My "go to" daily pan now has about a 4" crack on the bottom (don't ask). It doesn't go into the sides and I can't tell how deep it is, but it doesn't go through to the cooking surface. Is something like that at all repairable? Can cast iron be welded? If so, do the repairs hold well or is it just a bandaid that has to be redone from time to time?

It's got... well... I won't say exactly how many decades of the most perfect seasoning built up, but I am not at all excited about the prospect of having to start all over again with a new one. 

Cast iron can be welded, usually with a high nickel rod if the item will need any post-weld machining. And lots of preheat! Lots!

The process of welding or braising the pan will wreck the seasoning. I have a cracked pan from my great grand mother. I use it with the crack.

If the crack is underneath, welding it isn't going to wreck the seasoning. The bottom isn't seasoned. And it sounds like maybe brazing is the answer rather than welding.

I've TIG welded 1/4" long crack next to the handle on a 110Yo ERIE pan with SS rod....but a 4" long crack?? ..welding will do more damage than the fix. 

Brazing may work but only in an oven. To do it with a torch the ends of the crack need to be drilled or the crack will run soon as torch hit it. 

Lots of excellent pans on Ebay  I have a some Erie, Griswold and Favorite Piqua ware. The Piqua are just as good at a fraction of the cost.

  On 9/16/2017 at 8:50 PM, Dutch_12078 said:

Cast iron can be welded, usually with a high nickel rod if the item will need any post-weld machining. And lots of preheat! Lots!

That's Greek to me. "post-weld machining"? Is any welding shop able to do something like that or is it a specialty skill? And will it ruin the seasoning?

  On 9/17/2017 at 9:58 AM, eddie1261 said:

If the crack is underneath, welding it isn't going to wreck the seasoning. The bottom isn't seasoned. And it sounds like maybe brazing is the answer rather than welding.

As Dutch said though... it if takes a ton of preheat is it going to be hot enough to wreck my seasoning on the cooking side? I don't know the difference between brazing and welding.

  On 9/17/2017 at 11:09 AM, J-T said:

I've TIG welded 1/4" long crack next to the handle on a 110Yo ERIE pan with SS rod....but a 4" long crack?? ..welding will do more damage than the fix. 

Brazing may work but only in an oven. To do it with a torch the ends of the crack need to be drilled or the crack will run soon as torch hit it. 

That doesn't sound encouraging. I know there are a ton of pans to be had, but most haven't been maintained and require a complete cook off.. which I'm starting from scratch again anyway.

Dutch... My main goal is that I don't want to loose the seasoning. Is there truth to the other posts and am I best just to use it until it gives out completely? I know all good thing pass, but, honestly... what's the final "rub"?

Use it until it dies or it's realistically repairable?

Edited September 17, 2017 by Yarome

Yarome, IF it was me I would just use the skillet until the crack makes it too difficult to use. You can braze the crack with a torch and brass rod, but you will ruin the seasoning. Brazing rod melts at about 840*.  You could also weld it with an arc welder and nickel rod, but the preheating of the cast will ruin the seasoning. You would want to heat the cast to about 400* as a preheat and the arc when welding is in the vicinity of 2500* to 3000*. Also, you will need to cool the skillet SLOWLY (the slower the better) after welding. If the crack is in the cooking surface you will have a problem with where the weld was done since it wouldn't have any kind of seasoning.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Mntom

As already said several times, and rightly so, to save the seasoning, yes, just use it as is until one of you dies...

This is almost like a thread about how long you keep a sick dog before you realize he won't get better and put him down to allow him to be out of misery...... 

The amount of heat used to braze or weld the bottom will carry to the seasoned side of the metal and it will have to be re-seasoned. Cherry red heat.

FWIW......I found a cast iron griddle for $1.99 in a thrift shop in a small town off the beaten track. I have no idea how old it was but was seasoned very well and I love it.

  On 9/16/2017 at 8:09 PM, Yarome said:

My "go to" daily pan now has about a 4" crack on the bottom (don't ask).

But I just have to... how in the world did you crack a CAST IRON pan?  Really, Yarome.  It'll be the most interesting part of this thread and a good lesson for the rest of us.

I believe wife 2.0 may have input on how to crack a cast iron skillet if she was a member here.....

But I'm feeling much better now....

yeah, head crackin' was the obvious first thought, but Yarome is pretty innovative.  Perhaps he couldn't find his hammer that day?  If I recall, he also travels solo, so hopefully it wasn't his head that cracked! LOL  Some of the best stories are the ones you can't tell for awhile.  I'm sure it's a good one. LOL

  On 9/27/2017 at 8:10 AM, rocksbride said:

But I just have to... how in the world did you crack a CAST IRON pan?  Really, Yarome.  It'll be the most interesting part of this thread and a good lesson for the rest of us.

Yeah, Yarome whats the story.
Been 12 hrs and he hasn't responded, so here's what I think.
He was sitting outside his RV getting ready to cook up the snake he caught that day when all of a sudden the snake comes back to life.  He grabs his hatchet and wales on the snake and gets distracted when he realizes he has cracked his pan and the snake crawls off into the bushes.  Now he's sitting there with a cracked pan and no dinner.  Yep that's what I think.