What caused this

[Renze]

That's what you are supposed to do with ANY weld over 3/16" or so in the first place.

thats welding theory. Have you ever seen drawings of general construction parts where 3/16 (or 5mm) parts are beveled for welding ?? Not me, even though its my job. I use half the plate thickness as gap with, run a quick pass to fill one end, then crank it up and weld an under hand pass to totally fill the remaining gap, flat so i dont have to grind it flat afterwards.

Light welders may be able to get the same amp/wire feed ratio, but they just dont penetrate deeply into the gap so you have to bevel the edges. I hate grinding.

A single pass, gobby weld is destined for failure. Small, multi pass welds are what they use on pipe and any critical weld. It sounds as if you haven't been properly taught because of this statement.

I didnt say i settled for a gobby weld. as said above, i want to be able to burn to the bottom of the welding gap between the two parts and get a perfect bead on top, that is only slightly convex, not a caterpillar crawling over my workpiece.

When you are talking penetration, for the root pass, you need a key hole, but the root pass may not be but less than 1/8" thick if done correctly. The weld on the back looks almost as good as the front. It's more of a "bridge" for future passes. The rest of the passes need only to melt the top layer and fuse the bottom of the top weld to the top of the bottom weld without voids. At this point penetration means something different, and anyone seeking more penetration than this is destined for a failed weld due to a large Heat Affected Zone (HAZ).

Thats correct if you're welding highly dynamically loaded parts like our payloader lift arms. Your statement about HAZ isnt entirely true, as the HAZ is a thin layer between the mother material, and the weld material. The mother material has original run of the mill steel properties, the weld bead has an internal structure like cast iron. The HAZ has been glowing which changed its crystalline structure and made it harder and more brittle. Even when the HAZ gets slightly wider, the chain is as strong as the weakest link, which is the HAZ no matter how wide it is. The weld fails because of too much residual tension, which can be avoided by preheating. You cant do much to avoid HAZ but you can avoid residual tension. But for TBN users, this is way beyond the needs of their workpieces.

When were talking mild steel, 3/16 thickness steel: any manufacturer that would use your method of beveling as a rule of thumb for just anything over 3/16 would soon be out of business. There still is a difference between theory and practice.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Renze,
If you're from Holland, its likely you don't realize how strict the US standards are in welding and what they expect you to KNOW and do to perform your job properly. What you are talking about won't fly in the US. I'm just glad Holland isn't the standard setter for welding procedures in the US and has just made me have less faith in anything (if ever) I see that is welded in Holland.

The HAZ can be thick or thin. The more heat you put into the metal, the wider it will be. You can reduce the impact of the HAZ by using proper techniques, which includes beveling etc. I can go to any number of places that are in my area that are small or large in business that bevel their welds and expect their employees to know better.

I know a lot more about practice than you think.

 

[arrow]

Well, I would certainly explore the warranty claim first and if they are willing to replace your stove under warranty then I would let them.

Frankly, I would only attempt to repair it if they will not replace it. Even if it cracks again no different than it is now so nothing to lose in that regard. You do not have to worry about voiding a warranty as you already found out the warranty was worthless if they did not replace it prior to your repair attempt.

Thanks RR. My plans exactly. I cannot use my welder in the basement as I have no 20 amp plug sockets down there. Just a bunch of 15's and the 30 amp dryer plug. I believe Mark's welders come with 50 amp plugs so I need an adapter pig tail to fit the welder and an extension to fit the dryer socket (old 3 prong)

 

[Renze]

I know a lot more about practice than you think.

You have no idea what i think... So, happy sales, and have a good day