The Agony Of Defeat

[ray66v]

Yeah dont use a wire welder on something like this I tried to cheat and do a quick job, now it will take me twice as long because now I will have to grind it all down and start over!!! If I would have just took the time to use the sticke welder I would not be in the situation.

No, if you would have just taken the time to prepare the parts properly, i.e. proper beveling if necessary, and used some gentle preheat, you would not be in this mess. I don't mean to pile on. But, poor technique is not relevant to the equipment or materials used.

I would have probably used a stick. But, I could also have done it with your mig. You need to learn more about how to accomplish a strong weld and this is part of that. Don't be discouraged. We all went through the same process.

 

[Pennsylvania Weldor]

I'll ask the dumb question.

how do you know when you're using too much heat? (other than blowing holes)

Too much heat? Good question. Unfortunately, it's not a simple answer. Depends on the base material being welded, or, a combination of base materials. If you're welding 2 pieces of low carbon (mild steel) together, traditional methods (arc, mig) are fine to use. If welding 2 different grades (low carbon to high carbon), different techniques and possibly welding alloys can be different. Welding dissimilar materials? Tool grade? Stainless or Nickel alloys? The list goes on and on. Good technical answers can be found on the American Welding Society web site aws.com

Getting back to the original post. Most 3 pt hitch pins are made from high strength steel. Low carbon would possibly bend and wear quickly. High strength pins WILL be affected by the heat produced by arc or mig welding and possibly become brittle and FAIL.

Hope this answer helps.

 

[RonMar]

So this is what happens when you rush through a project and try and cut corners. After all the fabrication and welding the first use of the 2 point to 3 point conversion one of the welds broke off on the first dig in the ground.

So how about a closeup of the structure and weld that broke? I can't really see what is going on in this picture.

In my experience, things that break are usually due to the planning in the structure, not the weld process used to join them, unless it was of particularly inferior quality(poor wire, improper machine setup or poor tequnique), or as mentioned the inappropriate joining of dissimilar materials.

Most often it is as a result of a design that focuses the stresses at the point of failure, instead of providing multiple poad paths.

 

[ray66v]

So how about a closeup of the structure and weld that broke? I can't really see what is going on in this picture.

In my experience, things that break are usually due to the planning in the structure, not the weld process used to join them, unless it was of particularly inferior quality(poor wire, improper machine setup or poor tequnique), or as mentioned the inappropriate joining of dissimilar materials.

Most often it is as a result of a design that focuses the stresses at the point of failure, instead of providing multiple poad paths.

True, however if a weld is performed properly, it should be stronger the materials joined. This means the if the failure point is the weld, it is almost always result of a defect in the weld.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I would bet that the welder type had nothing to do with the break. Many factories assemble very heavy machinery with mig. If done properly, mig would have held.

 

[wushaw]

I would bet that the welder type had nothing to do with the break. Many factories assemble very heavy machinery with mig. If done properly, mig would have held.

This is my thought also.

If it's the Mig process that is bad then I'm screwed since that is what I use on 99% of my projects, I only use my stick just for fun and real thick stuff I care not to bevel.

 

[EddieWalker]

I would bet that the welder type had nothing to do with the break. Many factories assemble very heavy machinery with mig. If done properly, mig would have held.

There is nothing wrong with MIG welding or welders. The difference you run into with MIG welders is that it cost allot more money to get a MIG welder that is capable of welding the same thickness steel that an arc welder can handle easily.

I paid $200 for my AC/DC arc welder and can weld half inch steel easily with it. To get a MIG welder to weld half inch steel would require a very expensive welder. Not something that most home owners and do-it-yourselfers can afford.

Eddie

 

[rdbrumfield]

I use a wire feed and I haven't had any problems. Be sure to clean the metal of contaminates and don't try to lay down too big a pass. Sometimes it is good to preheat the metal with a torch. Not red hot, but enough to burn off any grease and oil.

 

[gemini5362]

ok my 2 cents worth. Actually probably more like a nickel. I have seen on discovery channel pictures of them welding the hulls together on ships and they used robot wire feed welders. I dont imagine you welding something that has more stress than a submarine. I have had job interviews years ago to work on offshore pipeline welding. I was to maintain wire welders that they used to weld sections of 12 inch pipe together which was then lowered to the ocean floor. Those welds had to hold the weight of several pieces of 12 inch pipe together.

I have had a couple of welds fail with my mig welder one of the ones that suprised me most was a pretty simple weld. It was so simple I did not do a good job of preparing the metal. I wont make that mistake again. Luckily it was for tab holding my ramps on to my trailer and the strap that was holding them in place kept them from falling off. I agree with a lot of the other posters here. Other than personal preference the major difference in welding with a mig welder and a stick welder is the cost to get the same amperage unit.

 

[warburtonplayer]

Ok so an update I am going to grind everything off and start over and have one of my friends use a stick welder on it. I ground down the one side yesterday nice and smooth cleaned it all up and then re welded the pin on. I followed all proper welding proceedures and guess what as soon as I got the tiller working and in the ground the force from the tiller in the ground broke the same weld again!!!!! I am going to re design somethin to brace it up maybe cut the front of the tiller off and build a new braket because once the tiller starts to move it just snaps the pin right off. i will post new pictures this weekend when i get it done..