wawajake
Veteran Member
I am making a back blade for my Kubota mainly just because I have lots of spare steel around the property that I bought a few years ago. But I can see using it to spread topsoil on lawn and ATV trail work
For the blade I wanted to use one of the cutting edges I found that is 5inches tall that was 7 feet long but I cut it down to the 54 inches length I wanted . Now I don't have a cutting torch just a Lincoln tombstone AC welder. So I cut the edge using 220 amps and plunging the rod through until it cut the full 5 inches across , no problem ground it down to look presentable.
But now to give my blade some more height (and bonus of a flat area on top of blade for my mounting design).......I found a 4 inch by 5/16 inch angle iron mild steel and cut it to the same 54 inch length with sawsall.
But then came the hard part welding one of the long edges of the angle to the top of the high carbon steel cutting edge to give me a blade that would be 9inches tall now.
Simple enough I thought, put the cleaned up edge and the angle on my table outside, clamp in place butt to butt find my biggest 7018 rod (1/8 inch and go at it going back and forth from one end to the other to tack in place , seemed to be working.......then crack noise and weld splits at opposite end of the 54 inch length I am welding. It kept doing that so eventually I gave up on the 7018 (it was constantly sticking) and went to 6011 1/8 rod and laid a three inch bead first on cutting edge beside where butt was and then following after with a bead directly on where butt ends met. This seemed to work (I guess it preheated the cutting edge enough for each three inch tack) I also fixed the cracked beads by going back and forth . I must of used 30 rods altogether for the 54inch length. But now question is even though I do not see cracks happening anymore will it break the first time I use the blade ? Is there a way to further improve the welds without taking it all apart ? What rod would of been best ( Only had 7018, 6011 and 6013 ) was running amps at usually 135 .
signed rookie garage repair type welder
maybe will take pictures tonight
For the blade I wanted to use one of the cutting edges I found that is 5inches tall that was 7 feet long but I cut it down to the 54 inches length I wanted . Now I don't have a cutting torch just a Lincoln tombstone AC welder. So I cut the edge using 220 amps and plunging the rod through until it cut the full 5 inches across , no problem ground it down to look presentable.
But now to give my blade some more height (and bonus of a flat area on top of blade for my mounting design).......I found a 4 inch by 5/16 inch angle iron mild steel and cut it to the same 54 inch length with sawsall.
But then came the hard part welding one of the long edges of the angle to the top of the high carbon steel cutting edge to give me a blade that would be 9inches tall now.
Simple enough I thought, put the cleaned up edge and the angle on my table outside, clamp in place butt to butt find my biggest 7018 rod (1/8 inch and go at it going back and forth from one end to the other to tack in place , seemed to be working.......then crack noise and weld splits at opposite end of the 54 inch length I am welding. It kept doing that so eventually I gave up on the 7018 (it was constantly sticking) and went to 6011 1/8 rod and laid a three inch bead first on cutting edge beside where butt was and then following after with a bead directly on where butt ends met. This seemed to work (I guess it preheated the cutting edge enough for each three inch tack) I also fixed the cracked beads by going back and forth . I must of used 30 rods altogether for the 54inch length. But now question is even though I do not see cracks happening anymore will it break the first time I use the blade ? Is there a way to further improve the welds without taking it all apart ? What rod would of been best ( Only had 7018, 6011 and 6013 ) was running amps at usually 135 .
signed rookie garage repair type welder
maybe will take pictures tonight