Home made pot belly stove using road train brake hub

[rscrocker]

I would like to know how to cut a road train brake hub and what welding rods to use to weld the brake hub

the start of my pot belly heater, i also want to weld legs on my steel frame instead of bricks.

my ash tray catcher

exhaust pipe for chimneyhow long my exhaust pipe is

handles i want to weld on or drill holes and weld them in place for easy moving

my mini one i also want to make, with handles and legsup and running just how it sits in the pictures

i would like to put a pipe on the bottom drum about 3/4 up it for air intake as i found that the ash and coles cloges up at the bottom and even with all the gaps i have at the bottom for air intake it still sufficates the 🔥. and would like any other ideas or advice thanks heaps 

[Brad · Accepted solution]

Fairly sure they are cast iron.
Cuts with diamond and carbide blades fairly well, cut off wheels work too and hss blades will cut it but they wear out fairly fast.
Nickle rods are best for welding cast iron, normal steel welding rods will give a hard brittle weld due to the carbon content.
You will find you get dirtier cutting and grinding cast iron than mild steel because of the carbon.

[rscrocker]

can you drill it with a normal drill bit or do you need a special one 

[Brad]

Normal will do it unless you hit a hard spot that can break the bit, I would go easy on the pressure and don't let it overheat. The bits with the new coatings may be an advantage.

[Jason]

Hi @rscrocker,

Welcome to Workshop. Great to see you join in the discussions and get some prompt assistance from Brad. We are looking forward to seeing how your project progresses. Please feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something to share. 

I noticed you had posted in multiple places across the site so have consolidated your photos into this one discussion. Please avoid posting in multiple places as it makes it less likely you will get multiple responses and makes it harder for other community members to find what they are looking for.  

Thanks again for joining us, and please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site. 

Jason

[bergs]

Hi @rscrocker 

I would be very surprised if truck hubs were made of cast iron. 

I seem to remember the old cast iron stoves and if they received a hard knock they had a tendency to crack.

I'm sure you will work it out.

I'm trying to work out a pot belly of some kind in my shed, so I will be interested in knowing how you get on with your project.

Good luck bergs