Got a call from a friend. Seems he dropped his Lodge 12" cast iron fry pan. Broke the handle off and thinks he put a hairline crack up the side..... Not an uncommon issue with cast fry pans.
So, can I tig it? Will welding the handle back on be strong enough? Pan all by itself is quite heavy. Unlike bigger pans, there is no "helper handle" on the opposite side.
I'm sure, because of seasoning and use, there is oil in this crack / the pores of the cast. Grind the crack clean? Wipe down with what? What filler rod?
Thanks guys.
Edit to add.....amazing how many calls you get once it's known you have a welder!!
The pans are cheap and I would say no, don't bother. Yes, it'll be saturated with oil residue, and I'm not sure I'd want to expect it to hold up even if it were welded.
Some folks have the idea that "Old" cast is somehow better than new. Don't fall for it. Brand new Lodge stuff is every bit as nice if not nicer than the old stuff. I have loads of it (both old and new) and it's splitting hairs to decide which you want for a particular food item. Unless of course you're talking about the porcelain lined dutch ovens, where there is no other pan for making soup/stew in.
Preheat it (put it in the oven @ 450* for 20 minutes)
Weld it (ideally with a nickel-based TIG rod, but ER70 will work too)
Braze it (SilBr works fine)
Plop it back in the oven that is already hot, turn off the oven and let it cool without opening the door.
In lieu of an oven, a gas grill works fine too.
A good 12" cast iron pan is pricey. Welding it up is easy and perfectly viable. And for you, it is good practice.
Gonna do a hybrid of you guys' responses.....I think I'll tell him to keep an eye out for another but to give me that one to work on. If it is a success, then he'll have 2. If not....nothing lost as it was no functional anyway.
Preheat it (put it in the oven @ 450* for 20 minutes)
Weld it (ideally with a nickel-based TIG rod, but ER70 will work too)
Braze it (SilBr works fine)
Plop it back in the oven that is already hot, turn off the oven and let it cool without opening the door.
In lieu of an oven, a gas grill works fine too.
A good 12" cast iron pan is pricey. Welding it up is easy and perfectly viable. And for you, it is good practice.
Preheat it (put it in the oven @ 450* for 20 minutes)
Weld it (ideally with a nickel-based TIG rod, but ER70 will work too)
Braze it (SilBr works fine)
Plop it back in the oven that is already hot, turn off the oven and let it cool without opening the door.
In lieu of an oven, a gas grill works fine too.
A good 12" cast iron pan is pricey. Welding it up is easy and perfectly viable. And for you, it is good practice.
Did you mean Aluminum bronze?
No. I typed exactly what I meant. Aluminum bronze is another choice of filler that will work too. I didn’t reference it in case the OP did not have an AC capable machine.
If the OP has AC as an option, I would use Aluminum Bronze for the filler. It is a lot stronger, and the AC helps with the cleaning process.
I repaired the yoke on a Delta table saw using the Aluminum Bronze and AC method, as demonstrated by Jody, in one of his videos. It worked great, and considering that it was my first time using that method, I was happy as a clam.
No sense dying with unused welding rod, so light 'em up!
$25 !! Sheesh. Like I said, might be nice to practice on. My biggest concern was having the handle re-break off when the skillet is full. It's my understanding we don't really weld it...it's more kinda like a glue. .....albeit a strong glue.
Aluminum Bronze has a tensile strength of about 30-35,000 psi. That is similar to mild steel. I would not worry about it being much of a weak spot on a cast iron handle. Fixing the crack in the side might be the bigger challenge. The filler does have some 'stretch', so might not crack as it cools.
No sense dying with unused welding rod, so light 'em up!
To the OP, will you please update this thread when you finish the project. I have a cracked cast iron pan that I'd like to repair. Its a much nicer pan than the lodge, so replacement is not cheap.
Miller Dynasty 280 DX, Lincoln 210 MP, More tools than I have boxes for and a really messy shop.
Like I said, might be nice to practice on. My biggest concern was having the handle re-break off when the skillet is full. It's my understanding we don't really weld it...it's more kinda like a glue. .....albeit a strong glue.
