Wrought Iron Railings Repair And Tools Required
by A.Caxton on 2007-09-22
Evidence of railings made from wrought iron can be found as back as 17th century. During that time, the concept of working on metals had justed started and the railings made from iron were treated as act of art.
Though the railings prepared from wrought iron are quite durable and resistant to corrosion, these are not shock tolerant and the railings tend to break if something drops on them. Any snap in the railing would spoil the appearance of the hand railing or whole staircase. If you can manage the repairs, you might be able to restore the original form of the railing by yourself.
Tools needed for Repair of wrought Iron Railings
You may repair railings of wrought iron and bring back its nearly original form if repair is done with care, but repair will be repair, and not its original position. The various tools available for repairs can be obtained from any DIY store. You need to procure:
1. Machine for drilling
2. Riveting set
3. Drill bits in sizes of 3/8” or 1/4”
4. Glue Cement
5. Hack saw
6. Tools required for woodwork
7. Metal Cement
8. Smoother
Techniques for repair of Pipes of Railings
It is a difficult task to weld railings which have been made from wrought iron and despite the fact that when railings have been welded, and a pipe after welding has chances of breaking again and can result in a dangerous mishap. Hence, ensure that you do not weld the broken pipes.
However, you can repair the cracked pipe by putting supports inside the broken pipe, i.e. by inserting a turned wooden pole or a steel pipe of internal diameter of pipe. The pipe needs to be unfastened out of the railings and carried to a DIY store and then the necessary repairs done like putting supports inside. The ends can then be fixed with glue or metal cement.
If the inner lining of pipe of wrought iron is uneven, you can just twist the wooden pole a little bit more to fit it inside the pipe with no force or without the use of a hammer on the wooden portion. If force is applied, the pipe made of wrought iron will be useless and will not be in a position to be repaired.
Understand that broken wrought iron railings become strong by inserting a wooden pole or steel pipe inside it. The glue is merely used to give it a outer structure and not making it strong. If there are more than two pieces in the wrought iron railing, one needs to carefully fit these before applying glue or riveting. Just ensure that all the pieces get joined together and the wooden pole or internal pipe is not noticeable from outside.
Fixing Poles or Base of Wrought Iron Railings
If the base of railings has developed cracks or the eyelet of railing pipe requires repairs, stich welding must be done to repair it. There are many companies who specialize in this kind of repair and sometimes provide guarantee as well. The chances of eyelets or base of railings cracking are not very frequent and if these get cracked, it is advisable to leave them in the hands of the experts as this requires expertise. If you attempt yourself to do it in a DIY way, chances are that you will fail.
Though the railings prepared from wrought iron are quite durable and resistant to corrosion, these are not shock tolerant and the railings tend to break if something drops on them. Any snap in the railing would spoil the appearance of the hand railing or whole staircase. If you can manage the repairs, you might be able to restore the original form of the railing by yourself.
Tools needed for Repair of wrought Iron Railings
You may repair railings of wrought iron and bring back its nearly original form if repair is done with care, but repair will be repair, and not its original position. The various tools available for repairs can be obtained from any DIY store. You need to procure:
1. Machine for drilling
2. Riveting set
3. Drill bits in sizes of 3/8” or 1/4”
4. Glue Cement
5. Hack saw
6. Tools required for woodwork
7. Metal Cement
8. Smoother
Techniques for repair of Pipes of Railings
It is a difficult task to weld railings which have been made from wrought iron and despite the fact that when railings have been welded, and a pipe after welding has chances of breaking again and can result in a dangerous mishap. Hence, ensure that you do not weld the broken pipes.
However, you can repair the cracked pipe by putting supports inside the broken pipe, i.e. by inserting a turned wooden pole or a steel pipe of internal diameter of pipe. The pipe needs to be unfastened out of the railings and carried to a DIY store and then the necessary repairs done like putting supports inside. The ends can then be fixed with glue or metal cement.
If the inner lining of pipe of wrought iron is uneven, you can just twist the wooden pole a little bit more to fit it inside the pipe with no force or without the use of a hammer on the wooden portion. If force is applied, the pipe made of wrought iron will be useless and will not be in a position to be repaired.
Understand that broken wrought iron railings become strong by inserting a wooden pole or steel pipe inside it. The glue is merely used to give it a outer structure and not making it strong. If there are more than two pieces in the wrought iron railing, one needs to carefully fit these before applying glue or riveting. Just ensure that all the pieces get joined together and the wooden pole or internal pipe is not noticeable from outside.
Fixing Poles or Base of Wrought Iron Railings
If the base of railings has developed cracks or the eyelet of railing pipe requires repairs, stich welding must be done to repair it. There are many companies who specialize in this kind of repair and sometimes provide guarantee as well. The chances of eyelets or base of railings cracking are not very frequent and if these get cracked, it is advisable to leave them in the hands of the experts as this requires expertise. If you attempt yourself to do it in a DIY way, chances are that you will fail.
About The Author: Andrew Caxton is the editor of www.wrought-iron-guide.com. For additional information on iron rails or wrought iron railings subjects have a look at his web.