would an overhead crane (15 ton) be made of cast iron or cast steel?

[out in the shop]

i have to make a splice on a overhead crane rail, 15ton over paper machine. would that be made of cast iron or cast steel, to me it seems to be cast steel. boss says cast iron. grain doesnt look like iron. anybody got any past history with this sorta thing. i have done cast iron welding before (with success). is there a special rod for cast steel, or do you run the standard 7018, 6011? thanks in advance

[out in the shop]

i want to explain a little more......this is the RAIL. it DOES still ride ontop of a large beam, with a channel welded flange down. i am not making splice on stuct. steel. i am splicing old rail to new rail.......it doesnt get welded DOWN. it has a saddle type fastening system.....hope that'll clear up any confusion....todd

[out in the shop]

1 more thing....no i didnt spark test it YET. basically i am inquiring for proper proceedure for cast steel, if it is, infact that. thanks

[Sully2]

What makes you THINK its "CAST" anything? They dont "cast" railroad rails...they dont "cast" I-beams

[PeteZ28]

If it is truely cast, it's more than likely cast steel.

I'm not looking at it right now, so I'm not going to make a BOLD TYPED "ASSUMPTION" that I am right

What exactly will be the purpose of what you are welding to it? 15 ton overhead cranes are inherently dangerous, potentially more so when modified.

[Sully2]

If it is truely cast, it's more than likely cast steel.

I'm not looking at it right now, so I'm not going to make a BOLD TYPED "ASSUMPTION" that I am right

What exactly will be the purpose of what you are welding to it? 15 ton overhead cranes are inherently dangerous, potentially more so when modified.

And....does the welder have ( or need??) a cert for overhead work...just in case "things" turn to "crapola" sometime???

[Willy Victor]

If it is truely cast, it's more than likely cast steel.

I'm not looking at it right now, so I'm not going to make a BOLD TYPED "ASSUMPTION" that I am right

What exactly will be the purpose of what you are welding to it? 15 ton overhead cranes are inherently dangerous, potentially more so when modified.

It sounds like the building is being lengthened and the rail is being extended, that's what it sounds like to me.


Willy

[LeonS]

Crane rails are bolted together typ. of the railroad version, they are forged not cast.
See the attachment from my steel book about the joints.
Good luck
L*S

[Sully2]

Crane rails are bolted together typ. of the railroad version, they are forged not cast.
See the attachment from my steel book about the joints.
Good luck
L*S

I wondered about the welding deal..? I retired from a plant that had been an aircraft plant in WWII...and even though we still had SOME overhead cranes we used...the rails for the big ones was all that was left of those. Everyone I ever saw was either bolted or hot riveted with tie plates ( just like you say with railroad rails)

[hankj]

OTIS,

I've never seen a cast-anything crane rail. I can't imagine a cast rail sufficient to support the huge weights that many rail running cranes are rated for.

All I've ever seen are S- or L- shapes in big beams. Welding one would be pretty uncomplicated, but as previously mentioned, I've not seen a splice that was not bolted-up.

Hank

[out in the shop]

And....does the welder have ( or need??) a cert for overhead work...just in case "things" turn to "crapola" sometime???

d1.1 unlimited....yes building is being extended, when rail was installed a small gap was left. just looking to keep the wheels from clicking when traveling over splice. 3/16 gap .

i know i posted it, but it was THE BOSS who said it was CAST

. and guess what sully2... i dont know EVERYTHING. that is why im a member of this forum. to past some time, and learn a little something from time to time. if i did know it all, you would be joining my forum called ASK A WELDING EXPERT. I do appreciate most of the posts recieved on the ? guys. i respect anyone who is older, wiser, or just has something positive they are willing to pass on to me. this is how trades stay alive. i was just trying to enlighten myself, inform myself, with that i will be able to make a better decision. and in the end, complete the job with better results.

sully2....overhead is the welding POSITION....not where it is, when your standing on the floor, looking up....D.A.
sully2. if you dont have anything constructive to say. why do you speak?.....mama never taught you that rule?


again everyone else..thanks. im gonna spark test, and try to snap off a pc. of the left over. To see if it bends or breaks. oits aka todd

[vicegrip]

I am reasonably certain , that in the dozen or so buildings that I have worked in , that had over-head cranes ;
Some turn of the last century , and a few expanded since 2000 ;
that all crane rails were spliced & bolted , never welded .
In some I could feel the gap as the crane rolled over.

In the 70s at one shop , several complaints resulted in a peice of 3/16" wear-plate be-ing cut in the shape of the rail cross-section and slid into the gap , and the splice re-bolted in place.

I know because I took a big side-grinder up there and contoured the rail-crown shape on the spacer.

Phil

[tspmax]

Your answer is:

Who ever put the crane extension on is responsible for connecting the rails. I have a crane and I would not expect my guys to weld or figure anything out with the crane, cast or not.

I don't believe they are cast rails, and I don't recall anyone ever welding them together. I thought the rail was like rail road rail....harder. If I had to guess I would weld it with a pre hard type rod and heat it up before hand. But then again I wouldn't weld something that important without certification.

Not trying to be a D..K here but if you have to ask (in this case) you shouldn't be messing with it.

[Pumpkinhead]

let's put this to sleep, it's not cast, it's not forged, it's rolled, in a mill, just like any other structural.

[Sberry]

In one sense running a bead across the top of the rail wouldn't hurt much of anything even if it did crack or even could be sawn with a narrow kerf after the fact. If I was **** bent on fixing it a little heat, 7018 one bead, cut back thru it with a portoband, etc. It just wouldn't bother me to do this as its not highly modified but there may be adjustment or this gap may have been or should have been engineered, thermal expansion, etc.