Bingo - you read my mind exactly, I was fixing to come and say those exact words, becauseforget about the patch for now
instead get the heat on the cast and see if you can get a small pool of bronze to attach to it.
I have never gotten a weld to stick to anything before what I showed Yall this morning
Even that is an achievement for me
Of course it would be tricky to weld on cast iron, my instincts see it as a petrified metal, very stubborn to get anything to hold onto it
So yes, forget about the patch, hone in on what it will take to get cast iron to bond to bronze
Next experiment: Hit the iron skillet with regular propane torch, get the entire entity hot not just the welding area, then come in with the acetylene and hit it until it has that wet look like yall advised
Next experiment taking place early evening or evening if I have the energy