Cast Iron

Jan 22, 2005 2 Replies

This may be partially off topic. Sorry if it is. A fellow service tech is having a problem with contaminated cast iron brake rotors on one of our machines. (24" dia X 2" thick). I remember in my younger days when preheating cast iron for welding, solvents, oil & other impurities would come to the surface. Does anyone know another process to rid the cast of these impurities other than heating?


Should I assume that you've tried brake cleaner? If not, do.

Popping them into a high vacuum chamber might to the trick, if you have one handy. Of course, the serious ones are also baked, but not so high as welding preheat. Dumping it into a small chamber with a large pump (diffusion, cryo or turbo - a high vac pump, not just a roughing pump) and letting it sit for a week or so at the highest temperature you're comfortable with would get a lot of impurities out.

Thanks, I'll pass the word along.

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