Need help welding hooks

[liberty2701]

I am trying to weld some 3/8 hooks onto my loader ad are having a **** of a time. I am using a Lincoln a/c 225 welder. The hooks are being placed directly in front of the loader arms onto the existing steel plate Total thickness of plate and loader bucket is about 1/2". I am using 7014 and 6013 rod both 3/32". I have tried welding at 175 amps up to 225 amps. Steel and hooks have been grinded clean. After i weld on the hooks I test the weld by hitting the hook with a 10lb maul and after about five or so hits the weld fractures and the hook comes off. Maybe ths is not the right test for weld penetration. Please help me on this. I went through about 6 rods already. I tried three time already and started over by grinding everything clean each time. I also tried three passes each side.

 

[Fifelaker]

Try a root pass with 6011 then cover with 7018ac. I would run 1/8" rods @ +- 100 amps.

 

[CNC Dan]

Total thickness of plate and loader bucket is about 1/2". I am using 7014 and 6013 rod both 3/32". I have tried welding at 175 amps up to 225 amps.

Way too hot for 3/32" rods. Try some 1/8" 6011 at 90 amps.

 

[George2615]

Perhaps you could post a couple pics of your welds. You should not need to run 175-225 amps using 3/32 rod to weld hooks on. I can see the rod turning cherry red at those settings. Maybe 80-100 would be a better setting or switch to 1/8" rod. The 10 lb. maul test seems a bit much too.
Maybe Arc Weld or Shield Arc will reply to help you out. I'm not a pro welder, just been welding stuff for about 40 years now.

 

[Gary Fowler]

First off, I wouldn't use either of those rods and you are running way, way too many amps for that size rod. The hotter you run it the more brittle the weld becomes. A 7014 even when welded out with half a dozen passes could be knocked off with a 10 # hammer and a couple of blows even if welded correctly.
Get some 7018AC rods in 3/32 or 1/8" and weld it up entirely with those. 3/32 might be ran at up to 120 Amps and 1/8" up to about 150. Your machine may vary but the rod should not start glowing red before you finish the rod down to about 1" long, if it does you are likely too high on the amperage. Clean the slag good between each pass with chipping hammer or grinder so you have clean metal.
A light tap with a 2# hammer to hear the metal ring is sufficient for a brittle impact test. Just about any weld can be broken with a large enough hammer.
Put a slight bevel on the hook on each side but leave about 1/8" of land between the beveled edges. You wont need full penetration weld to hold more than your tractor will lift but a bit of a bevel will ensure you have plenty of "meat" to the weld. When the bevel is full, put two cap passes all the way around with the last pass laying on top of the first one and tied in well to the hook and the bottom pass. A 1/4" fillet weld around the hook will ensure that even if the weld has some impurities like porosity in it, the weld will still hold more than the tractor will lift.

 

[gwdixon]

If you are using hooks designed for chain ends then that may be the problem. Some of those hooks (they have a clevis or hole on one end) are not intended to be welded.

There are grab hooks specifically designed to be welded. Try using them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=weld+on+grab+hooks+for+chain&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb

As far as the actual welding goes, you will have far more success welding the hooks onto flat plate and then welding the plate onto where ever you want.

For mine, I use 1/8" 6011 at 100A and then cover with a couple of passes of 1/8" 7018 at around 130A. Your brand of rod and brand of welder may cause a need for adjustment. 6013 and 7014 are not necessarily high penetration rods so your hammer test is no surprise.

This is an example of the above discussion (obviously I'm not a professional weldor and this is some of the worst):

View attachment 385149

 

[kennyd]

If you are using hooks designed for chain ends then that may be the problem. Some of those hooks (they have a clevis or hole on one end) are not intended to be welded.

There are grab hooks specifically designed to be welded. Try using them.

That's what I was going to ask, what kind of hooks are you using?

 

[Sysop]

Put a slight bevel on the hook on each side but leave about 1/8" of land between the beveled edges. You wont need full penetration weld to hold more than your tractor will lift but a bit of a bevel will ensure you have plenty of "meat" to the weld.

The weld on hooks I used came with a bevel.

That's what I was going to ask, what kind of hooks are you using?

agreed, it would make a big difference...

 

[k0ua]

This is my Kioti, used 1/8 inch 7018 rod at 125 amps DC.. If you had some 7018AC that is what I would recommend and the 125 amp setting is what I would use. I can't imagine 175 or more amps with any 3/32 rod. Here is the Miller calculator you can use to get you in the ballpark for setting your current. You can see the bevel on the weld on hooks that the others spoke of in the second photo.

 

[liberty2701]

That's what I was going to ask, what kind of hooks are you using?

Wow! Whata bunch of quick responses. The hooks are forged 3/8 chain hooks that I cut the clevis end off and ground the bottom flat.