Advice please on how to remove a Cast Iron Back Boiler

Are you sure it's cast iron, Hit with the sledge were you cut it if it's cast it should break.

Well, I'm guessing that it is cast iron - based on the fact that the areas where I cut cannot be bent with a crowbar.

I am in the UK and I think the boiler was installed in the late 50's or

I have tried hitting the places I made the cuts, but they seem to be acting like a sort of 'spring' and the hammer bounces back. Tomorrow I will try to get hold of a heavier hammer, and see if I can make any progress.

Thanks for your quick reply :)

If it doesn't break, it's probably not cast iron. Cast iron is extremely brittle.

Can you just paint over it?

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

Cold might help, eg a CO2 fire extinguisher, to reach the ductile-to-brittle temperature. MIT students shatter Kryptonite bike locks with liquid nitrogen. Titanic steel had too much sulphur and became brittle at 32 F.

Nick

I say we blast.

"And remember, dynamite always blows down." -- Moe

"Hey Moe, maybe I could just take my shoes off." -- Curly