ACPA - Cemetery Ironwork Good Practice

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Cemetery Ironwork Good Practice - Part 3

Repair may include reattachment of elements. Ideally repairs should be made in a manner consistent with original construction. For example, newel posts were often originally attached to the stone or masonry base using a threaded rod packed in lead. When this assembly is loose, the ideal approach is to replace the threaded rod using a 306 or 316 stainless steel rod and repacking it using lead standing proud or an epoxy filler.

It may also be appropriate to use small stainless steel braces with stainless steel nuts and bolts to reattach coping rails to posts. While welding is often expedient (and may be better than inappropriate mending), this approach causes a radical change to the fence. Once welded pieces are no longer able to move with expansion/contraction cycles, there is a build-up of internal stresses that may lead to yet additional structural problems.

In addition, while wrought iron is easy to weld because of its low carbon content, cast iron, with its higher carbon content, is difficult to weld. The reason that cast iron is so hard to weld without cracking is its rigidity. When one small area is heated, causing it to expand, the unheated areas resist -- and crack. An alternative is to braze cast iron since this approach requires much less heat. Welding on cast iron should be done only by firms specializing in this work and capable of preheating the elements.

When used, welds should be continuous (not spot) and ground smooth. This will help eliminate any gaps or crevices where water can collect and corrosion can take place. When finished, it should be difficult to distinguish the weld -- the original metal should blend or flow directly into the reattached part. Welds in wrought iron must also be the full depth of the material and not just on the surface.

(Part 4 - continued on following page)

Chicora Foundation, Inc., PO Box 8664, Columbia, SC, USA, 29202, 803-787-6910

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