Cast iron rusted leaving hole - how to repair?

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

I have the base of an old sewing machine which I think is cast iron(?). It has rusted almost completely through in two areas on the legs. Please can anyone advise how best to treat this? I've seen online some putty for repairing metal (Milliput) which is an "epoxy putty".

Would that work if I fill the hole and then paint over with Hammerite or similar?

Many thx for any tips on this.

ormus

only if its non structural.
if it is structural, then a welder can weld cast iron with special welding rods.
it wont be cheap. (even the rods are dear).

tony6403

Jenolite is a very good rust remover and probably will stop any further corrosion.
Restoring will be prohibitively expensive.
If it is a Singer base , these were produced in vast quantities and can be bought for very little .

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

Many thanks for the replies. Someone did suggest welding to me but I thought it would be too expensive and you have confirmed this!

It's really not worth the cost of welding as, although it is a lovely decorative piece, I plan to use it in the garden as a table base so just really want to stop more rust and make it as stable as I can.

Thx again for the advice.