI, by welding a small 1/4" 2x2 vertical tag to an inconspicuous area. After welding allow to cool and break the tag off the hard way, hitting from the weld side. If the tag bends you have a weldable material and it the weld cups out be very careful about welding.
Look at the raised letters on the casting and if you see WXX you probably have CS. CI not normally marked can have CI XX. somewhere.
As posted above sparking is a good way to help differentiate the materials. Get yourself a know piece of CI and CS and with a clean wheel look at the sparks, preferably in dim light. Let the wheel self clean itself on either part before comparing.
Learned a long time age that welding CI is art not welding. Use brush strokes, don't go for the penetration.