Can a broken andiron on a Quadra-Fire Isle Royale be welded?

[PaulF]

One of the two andirons on my Quadra-Fire Isle Royale woodstove is broken. The andirons are about 7 inches tall.
I think they made from cast iron. The top 2 inches is a circular piece and is broken. If I took it to a shop to have it welded together,
is is likely that the weld would withstand the heat of the fire?

Paul Ferguson

 

[MRD1985]

Welding cast can be tough, especially material constantly exposed to high and low temperature swings. You’d have to find someone experienced and be able to explain and guarantee the repair.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Like MRD said, yes, maybe.
I took a broken andiron into our fab shop to be welded. These guys are career welders with all the right gear. These andirons had been in the fire for better than 10 years. The pieces were handed back to me with a smile. Kyle says for the first time ever I found something I can't weld. Apparently the years in fire and a high carbon environment modified the cast iron to something he couldn't weld. I felt privileged to have been the one guy to stump him.

 

[MRD1985]

Yup. Not surprised really. Years of frequent very high heat cycles will make cast as fragile as glass.

 

[begreen]

Could the top circle section and the bottom andiron piece be drilled and tapped so that a piece of threaded 10-24 stock could join them? The threaded piece could be made by cutting off the head of a 1.5" screw. Bind them with very high temp epoxy.

Otherwise, if no luck finding a replacement part then maybe have a new piece cast or find an old stove to scavenge for parts.

 

[PaulF]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am thinking about this plan: Forget about trying to get it welded. I could cut a piece of rebar to go behind the andiron with the broken circle on top and make the rebar to extend from the bottom of the back of the andiron to the height equal to the undamaged andiron. I could secure the rebar to the andiron with stainless steel hose clamps. It would not be as pretty as the unbroken andirons, but the I think it would offer protection against a log rolling into the glass.

PaulF

Could the top circle section and the bottom andiron piece be drilled and tapped so that a piece of threaded 10-24 stock could join them? The threaded piece could be made by cutting off the head of a 1.5" screw. Bind them with very high temp epoxy.

Otherwise, if no luck finding a replacement part then maybe have a new piece cast or find an old stove to scavenge for parts.