Vent: My old coal forge firepot cracked right down the middle during a big order

It happened Tuesday morning while I was working on a set of ten fireplace tools. I heard a loud pop and saw a split about six inches long in the cast iron. I had to shut everything down and move the fire to my backup propane rig to finish the day. The forge was a Centaur I bought used about five years ago, so I guess the wear finally caught up. Has anyone else had a firepot fail like this, and is it worth trying to weld cast iron or just replace the whole unit?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindamartin1mo ago

Cast iron can be a real pain to weld properly.

lunakim1mo ago

My buddy Jake tried to weld a cast iron stove leg last year. He preheated it for like three hours and it still cracked right down the middle. He was so mad.

tyler_wilson25d ago

Preheating is overrated honestly. I've welded cast iron cold with nickel rods and had it hold fine. Jake probably got his puddle too hot or used the wrong filler.