Can I repair a hole on wrought iron post?


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Old 02-25-19, 06:31 PM
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Can I repair a hole on wrought iron post?

One of the 2" square wrought iron post for my front door railing has rusted through near the bottom. It is the kind that set inside the concrete step. the hole is on one of the flat surface, about 1" in diameter. The post is still strong as the rust has yet reached the corners. Can I patch the hole? How? Thanks!
 
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Old 02-25-19, 07:38 PM
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Can you post a picture for us ? How-to-insert-pictures
 
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Old 02-26-19, 01:54 AM
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Without a picture I'm just guessing based on what I've seen in the past but the pipe is hollow so removing the railing and inserting a section inside the existing will give you something to hold the rail together.

It's not going to look pretty and you have to realize if it's rusted there it's rusted everywhere meaning the functional life is not much longer!
 
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Old 02-26-19, 04:06 AM
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^^^What Marq1 said: if it has rusted a hole through in one place, more than likely it's rusty throughout, unfortunately. You might be able to clean off the rust in that area and use something like Bondo to seal the hole. That would be a cosmetic fix only.

Is the railing truly cast iron? Steel is much more common, due to availability and price.
 
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Old 02-26-19, 04:32 AM
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I doubt your railing is wrought iron. It's most likely common steel which means it's very easy to weld and repair. If it's only a hole then it can be welded-up, ground smooth and painted. Any welding shop that does mobile work can do the job in a few minutes so you'll likely be bumping into their minimum charge.
 
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Old 02-26-19, 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by KeithL
One of the 2" square wrought iron post for my front door railing has rusted through near the bottom. It is the kind that set inside the concrete step. the hole is on one of the flat surface, about 1" in diameter. The post is still strong as the rust has yet reached the corners. Can I patch the hole? How? Thanks!
If he's in Chicago, then he may well have a 2" wrought iron post.

You may want to search around for historic / architectural groups in your area.

But, this is, literally, an episode of "this old house".

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/...t-iron-railing
 
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Old 02-28-19, 01:40 PM
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Sorry for taking so long, I have not been home while it has daylight for a few days. Finally, I was able to take a few pictures before heading to work this morning:

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I patched it once using JB weld in the Fall of 2017. The rust comes back a few weeks ago. I probably didn't do a good enough job to clean the rust before patching. I didn't use Bondo because I think JB weld make a harder surface. I'm not sure if it can be patched again and how can I make the patch to last longer.

How can I tell if it is steel or wrought iron?

Pilot Dane suggested it could be welded-up. Based on the pictures, do you think it's possible or I need to change out the post which will involve digging the old one out. How much do you think it will cost to hire a welder?

I think it is possible for me to borrow a electric HF welder from a co-worker. I have a grinder at home. I did some welding years ago when I was a teenager working in a factory. I don't think I remember much but I'm not afraid to give a try. Is it something I can do it myself?

Thanks!
 

Last edited by PJmax; 02-28-19 at 01:57 PM. Reason: Reoriented/resized pictures
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Old 02-28-19, 02:18 PM
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Is it a wire welder or stick? either will work but the latter is harder to control. Not sure it would be worth hiring a mobile welder.
Steel will be hollow, wrought iron is solid.
 
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Old 02-28-19, 04:02 PM
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Your railing is steel and can be welded. I suspect though when you dig into it that the corrosion probably extends down into the concrete a bit which will make it difficult to do a permenant quality welding fix. If that's the case then the rusted tubing can be cut and a piece of steel inserted inside as a splint at the bottom and a new piece of square tubing welded in place to replace what was removed.
 
 

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