Welding repair to Bush Hog question ????

[brin]

I hit something with my bush hog and it caused a 1/8th to 1/4 inch split on each side of and on the front of the Bush Hog deck ...each split about 6 inches long...I am going to weld and fill the gap...

My questions are...do I have to take the bush hog off the tractor before I mig weld the bush hog ? Will I ruin the electrical system on the tractor by leaving the bush hog on....? It will be easier to leave it on since I can raise it up to waist high and not have to get down on the ground...Do I have to disconnect the battery...?

Next question....I have some 1/8 inch thick by 1/2 inch wide strip of steel plate about 3 ft. long...would I be better off welding a piece of this on each split on the bush hog deck or just welding the split...??

Thanks in advance...I don't want to make any expensive mistakes here

 

[E/S]

I have no problems welding on attachments still connected to the tractor, just keep the ground near the welds.
I prefer to put strips over cracks, more welding surface and less stress on the metal.
Good luck

E/S

 

[brin]

I have no problems welding on attachments still connected to the tractor, just keep the ground near the welds.
I prefer to put strips over cracks, more welding surface and less stress on the metal.
Good luck

E/S

Thanks E/S I appreciate the help...

 

[Shield Arc]

I would drill a hole at each end of the cracks. Start your weld on one of the holes, weld to the center of the crack. Feather out that stop with your grinder, start at the other drilled hole and weld to the first weld's stop. Be sure to fill the crater full.

 

[k0ua]

Hi Bob, be sure to clean the splits really well, Grinder/flap wheel/wire wheel. be sure to clean the inside too if possible, you don't need the fire and smoke from the hot dried grass on the inside.. As you know MIG welds really need clean metal. All welding process profit from clean metal, but stick with some 6011 is more forgiving of the dirt, paint and rust. I would drill the holes at the end of the crack and weld like shield arc mentioned, but I would also probably put a scab plate (the metal strips you mentioned ) over it too, Cant hurt and will help reinforce what is probably a weak area to begin with.

Just make sure you grind a nice shiny place to clamp the ground real close to the weld areas and I think you will be fine.. Be safe and have fun. Take pictures!

 

[brin]

I would drill a hole at each end of the cracks. Start your weld on one of the holes, weld to the center of the crack. Feather out that stop with your grinder, start at the other drilled hole and weld to the first weld's stop. Be sure to fill the crater full.

Hi Bob, be sure to clean the splits really well, Grinder/flap wheel/wire wheel. be sure to clean the inside too if possible, you don't need the fire and smoke from the hot dried grass on the inside.. As you know MIG welds really need clean metal. All welding process profit from clean metal, but stick with some 6011 is more forgiving of the dirt, paint and rust. I would drill the holes at the end of the crack and weld like shield arc mentioned, but I would also probably put a scab plate (the metal strips you mentioned ) over it too, Cant hurt and will help reinforce what is probably a weak area to begin with.

Just make sure you grind a nice shiny place to clamp the ground real close to the weld areas and I think you will be fine.. Be safe and have fun. Take pictures!

Thanks, You guys are great....this makes me feel like I have a fighting chance of making this work...remember my only projects up until now with the mig was to fix my sons Rake and a shovel I had...I know this is small to you fellas but I am really looking forward to fixing this bush hog....I told my Mrs. I could buy the welder for what a welding service would charge me to weld the bush hog...I want to prove I was right...the Mig welder...barely used cost me $100.00 & I am sure a prof. welder would charge that much or more to fix this bush hog...? Am I right ? I don't want to mislead the Mrs...

Thanks again guys..

 

[Shield Arc]

If you're going to add the plates, radius the ends of the plates, or cut them to a point. Don't leave them with 90-degree corners!

 

[CNC Dan]

is this a crack, or a gash?

DO put the ground clamp on the deck, and you will be fine.

DON'T put the ground clamp on the tractors front end.

 

[woodlandfarms]

If you're going to add the plates, radius the ends of the plates, or cut them to a point. Don't leave them with 90-degree corners!

Just learning, why? I am assuming stress point but I had something professionally patched and it was the same deal, round ends.

 

[Shield Arc]

Yes to help prevent stress risers. If you look at almost any fish plate on equipment, or doubler plates under pad eyes the corners usually have a radius, or oval, or diamond shaped. Just a good practice to get in to, to curb problems later down the road.
Stress concentration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[k0ua]

The things we learn here... so that is why aircraft windows have rounded corners..

 

[k0ua]

The article is about a fellows fatigue crack " war" with his aircraft, but it is really worth a read. I learned a bunch in 5 minutes.

When Metal Lets Us Down - AVweb Features Article

 

[k0ua]

Oh, and that article probably helps explain why we have to keep torquing loader and wheel bolts several times.. it is the darn paint they put on things.. sheesh.

 

[Arc weld]

It would help if you could post some pictures of where it cracked. If the deck is knocked out of alignment, it may require more than just welding the cracks up.

 

[dragoneggs]

I would drill a hole at each end of the cracks. Start your weld on one of the holes, weld to the center of the crack. Feather out that stop with your grinder, start at the other drilled hole and weld to the first weld's stop. Be sure to fill the crater full.

Absolutely great advice regarding the drilling of a hole at the end of the crack to stop the crack growth!!!

 

[Texasmark]

I have had problems with reliability on all welds I have made to decks of my mowers unless I covered the cracks with a plate. The additional thickness and weld fillet along the interface seam works for me. Seems the vibration that overstressed the steel and caused cracking is still there and just recracks along the weld if you just weld the crack.

I'm not a professional and only weld for myself. The pro comments make it a pro job and really nice. I don't do the hole drilling nor radiusing of the corners, like I probably would do if the repair was for someone else. I do just enough to get by if it works. Oh and my work looks like the effort I put into it. No brag, just fact. But most of my stuff is half a century old and I wouldn't want the repair to outshine the implement. Grin

Mark

 

[k0ua]

Bob, how you coming on that repair?

 

[brin]

Bob, how you coming on that repair?

James...I can't do it until this weekend...but thanks to all you guys I will have a fighting chance of getting it right...I will try and take pictures of before and after...It is OK to laugh at my welds...remember so far I have only fixed a rake and a shovel....LOL

Thanks to all of you for the help...I have made notes and Arc Weld ...when I hit the log it just shook the bush hog and then I noticed the two splits one on each side on the top of the mower deck...so it did not knock it out of alignment since I have used it a whole season...last yr. since that happened...and it worked fine...I just know the next time I hit something ...if I don't fix this , the splits will probably get worse...

 

[k0ua]

Yes, as you know, it is always best to fix problems when they are small. If we all followed that advice, our lives would be a lot simpler.

 

[Shield Arc]

It is OK to laugh at my welds.

I don't think anybody is going to laugh:irked:, nobody is born with a golden arm! We all had to start somewhere.

What wire are you going to use? I've been very impressed with Lincoln's L-56 Mig wire.