Now I have really gone and done it

[Rara Avis]

So, as a novice. What is wrong with these welds? Just so I have something to take back to the guys for future stuff....

The other thing you want from them is a description of which welds they performed...

So this is overboard...
They might decide to rebill you less...

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Carl,

They are just basically sloppy welds. I would go back to the owner with either the machine or your pics. I would give him open ended questions like this- "What do you think of these welds?" And, "How would you feel about paying 7+ hours labor for this job?" You can point to some factory welds and tell him that this is what a weld should look like. It looks like they stick welded it and it is obviously an amateur vertical stick weld. If I did a weld that sloppy, I would at least have ground it down so you wouldn't see it thru the paint.
Also, look at your last picture. The steel they welded on looks crooked when you eye it up to the rod on the steering cylinder.

 

[J_J]

Toy, You could be right. Maybe plugs would work better. I don't have a hydraulic schematic, to know if the cylinders are series or parallel. I believe one cylinder is pushing while the other cylinder is pulling. This can be tested by unhooking the two cylinders mounts toward the front of the machine and turning the steering wheel, to see the action of the cylinders.

 

[Blagadan]

Sloppy weld for sure. Whoever did that weld needs more practise with his 'vertical up'... I second the suggestion to go back to the owner and show him the work his guys are turning out...

I also would prefer to have the welds ground down flush with the surface and painted over. Even considering the resale value of your machine, if I were a prospective buyer, i would steer clear if I saw that weld. Its a bit of a frankenstein job.

If that were my machine and I had to repair it myself, I would have welded in the piece that tore out and then welded a thick plate over that patch to reinforce the mount (on both sides). That seems to be a weak point in the design. No harm in strengthening it up.

 

[Blagadan]

(Deleted double post)

 

[woodlandfarms]

Wow, thanks for all the info and for getting me more depressed i got ripped ;-) Not enough that I can't get a job to pay for this stuff but what i got was junk ;-)

So, questions...

Paul, yeah, the pictures are good (But what does WTF in the bottom photos stand for) but the bottom stuff makes my head spin. I had flashbacks to high-school trig and nearly freaked out...

blagadan. I was pondering a plate on the front as well but was worried about messing with the geometry on the steering.

So, I have a grinder. Could I grinde these down myself or am I asking for trouble?

It is clear I need to get a trailer. the only reason I go to these guys is because I have no trailer, they are the only game in town, and It takes me 15 minutes to drive my tractor to them.

Also, I should just take a welding class. For the $500 I spent I could have gone to the local college and got me some edumacation.

Not to defend these guys, cause I agree this was kinda crap, but they are forestry weld guys. big things come in that get wrecked daily and I don't think good looking has ever been part of their thought process. More like get it fixed, make it strong and get it out.

 

[Blagadan]

blagadan. I was pondering a plate on the front as well but was worried about messing with the geometry on the steering.

Yeah, you'd have to put a reinforcing plate on both sides (both rams), one on each side of the machine. Wouldn't affect the geometry.
Might be a bit OTT but hey...

 

[ponytug]

Aesthetically, the vertical surface welds leave a lot to be desired; in fact, the one under the clevis looks suspect.

I don't see the plasma cuter holes that were rewelded, but I believe you that they are there.

However, the plate behind it is definitely over the top, and the weld on it looks OK. Provided the plasma cutter holes were rewelded reasonably, I don't see that this is going to fail. It is mega-beefy. I can imagine that they normally do big forestry stuff, and I bet they are used to fixing manufacturing defects.

With all of this added strength, you'll probably rip the hydraulic tank open, now that it is the weak link in the system. Seriously, I don't think you will revisit this repair.

Hmmm. Tradeoff: rip tank open or rip cylinder loose from frame... Votes?

Carl: I think you meant WFS? WFS: "Wire Feed Speed" An important variable in MIG welding...

All the best,

Peter

P.S. Paul: great welding chart!

 

[Rara Avis]

Wow, thanks for all the info and for getting me more depressed i got ripped ;-) Not enough that I can't get a job to pay for this stuff but what i got was junk ;-)

So, questions...

Paul, yeah, the pictures are good (But what does WTF in the bottom photos stand for) but the bottom stuff makes my head spin. I had flashbacks to high-school trig and nearly freaked out...

If you were looking at a layout sheet with the specifications for a commercial weld...That form would be filled in with data related to the weld to be performed...

 

[MossRoad]

Not to defend these guys, cause I agree this was kinda crap, but they are forestry weld guys. big things come in that get wrecked daily and I don't think good looking has ever been part of their thought process. More like get it fixed, make it strong and get it out.

Well, a couple things come to mind. If you do not say anything to the owner of the shop, he may never know what the quality of the work was and you will be left feeling "ripped". On the other hand, if you complain too loudly, perhaps they will be reluctant to do emergency work for you in the future. That call is up to you, as you see fit.

It looks like you realize the value of getting it back in service as soon as possible. The machine functions correctly and the repair will hold for a long time. Get those welding classes, or at least grab some scrap steel and start running practice pads of bead after bead at different settings until you feel comfortable with the welds and judging what works best for different thicknesses and types of steel, angles of the weld, etc...

I do not do enough welding to be great at it. But I do enough to get things done to my satisfaction. I have an old Sears AC/DC arc welder.

I usually use DC.

I usually use 6011 rods. 6011 works for both AC and DC, penetrates well and is forgiving on dirty metals. Also, it is easy to store in a sealed container with a desicant gell pack or two. Keep it dry and it lasts forever. But, it ain't pretty.

I also use 6013 rods for thinner stuff and pretty stuff. They store well, too.

Both of those rods will get most folks by for repair work and fabrication at home. They work in any position, which is important if you cannot get the work piece to a flat position.

I would also like to get a wire feed welder, but haven't been able to justify the cost, yet. My arc welder gets the job done, it is just takes longer.