I need to weld some rail road track together. We use it at the gravel pit I work at to scalp off bigger stone before it goes to the crusher. I ended up snapping one in half the other day when moving the grizzly around. Google search produced either I need to thermite weld it, or 11018, or 309-L. I only have an ac Lincoln buzz box. I’m confident in my ability to deep v out the grove and go with a 6011 root and filet weld the rest, but which rod?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mB9FeTJlb_I
This is what we’re using. Ours is home built with the slanted bars being the rail road track.
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noddybrian
- noddybrian
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Eutectic make a high manganese rod specific to welding / build up of rail track but it's crazy expensive - I think you could justify the price if the track was in service but for your application ordinary 7018 will work fine - good V prep to achieve fusion through the full thickness & a little pre-heat will get it done.
noddybrian
- noddybrian
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Hard one to call for me as in the UK I have never heard of it being used let alone seen any - my view is that while stronger in tensile strength alone the 11018 will be much harder & less forgiving with regards to impact / bending stresses such as the grizzly bars are subject to so while in theory stronger I would expect them to be prone to cracking - rail will do this especially in cold weather & I think it's related to that why the designated rod has other alloying elements - I would say this is a laymans term explanation based on experience - I welded a bunch of stuff over the years on mining equipment & generally a sound weld with 7018 holds up well - I would also say I'd try it first as it's cheap & easy & you likely have some already - the worst can happen is it breaks & that won't hurt anyone - maybe just a bit of production - there are a couple of guys here that weld heavy equipment that will hopefully chime in when they get a chance.
Welp... Helluva first post.
Railroad track is a high manganese content, and a large majority of it is 1080. 6011 isn't something I'd want to use, personally. I'd go with 309-15 if you're worried about trapping slag deep in your V. Or a solid 7018 weld should work well too. The biggest thing here is avoiding cracking, which you can probably do best by letting your work cool between passes. Manganese also puts off a nasty fume when you weld it, so I'd wear a respirator.
Railroad track is a high manganese content, and a large majority of it is 1080. 6011 isn't something I'd want to use, personally. I'd go with 309-15 if you're worried about trapping slag deep in your V. Or a solid 7018 weld should work well too. The biggest thing here is avoiding cracking, which you can probably do best by letting your work cool between passes. Manganese also puts off a nasty fume when you weld it, so I'd wear a respirator.
Sean
Bill Beauregard
- Bill Beauregard
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It's a different function, but the local farm store is framed in large part with two tracks laid top to top. The old gent who once owned it was CHEAP. He could always scrounge old track from the railroad. His technique was to start at one end with rounded top surfaces gapped a good 3/8" he'd start at one end welding about 5" lengthways, and skipping 8". He had a monster Marquette tap welder AC only. Each weld was done both sides before moving. All they ever had was 5/32 6011 rod.Working from one end he maintained a good preheat as he progressed.
Some of these fabricated I beams have been in service 90 years.
Some of these fabricated I beams have been in service 90 years.
Popeye the old miner
- Popeye the old miner
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Ive worked on what we call a grizzly back home in the mines, I'm thinkin its the same thing you are workin on, just a big ol screen made out of rails set up on legs with a bit of pitch.
When ours would break and this was on a regular basis even with new rails, I would cut fish plates out of 1/2 inch plate that would fit between the underside of the top of the rail and the top of the foot, pretty tight against the web. Preheat it and weld it all except for the ends going up the inside of it as it would break there next time.. I used 7018 1/8 inch, sometimes 5/32 if I was out of 1/8 inch. Hope this helps you out.
Popeye
When ours would break and this was on a regular basis even with new rails, I would cut fish plates out of 1/2 inch plate that would fit between the underside of the top of the rail and the top of the foot, pretty tight against the web. Preheat it and weld it all except for the ends going up the inside of it as it would break there next time.. I used 7018 1/8 inch, sometimes 5/32 if I was out of 1/8 inch. Hope this helps you out.
Popeye
Not sure that you want to get this deep into it but the railroads use thermite for welding rail together. Not in that part of the rail industry but I've seen it done. Lots to it. Google "welding railroad rail with thermite" for more. Here's a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uxsFglz2ig of the process.
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
Terry
There's only one way to find out. Might as well get started now...
There's only one way to find out. Might as well get started now...