Quick welding question

[MadDog]

In connection with my log splitter project, I'd really appreciate some input from any welding gurus:

I am using a 5" cylinder which can generate up to 60,000# of ramforce so I want the cylinder anchor welds to be as strong as possible.

My beam being 8x8 and the cylinder cross tube almost 6" there won't be sufficient room to weld all around the vertical anchors (each 1" thick) if I weld them directly to the beam. I have therefore made a base for them out of 1/2" plate 8"x10" and will weld that to the upper flange of the beam. That will allow me to do a pretty burly fillet weld all around each of the anchors (after grinding a small bevel around the base of each anchor to get better penetration).

I'm planning to weld the baseplate to the beam with fillet welds across the width of the beam and, underneath, running along both edges of the beam so I'll have some 32" of fillet weld around all four edges of the baseplate.

Here's the question; would it be a good idea to drill a few holes in the base plate (inside of where the anchors will be attached) so that I can weld the middle of the baseplate to the beam with plug welds? If I do that, what size holes should I drill for the plug welds? I have an anular cutter bit that will do 7/8" holes if something that large is needed, or I can drill 1/2" holes with a normal bit. Lastly, how many plug welds would you do?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[3RRL]

Could you post a sketch of how you propose to do the mounts? There might be a way to weld "capturing" bars on the beam so you can slide the cylinder in and out for service but the actual cylinder mounts would then be captured by these bars.

 

[MadReferee]

I don't think the plug welds are necessary.

However, I would ask over on the Hobart welders forum or the Miller Motorsports welding forum . There have been several wood splitter projects mentioned there over the past few years and some of the professional welders over there will have a more accurate answer for you.

Try the Miller board first then the Hobart one. Welding questions like this will always be answered quicker and more accurately by people who really know what they are doing over at one of the welding fourms.

 

[bobodu]

Probably more important than welding area is what you are doing the welding with.I greatly prefer a stick with 60xx for anything heavy than any MIG that I have access to.Unfortunately,the big MIG we had left when the owner built a barn /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
I think with a six inch cylinder,any log will yeild before your welds do!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MadDog]

Rob: They mount very much like a tie-rod cylinder except that instead of fitting the tie forks around a single anchor and running a pin through the anchor and holes in the forks, you place two anchors at either end of the cross tube and run the pin through all three. Here's a link to the cylinder that will make it clearer than my explanation:

cross tube cylinder

The cylinder simply rides between the cylinder anchor at the rear and the rod anchor (also a cross tube) at the front. There won't be any need to remove it under normal conditions although it will be possible to remove it by simply removing the retaining pins, removing the steel rod through the anchors and cross tubes and lifting the cylinder out.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like you already know allot more about welding than I do, so I'm no help there. One thing that you might consider if your trying to make it as bullet proof as possible would be to put some grade 8 bolts in those holes your thinking about drilling and welding.

Bolts will provide a different type of bond to the metal. With both combined, it shoud never, ever move on you!!!! Just torque them down to the rediculouse level and your done.

Eddie

 

[MadDog]

Thanks,MadRef: I'll take a look over on those links. I posted the same question on the AWS forum, where I was already registered, but so far no response.

I tend to agree that plug welds probably aren't necessary, since a good weld should have tensile strength of some 60,000# per square inch of fusion. But, since I am not too confident in the quality of my welds, I thought that it might provide an extra margin of safety. It's not much extra work to drill the holes for some plug welds. Is there any respect in which it could hurt?

 

[cleatus]

You could root weld with 60xx and then finish with 7018 for more strength.

 

[bigtater]

or go over the 6010 with a 7024

 

[gsganzer]

Pre-heat the metal and weld it with 7018. 7018 is a fairly easy rod to use and is the rod of choice for most structural welding, like pressure vessels, piping etc.