Precautions while welding on tractor

[muddstopper]

Lot of weld already been laid on that bucket. Cant say much about the quality of the weld from pics, but it aint looking good. I am guessing the weld was just laid down on top of the metal without proper grinding. I would forget using the 140am mig and look for someone that has a 200+amp mig or a good stick welder to fix the crack. I would also drill the end of the crack, but certianly grind a good vee along the crack and then weld it up with multiple passes as I already described. I would also ping the weld with a hammer after each pass with the welder to take out some of the stress of the metal heating up and cooling off.

 

[Jorville]

View attachment 441948View attachment 441947I will post them tonight.

Here are the pictures of the backhoe bucket crack.

Those pictures show the crack at the high wear area of the bucket. The steel the teeth are welded to is not just mild steel like the rest of the bucket. The way I would do it is to vee out the crack. preheat the area to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and weld with 7018 electrode. And maintain the 400 degrees while welding. after it has cooled I would vee out the other side and repeat the process. As others have said, the welder you have is not the one for this job.

 

[CNC Dan]

I've only been welding a few weeks now. But I think the first thing I would do, is drill a hole at the end of each crack.

I just saw the pics, and came to the same conclusion.
And it may be hard to see the real end of the crack. Grinding the surface beyond where the crack seems to end, then applying some acetone, and wipeing the surface dry, may reveal the true end of the crack. There are kits that are made for crack detection that may work better.

 

[harlow89]

I agree that the welder is not up to the task. but for the best chance at proper penetration I would groove the crack on top and bottom and pre heat to a pretty high temp. I would also run the welder as hot as it can possibly go. but the next problem you will have is that you will most likely duty cycle the welder. When that happens make sure to put some more heat in it before you resume welding. good luck!!

 

[muddstopper]

Interesting that a temp of 400*F was mentioned for preheat. I like to use a propane weed burner and always try to get around 800*F when I preheat. Not sure why, probably because I read somewhere 600*F-800*F for preheating, But I might have dreamed that too. One of you pros want to say whats a proper preheat temp?

 

[muddstopper]

Interesting that a temp of 400*F was mentioned for preheat. I like to use a propane weed burner and always try to get around 800*F when I preheat. Not sure why, probably because I read somewhere 600*F-800*F for preheating, But I might have dreamed that too. One of you pros want to say whats a proper preheat temp?

A quick search found this;
Preheating Ferrous Metal for Welding
What is Preheat?
http://www.bocworldofwelding.com.au...brary-Preheating of materials-Consumables.pdf
And this one for cast iron, Guidelines for Welding Cast Iron

I guess I have been preheating a little hot, but it has worked for me. I do like the propane torch for perheating better than oxy/acet because it does heat a much wider area, and faster, than i can with the oxy/acet torch, and it cheaper than buying other gases.

 

[CrosbyFamilyFarm]

So what I've gathered is the following:

I don't have the right welder for the job.
A stick welder or 200+am mig welder would be the right tool.
I should ensure that when I do weld, I Vee notch the crack to ensure a proper weld.

Again. I'm a novice so sarcasm and jokes go right over my head. Whats everyone talking (joking?) about with the drilling of holes business? I couldn't tell because the winking face threw me off.

Can anyone suggest an affordable stick welder that would be appropriate for this job?

 

[k0ua]

So what I've gathered is the following:

I don't have the right welder for the job.
A stick welder or 200+am mig welder would be the right tool.
I should ensure that when I do weld, I Vee notch the crack to ensure a proper weld.

Again. I'm a novice so sarcasm and jokes go right over my head. Whats everyone talking (joking?) about with the drilling of holes business? I couldn't tell because the winking face threw me off.

Can anyone suggest an affordable stick welder that would be appropriate for this job?

They weren't kidding about drilling a hole at the end of the crack. This is a well known and practiced method of stopping crack propagation. It is used in metal, and even plastic like aircraft canopy's. I have seen several done in canopy's.

My little Everlast would make short work of that problem with proper prep.
Check out this crack problem in my old Kubota bucket.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/249487-oh-no-my-bucket-broken.html?highlight=

 

[flusher]

"Can anyone suggest an affordable stick welder that would be appropriate for this job?"

Hobart Stickmate LX AC/DC (220 VAC) stick welder. $500 or so at Tractor Supply.

Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/160 DC Stick Welder - For Life Out Here

If you've never stick welded, there's a learning curve that will take a while. Rule of thumb: you need to burn a 100 lb of stick to get proficient. Since you have MIG experience, learning stick should go a bit faster.

Good luck

 

[k0ua]

Here is the Everlast site. If you contact Mark here on this forum you can usually get a discount.