Welding Wrought Iron

Wrought iron has a lot of uses. It can be used as decorative items like gates and doors; or it can be used as security measures in which it is used to protect windows and other defenseless areas of a home or building.  Since wrought iron is such a somewhat easy metal to work with, it has become preferred among welders.  It offers good tensile strength and resists corrosion, making it perfect for use outside, and has a high resistance to fatigue.

Dealing With Wrought Iron

When dealing with wrought iron there are a lot of various methods that welders can utilize.  It can be worked utilizing a forge, blow torch, flash, spot, seam and thermite methods.  The only downside is that since wrought iron is a softer metal, the welder needs to be sure to use the proper pressure so that a strong weld is produced.  If you opt to using the forge welding method, then the wrought iron needs to be heated to at least thirteen hundred and fifty degrees Celsius.  If you choose the submerged arc welding method, you should ensure that the filler and flux getting used are the same kind and that they’re designed for use with lower carbon steels.  Through this process it is vital that the welding speed be held low to avoid unreasonable weld permeability.

Lower Welding Speed

Utilizing a lower welding speed is also suggested when you are using shielded metal arc welding.  The lowered speed is going to allow the weld puddle to remain in a liquid form for a longer period before it starts to harden.  Once the weld starts to harden, the gases trapped inside the weld, along with any slag fragments, is going to go up to the surface; this is going to allow you to take them out and provide a cleaner weld.  This method will also provide a less permeable and stronger weld than other methods used for welding wrought iron.

Clean Metal, Means Better Welds

As with any welding job, it is important that the metals you are working with are free of debris and have been cleared of any oils that might have found their way onto the metal.  Eliminating the debris is going to provide you with a cleaner end result, and by eliminating any oils or other pollutants from the wrought iron is going to lessen the chance of a fire happening.  Don’t forget, the cleaner your metals are, the better quality of weld you are going to be able to produce.  Welding wrought iron can be very rewarding and pleasant after you find the method that works for you.