k0ua
Epic Contributor
A good accurate AR is a lot of fun, but I have a couple of Ruger .22 pistols that are tack drivers too.. I wish you could come out. yep I believe we would have a lot of fun.
Welding Rods for beginners
- Thread starter daugen
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A good accurate AR is a lot of fun, but I have a couple of Ruger .22 pistols that are tack drivers too.. I wish you could come out. yep I believe we would have a lot of fun.
dragoneggs
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Count me in... now back to welding?
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Yep, just waiting for Daugen to get back with some more pix and a report on his progress. I can commiserate with welding in the heat though. By the time you get your leathers and welding sleeves on in 100 degree heat, it takes a lot of the "sap" out of you! I am pretty curious how he is progressing.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Another benefit of tig welding.
Heavy leathers optional as there is no spatter to burn your forearms
k0ua
Epic Contributor
And it is hard to beat TIG for control and precision. No smoke either, and you can weld inside in the air conditioning. :thumbsup:
OP
daugen
Epic Contributor
thanks guys, trying to find where I put the camera down...
pics later
some of it is pretty ugly
some is respectable though I probably used four rods when I needed half of one
already 100 heat index out now, tomorrow morning I hope
Drew
pics later
some of it is pretty ugly
some is respectable though I probably used four rods when I needed half of one
already 100 heat index out now, tomorrow morning I hope
Drew
OP
daugen
Epic Contributor
started at 7am this morning and by noon I had one piece welded...no one is ever going to hire me to do this 
of course I had to do everything three or four times, but persistence paid off.
Made a small patch for the one hole I could not cover otherwise, and I'll weld that tomorrow.
The first picture I believe should win a prize as world's ugliest weld. I mean, it's really ugly...takes a lot of talent to get something to look that bad!
Surprisingly there was some penetration under that glop. Gosh did I grind and grind...but I had more fun doing this because I was using a 1/8 7014 rod instead of 3/32
and it definitely ran easier for me, about 94 amps. And I sucked it up and grabbed the rod with my glove and that did help; definitely harder for me to control a full length rod.
By the third or fourth time I was actually pushing a puddle back and forth. It may not be pretty but this steel isn't going anywhere.
The outside weld was a lot easier than the inside one, not helped due to some gapping due a bent deck. I clamped it in as best as I could but...
The inside weld is too ugly to leave, I'll do it again tomorrow morning, but the heat index was 114 when I stopped.
the hardest part will be getting the bent/ripped deck portion in alignment but I wanted the main support piece in place before I started bending things.
Lots more to do.
the overlay metal is not super thick so I have to be careful with that tomorrow.
of course I had to do everything three or four times, but persistence paid off.
Made a small patch for the one hole I could not cover otherwise, and I'll weld that tomorrow.
The first picture I believe should win a prize as world's ugliest weld. I mean, it's really ugly...takes a lot of talent to get something to look that bad!
Surprisingly there was some penetration under that glop. Gosh did I grind and grind...but I had more fun doing this because I was using a 1/8 7014 rod instead of 3/32
and it definitely ran easier for me, about 94 amps. And I sucked it up and grabbed the rod with my glove and that did help; definitely harder for me to control a full length rod.
By the third or fourth time I was actually pushing a puddle back and forth. It may not be pretty but this steel isn't going anywhere.
The outside weld was a lot easier than the inside one, not helped due to some gapping due a bent deck. I clamped it in as best as I could but...
The inside weld is too ugly to leave, I'll do it again tomorrow morning, but the heat index was 114 when I stopped.
the hardest part will be getting the bent/ripped deck portion in alignment but I wanted the main support piece in place before I started bending things.
Lots more to do.
the overlay metal is not super thick so I have to be careful with that tomorrow.
Attachments
newbury
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Drew - like others wrote, drop down to 1/16th rod. I had the same problem with my welding on my mower deck. I kept blowing holes through it until I got some 1/16 and ran my Everlast 300 almost as low as it would go.
With thicker rod and more amps I'd start to get a good weld then whoops, blow a hole.
I practiced just making a stack of dimes on 10 gauge metal. First try it too cold, then crank it up, blow some holes and back it down a bit.
Praise to angle grinders.
With thicker rod and more amps I'd start to get a good weld then whoops, blow a hole.
I practiced just making a stack of dimes on 10 gauge metal. First try it too cold, then crank it up, blow some holes and back it down a bit.
Praise to angle grinders.
OP
daugen
Epic Contributor
When i ran the heavier rod I knew I could not dig into the mower deck itself very much, concentrating more on the overlay piece.
Which is probably why I have that mosaic of slag all down that weld, which interestingly seems a shade of blue in the light.
I had used two smaller rods first, to be careful, and they just weren't doing it. So I switched up one size and ten amps and that helped.
When just welding that lighter weight overlay metal, I think I'll get some of that 1/16 rod first and try it.
Which is probably why I have that mosaic of slag all down that weld, which interestingly seems a shade of blue in the light.
I had used two smaller rods first, to be careful, and they just weren't doing it. So I switched up one size and ten amps and that helped.
When just welding that lighter weight overlay metal, I think I'll get some of that 1/16 rod first and try it.
OP
daugen
Epic Contributor
Am off to go redo my "blue" weld.
I think I have shocked some of you speechless with such bad welding.
Truly an issue of turning :confused3: into :thumbsup:
Think I might make that one patch bigger. The whole area is in poor condition; thinking of getting the edge of the patch into safer territory.
So how does one make a patch look nice? ...not going to happen. I suppose grinding down the edges a bit would help.
I think I have shocked some of you speechless with such bad welding.
Truly an issue of turning :confused3: into :thumbsup:
Think I might make that one patch bigger. The whole area is in poor condition; thinking of getting the edge of the patch into safer territory.
So how does one make a patch look nice? ...not going to happen. I suppose grinding down the edges a bit would help.
Spanner
Veteran Member
That's what i was suggesting above. Plate-over the weak/thin areas and weld to more consistant thickness steel.
Appearance? Don't grind it much. Leave it 'obvious' and solid-looking. It's a mower not a Michalengelo.
Appearance? Don't grind it much. Leave it 'obvious' and solid-looking. It's a mower not a Michalengelo.
square1
Veteran Member
I can run uglier welds than that with both eyes open and no hands tied behind my back!
LD1
Epic Contributor
I sometimes forget to turn on the mig gas.
Hey, think of it this way....all those holes....
IF you ever do get any more stress cracks, the holes will keep it from spreading further
Hey, think of it this way....all those holes....
IF you ever do get any more stress cracks, the holes will keep it from spreading further
cabover4us
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My best friend that I run team with, we occasionally get into purchasing wars, the last one being on the New York State Thruway around Buffalo. We were buying 110volt buzz boxes, he bought a Hobart 140 with argon and I a Lincoln 140 with the same. Can't cut metal with looking at it, so also purchased a Lotos 8000 plazma cutter, he bought a 6060. All this stuff arrived, I like him standing there looking at the boxes wondering, what do we do now? New automatic helmet was nice addition, works incredibly well. Done a few projects so far as with Scott, the latest being making new backhoe mounts for my 855 john deere, the mounts are unavailable, thank you john deere. So, brother in law traced my mounts as templates, we cut them out, just tacked them last week, finish welds this week. Some more drilling of main frame brackets to accept large steel pins. Have enough steel left over to make two more, probably wait for cold weather for those other two. Not a welder, just a guy learning as I go
PJSprog
Elite Member
I think that probably describes most of us here.
Deere Dude
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I can't count the number of welds I did that seemed pretty nice but I missed the seam totally. Big puddles are my friend.
Big Barn
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Don't be afraid to readjust your helmet settings (if variable) and reposition your HEAD (angle of viewing).
Also you could tell your friends the welding arc revealed "hairline cracks" not visible to the naked eye and you thought it best to deal with them before they got worse.
Terry
lilranch2001
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I know it's been said a hundred + times on different threads, but a basic welding class at your local vocational school is worth every penny spent on it
Big Barn
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An excellent option but it depends on your area. The ONLY introductory welding classes available where I live is offered at our vocational college.
Priced at $795 for 30 hours of instruction for any ONE process. MIG, SMAW (stick) OR TIG. A little too pricey for fixed income seniors like myself.
Try to find a competent welder that's willing to spend a little "one on one time" to get you started in the right direction. Shield Arc and others have mentioned this before.
YouTube is another option although I am hesitant to suggest it as there is so much BAD info out there. Welding Tips and Tricks is my favorite. I've learned more from watching Jody in two years than almost 50 years of welding on the farm.
Terry
lilranch2001
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Yea I suppose so...
I think I paid $45.00. 40 years ago for my vocational basic class and it was worth like I said every penny of it
The teacher was a drunk at the time but he was also an ex ironworker that could weld virtually anything even a drunk state and I learned in immense amount of knowledge from him and went on to become a very good welder for a construction company.
I think I paid $45.00. 40 years ago for my vocational basic class and it was worth like I said every penny of it
The teacher was a drunk at the time but he was also an ex ironworker that could weld virtually anything even a drunk state and I learned in immense amount of knowledge from him and went on to become a very good welder for a construction company.
