Subject: Re: cutting cast iron

From: Tom Alexander <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 09:03:49 -0400 (EDT)

I'm trying to fabricate some junk scupture that requires cutting fairly
heavy sections of cast iron. This turns out pretty hard to do with
oxy-acetylene; I get the feeling I'm melting the stuff in two rather than
cutting. Is there a trick to this?

TIA,
Tom Alexander
Regards,

Tom Alexander <[email-masked]>

{dx 1/93 at age 62, PSA 5.9, Gleason 5, T1C. WW since. On 5/93 PSA 10.2,
second biopsy (15 needles, different pathologist) Gleason 3+3, est. tumor
volume .5-1.5cc. On 6/94, third biopsy, no sig. change. On 3/96 PSA 6.8.
Taking saw palmetto)

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From: Michael Spencer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 96 01:10:51 EDT

Tom Alexander:
> ...cutting fairly heavy sections of cast iron. This turns out pretty
> hard to do with oxy-acetylene; I get the feeling I'm melting the stuff
> in two rather than cutting. Is there a trick to this?

Try feeding bare steel welding rod into the cut. Messy but you can get
through the casting.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer
[email-masked]
URL: http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/mspencer/home.html
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From: Steve Herrick <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 21:13:22 -0700 (PDT)

The amount of carbon contained in cast iron is the problem. The
oxy-acetylene cutting process uses the exothermic reaction of turning iron
and oxygen into rust. This can happen very slowly at lower temperatures,
or very rapidly at the "kindling" temperature of the steel. The amount of
carbon short circuits this reaction, just like stainless steel does. What
you can try is to change the chemical content of the cast iron. How do you
do this. Try adding a gas welding rod into the cutting flame. this should
change the chemical content of the cast iron into a high carbon steel
in the local area of the cut. hope this helps.

Hrolthgar -   [email-masked]
           Steve Herrick