Welding Tips and Tricks

Rick_H, your work is always inspiring and something to aspire for

Here's a stupid little one. Just a .25 shaft with a 4142 drive gizmo on the end. No filler, fusion, 30 amps. Shaft is hard high carbon. I used to braze these. Last about a year. We'll see how this fairs. I'll temper at 500 to keep the end tough. It's a Flintstonish drive coupler from a detachable hopper.
Sorry for wasting your time. I'll try to get something cool someday.

No apologies necessary. Everyone's experience is different and therefore everyone has something to bring to the table that we can learn from. Even these little "gizmos" are of interest and a point of discussion.
I certainly would be interested to know how it fares. I personally think the weld, without filler, will be weak and break sooner than later. Keep us posted!

Thanks! I had a piece of 309 in my hand but didn't use it after I saw the puddle. I'll tell you one thing. This was easier than brazing. I tried a similar piece first at 40 amps and melted it to a ball. I'm getting used to it.

nelson wrote: I'll try to get something cool someday.

To me it's cool when you have the ability to make the thing you need instead of buying it.
I welded some tabs on a piece of sheet metal to make a shroud for a window mount a/c unit. How's that for boring?

I have an entry in the What I Welded Today 'Boring' category that I feel might rival Maker's previous post.

I do a lot of voice work, often on the run using a portable microphone. I recently added a 'popper stopper' wind sock to help stop explosive 'P' and 'T' sounds getting through and peaking the mic.

Needed a stand for it. Built this from scrap 3mm aluminium. It was old, oil-soaked aluminium that had been left outside, and yes, it misbehaved badly. Got it done in the end though just cleaning and cleaning again. Not pretty, but it works.


Kym

Working on a conveyor the last several days. I'm still an apprentice, but I guess I'm moving up? Three months ago I was working on the laser, fetching material and putting shop stickers on parts.

NICE work, Fredy!

Beautiful to look at.


Kym

It was getting late and I didn't want to fill out all the paperwork to weld in an explosion proof environment not counting dragging all my safety gear. So I measured it all up and fabbed it all up in my small office/satellite shop in the a/c (damn it's been hot).

Fun times as you can see..lol

You need a longer and higher shop
Nice work as always.
Did you get it out after you built it?

MosquitoMoto wrote: I do a lot of voice work

Now when I read your posts you sound like Troy McClure in my head.

ex framie wrote:You need a longer and higher shop
Nice work as always.
Did you get it out after you built it?

Yeah it made it out..lol Ceiling in that room is 18', and it has a/c....lol Main shop was hot as hell..hehe

Rick_H wrote:

ex framie wrote:You need a longer and higher shop
Nice work as always.
Did you get it out after you built it?

Yeah it made it out..lol Ceiling in that room is 18', and it has a/c....lol Main shop was hot as hell..hehe

Hey Rick, question...I know you don't use filler when you do sanitary welds but I notice that from not using filler, the weld is a bit sunken in. Do you grind and polish that out? I remember a post you made awhile back about a belt sanding attachment for a grinder that helps you polish your welds.Whats the actual procedure? Also, did you ever get any of that flux cored SS rod that Coldman showed us?

MosquitoMoto wrote: Not pretty, but it works.

Mine is down right hideous but it is cutting the grass. Fixed MTD mower pot metal rear axle for a co-worker. Oil and dirt saturated, couldn't clean half of the areas to be welded. 4043 filler with 5% pure tungsten added (by me).

exnailpounder wrote:

Rick_H wrote:

ex framie wrote:You need a longer and higher shop
Nice work as always.
Did you get it out after you built it?

Yeah it made it out..lol Ceiling in that room is 18', and it has a/c....lol Main shop was hot as hell..hehe

Hey Rick, question...I know you don't use filler when you do sanitary welds but I notice that from not using filler, the weld is a bit sunken in. Do you grind and polish that out? I remember a post you made awhile back about a belt sanding attachment for a grinder that helps you polish your welds.Whats the actual procedure? Also, did you ever get any of that flux cored SS rod that Coldman showed us?

The welds are basically flat, I use a belt attachment on my Metabo burnishing machine with a scotch brute belt....polishes out nice and pursue.

Never did get a reaponse

Hey Rick,

While we are on the topic, how many amps are you running on the pipe, and what is your gas flow on the purge?

Do you use a foot pedal or just a switch?

I started using a foot pedal, and was getting used to it, but had a frame job recently and didn't want to drag the pedal around so went back to torch switch. Seemed to weld better with the switch so thinking I ditch it for SS jobs....I'll throw up some pictures while I'm at it.

maker of things wrote:

MosquitoMoto wrote: Not pretty, but it works.

Mine is down right hideous but it is cutting the grass. Fixed MTD mower pot metal rear axle for a co-worker. Oil and dirt saturated, couldn't clean half of the areas to be welded. 4043 filler with 5% pure tungsten added (by me).

IMG_20160610_125723486.jpg

IMG_20160610_125744946.jpg

Maker -

In my experience - and often to my surprise - when I fix something for someone, especially when it's done as a favour, they often don't give a damn what it looks like, they're just happy it's fixed.

Haven't tried pot metal yet, heard it can be a nightmare. Well done on the axle.



Kym

nortical wrote:Hey Rick,

While we are on the topic, how many amps are you running on the pipe, and what is your gas flow on the purge?

Do you use a foot pedal or just a switch?

I started using a foot pedal, and was getting used to it, but had a frame job recently and didn't want to drag the pedal around so went back to torch switch. Seemed to weld better with the switch so thinking I ditch it for SS jobs....I'll throw up some pictures while I'm at it.

IMG_5430.JPG

IMG_5427.JPG

IMG_5401.JPG

Nice stuff! In those pics I'm running 60amps, 2.5pps, 50% on, 50% background (my Master 150sth doesnt allow me to change), back purge on first joints 15cfh, then I'm down to 5cfh by last joint, 25cfh with CK jumbo gas saver, 1/16" tung. When I don't pulse I run 45-50amps. I run a wireless foot pedal and most times I throw it into 2T so it just acts a on and off with a downslope to prevent craters...or I just slowly taper off.

Your frame looks good, with round corner tubing I typically put the heat slightly towards the round corner and dab across to grab the other edge, my .100" shown above I ran 85amps, 3/32" tung #8 Superior cup.

MosquitoMoto wrote: In my experience - and often to my surprise - when I fix something for someone, especially when it's done as a favour, they often don't give a damn what it looks like, they're just happy it's fixed.

Agreed. When given the choice of spending $250 for a used replacement or buying me lunch, unsurprisingly I end up getting lunch.

MosquitoMoto wrote:Haven't tried pot metal yet, heard it can be a nightmare.

And if you never do, be happy. To call the process of fixing something like that "welding" is probably an injustice to the term. If one were to fully disassemble fully clean, fixture and attempt proper welding sure wouldn't be a lunch hour fix.

New process piping ran from the tank to the existing manifold, sight glass guard fabbed...all ready.

Had to chop out this inappropriate and under sized (1") ammonia pump bypass regulator and weld in a proper 1-1/2" regulator. Advised of sizing in advance so I welded some stubs onto flanges to save shutdown time. When I got to the job I found the 1-1/2" pipe was actually an 1-1/2" x 1-1/4" reducer on both sides that were originally stick welded which meant I had to cut the reducers back to fully remove the stick welds. The reducers were now on the slope which meant alignment clamping became exciting. The left hand weld was frustrated by the proximity of vessels and pipes which tested my skills. Half way through the root I lost gas and crapped the weld. Took my helmet off to find an electrician spectator standing on my hose. After a brief discussion with the bolt neck concerning his family heritage he moved on. Ground out the joint and started again. Right hand joint was uneventful. Yay.

Looks nice Cold ! Did I understand that you can't stick weld ammonia lines there? Or did you just cut them out cause they were poor welds?

Every weld associated with this accumulator looked like crap. Done by a butcher. Couldn't take the risk of welding on inclusions and porosity. The welding position was hard enough without welding over someone else's crap. Just look at what he did: 1-1'4" pipe, welded on an 1-1/2" reducer, then another reducer to take it down to 1" and then put the wrong valve in. That bloke was a slice short of a sandwich.

Seen some crazy stuff like that before. Random stuff thrown togeather to try to make something work. When in reality it never worked right and now you get to do it over. Set aside all the saftey issues of working with pumped liquid ammonia.

Looks good! I was showing my son how to tig and he moved in to look and stood on the hose. Felt pretty foolish toasting a tungsten with him looking while I'm bragging about how good I am