weld grinding tips needed

   / weld grinding tips needed #1  

daugen

Super Star Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Location
New Hope PA
Tractor
in between now
I'm not a welder, but I can refinish pretty well, and enjoy it.
I have a decent small hand grinder, with a variety of wheels for it.
And as you can see from this "in the door" pics, boy do I have some grinding to do.

This is a pretty unusual Gravely wing mower due to the Kawasaki motor. I already own one with a Honda 340 motor
on it; the Kaw is definitely a larger engine, and no longer made. Single cylinder with pressure lube and filter. And from the looks of it, pretty tired.
But it started and ran fine, without smoke.

I have always wanted to build a custom mowing rig for my Gravely garden tractor, with one wing out one side and one out the other.
40+50+40 inches is nice, I also have a 60 mower that I don't use at the moment.
And once built, with some custom bracket fab, paint it up really nice and take it to the local Grange Fair in August. There's some pretty neat stuff
exhibited there, and while the Gravely is too new for most classes, they do have some general interest stuff brought in, whatever will please the crowd.
Kind of worried that some kid may try to take home a souvenir, like a shift knob, but oh well.

So I'd like to make this nice, but it will never be "like new" so as long as it doesn't look like Frankenstein's child, three coats of Gravely red will look just fine.
But first I have to grind away. Are there any tricks? I've done this before, know I need to do this outside, because of dust and rust flying everywhere, mask and good glasses,
but how far down do I go? The light method is just smooth off the bumps and make sure nothing is sharp. If I grind more, it will be smoother, but am I just taking
strength out of the weld? Drew
 

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   / weld grinding tips needed #2  
In the second picture you have some holes to fill . The rest of your welds look good . Just make sure you stay on the weld while grinding not the metal around it . When you get the welds pretty , Then take a flap wheel and blend it in . The holes are what really show when you paint .
 
   / weld grinding tips needed #3  
Looks to me like you need more fill in some areas. I always keep the grinding wheel like this picture, also keep the wheel fairly flat. Stay on the weld until the weld is the same level as the base material. Remember in most cases the weld is harder than the base material. Once the weld is ground down flat I'll use a #36-grit sanding pad, then sometimes use a #80-grit sanding pad after that. I never leave a 90-degree edge, I'll take the sanding pad and put at least a 1/16-inch wide flat spot, so the paint will stick, and not so easy to flake off.
 

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   / weld grinding tips needed #4  
I don't mean to be too critical or discouraging, but some of those welds (like in the second picture) look pretty wormy. Were they 6013 with an AC machine with a long arc? when you start grinding, you are liable to expose more wormholes. Try some 7018 on a DC machine or 7018AC on an ac machine and hold a close arc to see if you can make em look a bit better. As for the grinding you have been given good advice IMHO. I like to use a flap wheel when you get the majority high spots down and blend with the flap wheel. Again this is said in the spirit of "trying to help" not "trying to be mean".

James K0UA
 
   / weld grinding tips needed #5  
If it was my project, for the flat parts, would probably use the 7 inch, with either a fiber sanding disc or a flap wheel. You would have to be real careful, and I think I would use a small grinder for corners. I think it would be easy to make a mess with the big 7, but for me atleast the speed would be worth it, as long as you don't rush, you should be fine. If you don't have a 7, forget what I said, but keep your eye out for one, used ones are cheap, and the good ones never die.
 
   / weld grinding tips needed #6  
I would use a 36 grit sanding pad for the whole grind job and just smooth it up and round the edges. I wouldn't try to make it look like it wasn't welded, just knock off the humps. You may have some areas that require more weld metal. Easy enough to do if when grinding it down, if you see you have low spots, just stop weld up the low spots and continue to smooth it out.
 
   / weld grinding tips needed
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I keep thinking about those missed spots and how I'm going to fix that.

Here's a perfect example of stuff I want to weld, wouldn't an economical stick welder
do this mower deck work ok?
 
   / weld grinding tips needed #8  
I don't mean to be too critical or discouraging, but some of those welds (like in the second picture) look pretty wormy. Were they 6013 with an AC machine with a long arc? when you start grinding, you are liable to expose more wormholes. Try some 7018 on a DC machine or 7018AC on an ac machine and hold a close arc to see if you can make em look a bit better. As for the grinding you have been given good advice IMHO. I like to use a flap wheel when you get the majority high spots down and blend with the flap wheel. Again this is said in the spirit of "trying to help" not "trying to be mean".

James K0UA

Learning to lay a smooth weld eliminates most of the need for grinding.
The 7018 rod you recommend on a DC machine is my "go to" rod for just about everything. 6013 for tacking up and for pretty down welds. 5P for root pass on very think sections. 7024 for fast fill jobs.
All the young guys around here laugh at stick welding as old school, MIG is the way to go. I tease them MIG welding is like soldering -- like sex, I prefer full penetration and substantial heat.

A fellow (Frank) that helped me get started welding had butt welded 100's of truck frames (with no reinforcement whatsoever), and claimed not one ever broke. The shop manager of one company he did welding for said; "If FranK butt welded coat hanger wire together I'd hang from a helicopter on that wire while they flew me across Lake Erie, that's how much faith I have in his skill".

The 7018 isn't the best rod for out of position welding for the occasional welder. I've always said if I can roll it around on the floor, I can make it look pretty and also sound.

My grinding tools:
  • 9 inch Milwaukee bust your balls angle grinder.
  • Several 4.5 - 5 inch Metabo angle grinders, grinding wheels, braided wire cup brushes, wafer wheels
  • 4 inch belt sander -- 60 -80 grit, makes beautiful rounded edges.
 
   / weld grinding tips needed #9  
I keep thinking about those missed spots and how I'm going to fix that.

Here's a perfect example of stuff I want to weld, wouldn't an economical stick welder
do this mower deck work ok?

In my opinion, yes you can easily do this with a stick welder. I would use 7018 or maybe 7014 for a wider smoother looking bead. Remember 7014 usually requires more heat, and lays down faster, but produces a wider/flatter/smoother bead which may be just what you want here. I am thinking DC welder here, you did not say if you had DC capability.

James K0UA
 
   / weld grinding tips needed
  • Thread Starter
#10  
In my opinion, yes you can easily do this with a stick welder. I would use 7018 or maybe 7014 for a wider smoother looking bead. Remember 7014 usually requires more heat, and lays down faster, but produces a wider/flatter/smoother bead which may be just what you want here. I am thinking DC welder here, you did not say if you had DC capability.

James K0UA


I have neither, I didn't do the welding, the shop did. So I need to buy a first welder, something basic to make repairs like this. And now I know the rods to use, thanks.
So what you see is what I got, and now I have to finish it. When I saw that big opening on the one side, I knew I had more welding to do. My first welding actually.
So I'm a pure newbie here, but I understand good penetration. :)
 
 
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