Chain Hooks

[RonL]

My new welder should be coming in any time. My first project will be to weld hooks onto my buckets. It's been thirty years since I have done any serious welding. I'm thinking that I will bevel the edges of the mounting plates for the hooks and initially weld them with a 6010 rod. I will then go over them with 7018. Any thoughts and experiences?

RonL

 

[GaryE]

RonL,

If you are talking “chain hooks”, I would get the Weld on type, no need to bevel.

If you have not welded in a while I would recommend you root the hooks in with 6013’s, you will find them much easier to use. 7018’s are probably over kill, but it won’t hurt.

Enjoy the new toy,

Gary

 

[RonL]

Gary

I have the weld on hooks. I want to put grab hooks towards the outside edge of the loader bucket and a slip hook in the center. I'm going to mount a grab hook on my 12 inch backhoe bucket and a slip hook on my 24 inch backhoe bucket.
Back many years ago I was told that pipewelding was probably the most difficult and critical type of welding, so I decided to try practicing that. I actually got pretty good at it. My recollection was that I welded the beveled edges with a root pass of 6010 and then went over that with 7018. But that was 30 years ago. My memory may be off.

RonL

 

[GaryE]

RonL,

Your memory is fine! I think you will find it will be much easier to get a good looking bead with a 6013 if you have not welded in a while. It is a much more forgiving rod and still will give you good penetration. And still 60,000 lbs / square inch.

If you have welded pipe you should have no problem with the hooks!

Gary

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Who cares what it looks like. Get good penetration and grind off any excess. I'd go with a 6011 3/32 rod at about 75 AMPs. BobG in Va

 

[GaryE]

<font color="blue"> Who cares what it looks like. Get good penetration and grind off any excess. </font>

BobG,

More times than not a “good looking” weld is going to have better / more even penetration than a weld you have to grind off. Also, if you have to grind your root (first pass) weld, you are doing something wrong.

Gary

 

[beenthere]

Sounds to me (at least I am convinced) you know what you are talking about. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[GaryE]

Beenthere,

Now that I read my last post I hope it was not taken as confrontational. It was not meant to be. I was just trying to help Ron get back into welding and do so safely. I admit I am a welding bigot! But I have learned the hard way. It took me a long time to unlearn my bad habits!!!!! I have gained most of my “new” knowledge from watching the old timers. And listening to some very good instructors… In many respects welding is more of an art than a science. And it is an art that I see that is being lost to automation…. Ok… I will get off my soap box…… /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Gary

 

[Dargo]

Because I was welding outside at the time, I used my stick welder to weld some chain hooks on my bucket. Many people underestimate the strength of 6013 rods. Sure there are stronger rods, but it would take a lot to need them. I even used 6013 rods when welding some grab hooks on a 955 Cat I had. I never managed to bend them or break them off. And, I did get that 955 buried a few times. More than likely, you'd break something other than the hooks. Here is a pic of the weld on grab hooks welded with 6013 rods. They are welded to a 1/4" piece and in 2 years of yanking, I have not even bent one. Good luck!

 

[RonL]

Gary

Many years ago, in my youth, I worked in a huge factory that produced grinding wheels. There were steam and gas lines everywhere. The star of the maintenance department was the pipe welder. He drove around on an electric cart and occasionally towed the welder behind him. The welder plugged into a 480 volt twist lock receptacle. If I remember correctly, the welder had a 480 volt three phase motor that ran a DC generator. It always amazed me that they could weld up 4 inch gas lines.

RonL