Could use some counsel

[1 of U]

you are welding up a trenching bucket out of 1/8" material !!
what are you using this bucket on ,, anyway ??

 

[user.69169]

Arrow, If you want to keep going with the stick you could try taking a piece of 1/8" welding wire that you would use for torch welding and lay it or tack it in the gap then weld it up with a zig-zag motion across the joint. Once it's closed up grind out the other side just enough to clean it up and weld that side.

Dat's called doin a Kaiser, or on one wannabe site "STIG". Got de name because Kaiser had many poor fitups on keel of Liberty class hulls. Management took Anything Goes path because Libertys were considered 1 trip hulls and largely welded out by cheap inexperienced stinger drivers. Resultin welds sunk a good number of Libertys. "Stig" variant is feeding additional rod into arc pool of stick weld from second rod. Might get you out of trouble but more likely to get you in more trouble.

Best course of action dis point is to add tacks between existing tacks and den skip weld if MIG ain't available. Dat will also cut warpage potential by moving around on de job. Start one end and keep going to other end you likely hear BOING when something distorts.

 

[arrow]

If you are going to use wire feed welder to finish up, just skip the stick part and go to MIG now....

Dale

Don't have it yet. My understanding is someone is providing a Christmas gift.

 

[arrow]

Arrow, If you want to keep going with the stick you could try taking a piece of 1/8" welding wire that you would use for torch welding and lay it or tack it in the gap then weld it up with a zig-zag motion across the joint. Once it's closed up grind out the other side just enough to clean it up and weld that side.

I solved the gap problem by moving ground along clamped strap and switching polarity to dcen. Filled in gap w no burn through. 7014 @ 100 amps den.
Thanks Gordon. Will consider your technique if I screw up fitment as i did this time.

 

[arrow]

you are welding up a trenching bucket out of 1/8" material !!
what are you using this bucket on ,, anyway ??

No. Sides are 1/4". Only bucket bottom and back are 1/8" Bucket welded to quick attach backing plate along with additional wear straps on bottom couples with a 6"x 1/2" thick cutting edge, the 1/8" steel should not be an issue. Bucket is 14" wide.

 

[Sebculb]

I tried 3/32 6013 at 70 amps and that's still too hot.

I don't want to be rude but that's not the stick welders fault. 3/32 at 70 amps will weld metal 1.2mm thick all day if you're careful. That's less than 1/16" thick.

Just work on quick stitches, and keep your spark small, etc. If you have a big gap build up one side of the metal until the gap closes a little. The bigger the gap the longer the spark and its hotter and burns holes.

Can you tack it in a few places and "adjust" the gap with a hammer?

 

[Sebculb]

Gee... I guess (removed) said all the same stuff several posts earlier...

 

[arrow]

I don't want to be rude but that's not the stick welders fault. 3/32 at 70 amps will weld metal 1.2mm thick all day if you're careful. That's less than 1/16" thick.

Just work on quick stitches, and keep your spark small, etc. If you have a big gap build up one side of the metal until the gap closes a little. The bigger the gap the longer the spark and its hotter and burns holes.

Can you tack it in a few places and "adjust" the gap with a hammer?

It could be. Read out was fluctuating all over the place. It could have also been lying to me and not telling me what the actual amperage was. Trust me, the rod was burning very hot at the alleged 70 amps. Went back to 40 amps but it wouldn't light.
If this were a $1700 Esab, then yes, I take all responsibility.

Problem has been solved anyway. Since it appears you have not read the entire thread and perhaps for your own future reference, I used 1/8" 7014 on dcen at an alleged 100 amps on a traveling ground clamped strap to mitigate the gap problem.
Thanks for your input.

 

[user.69169]

Maybe machine just readin out in Manderin and you misunderstood.

OK, just in case you ain't yet, hunt up some flat car spring for cuttin edges and cheeks along wid heal protection. Dat steel is about same as High Speed cutting tool material and lasts. Renosed a lot of rototiller tines wd it and yet got to have one come back wore down much.
Welds on real good wid E-70-s6 wire or probably 7014 too.

 

[Furu]

My aunt was a WW2 welder. She's 97 now. While visiting with us about 5 yrs ago, she crept up behind me as I was welding and said "from the sound of it, you're running a bit cold".
She was a wealth of info and I learned something about her that I never knew in about 45 yrs of knowing her.

Now that is a cool story. Bet she is a hoot to talk with.