Cast Iron Garden Art Welding

[fjk]

Hi

This past weekend I managed to acquire a pile of pieces from an old
"cast iron stove". I'm planning to turn these into some garden art.
I know that welding cast iron requires special techniques to prevent
cracking. Is it ok to mig or fluxcore the material and not bother
with the special procedures? Or would the cracking be so bad that
i'd end up with nothing but a pile of sh..?

The things I'm planning to make will have no safety issues. Nothing
structural, or the like. I'm talking things a foot or two high, not have
to carry any loads...

Also, while I think of it, some of the work may want to have some
additional pieces to hold it together -- again, with the same low
quality expectations, can I weld cast iron to plain ol carbon steel?

My welder is a MM140 -- I do expect to do a lot of grinding and so on
to get to clean metal (if there is any?!?!) once I start the project.

Thanks in advance

frank

[paulrbrown]

fjk, just knock the paint off and go for it, do some tests and see if it breaks when you wack it with a hammer, do not be afraid of putting some heat to it, see what it will take, lets see some pictures when you are done, best regards,Paul

[fendermender]

I have put some things back together like that with a mig.
Not like garden art gets a real work out.
Brass works too.
Randall

[krackle]

You shouldn't have much of a problem, as long as it isnt somethign structural. If you do have a problem, just hit it with a torch for a while before you weld.