Another welding question, bear with me

[Laminarman]

I have a small Lincoln MIG welder (115v) that does all I need for small, light guage repairs around the home. I am going to pick up an AC/DC stick welder. I know,I know, get a MIG, but I will use it six times a year at the most, and I don't want to spend two grand on a unit that can handle thick, heavy repairs. Here's my immediate need and my question: I have a chain harrow and I rigged a unit to lift it on a boom pole to carry it around. However, the darn thing keeps coming undone where the two halves link up. I'm am forever hooking them together, which is harder than it sounds as it's so heavy. I'd like to weld a piece of round barstock of some sort across the opening on each half to keep them together. The harrow tines are like 1/2" hardened steel or something. What metal could I weld there? Regular round bar stock mild steel, will that hold? Somehow in my mind I thought I read that you can't weld to the hardened steels they use on some farm implements (disc blades, harrow tines..etc) but I could be very wrong.

 

[greenmule]

Well,they might be and they might be not,sounds like you are just going to be putting a large tack weld really,clean it,heat it up a little just in case it is something,and weld at it,see if it holds.

I've welded cast iron with 6010 rods,and it held,so,never know till you try

 

[Laminarman]

Hmmm. I'd hate for them to all fail, as I'd have something like 32 individual welds to do, plus cutting material...etc. It's not critical, just hate to waste time, I have too little of it as most folks do.

 

[greenmule]

Well than,don't try and weld it...

If you don't know for sure what base metal is,than,whats your suggestion?

You can do as much damage/harm,make bad welds,etc,assuming a base metal is something its not than just going under assumption that it looks like steel,so lets weld it like steel.rods/wire that you weld high carbon heat treated steel with make brittle welds. But if you don't know,neither does anybody else.

You got a chain harrow and some how or other you want to weld round stock on it to keep it from doing something,why don't you take a few pictures of this thing,and maybe describe what you want to do and where you want to do it?

 

[carpenter383]

Why not just do a test weld with a piece of that bar stock and see if it holds, then if it does finish the rest of it. If it don't you're not out much time anyway.

 

[BarryinMN]

If you can MIG sheet with a 115v machine, you'll love a stick with it's heat capacity. Old iron is pretty forgiving - pound it back in shape add a piece of whatever is available even rebar & glue it together. Start with thin rod say 3/16" so it will force you top melt the 2 pieces together vs adding material from a larger rod like a 1/8"

 

[Laminarman]

Thanks, you're right, a test weld it will be. I thought maybe somebody had tackled this before.

 

[/pine]

just an observation...

most non-commercial welders are intended for use on mild steel "tool steel" is much harder which may explain why "home use" welders have problems with some repair welds...

 

[MikeInEburg]

Start with thin rod say 3/16" so it will force you top melt the 2 pieces together vs adding material from a larger rod like a 1/8"

Although I'm not much of a welder, I think my math skills are adequate to wonder... isn't 3/16" LARGER than 1/8" (aka 2/16")?

Mike

 

[Laminarman]

Although I'm not much of a welder, I think my math skills are adequate to wonder... isn't 3/16" LARGER than 1/8" (aka 2/16")?

Mike

I wasn't going to say anything! I picked up on that too but figured I'm really a novice, so...