Welding Tips and Tricks

I want to build up the sides on one of my tire spoons which I forged from combination wrenches to make the 17mm spoon end have the same shape as the 24mm spoon.

What filler rod would I use for this unknown Home Despot brand tool steel?

Id think that is a steel alloy, some of the high end tools are tool steels or high carbon steels.

Maybe try some 7018 stick rod, peen it often...

Likely to have chrome and vanadium in it as well as higher carbon content. Not meant to be welded and will likely crack under prying load. I have welded up a shifting spanner (I think you call it a monkey wrench) with 7018 years ago, no peening and has held for years with normal hand loading. Wouldn't trust it for anything else.

It welded funny too. That's Swedish steel for you.

I was thinking of using some 309L then grinding it smooth.

I've always used 309 / 309L when I've had to put together a special wrench or socket, never any problems.

Whats your avatar, 1969 T 120 ?

Of choice I would use 312 though 309 normally works - as I only had use of tig when the shops one was quiet I never bought any proper filler - just beat the flux off Esab Almat rod for similar jobs ! now I've had my own for a while I probably should get a better range of filler - I do the same with pure nickel the odd time I need to build up cast manifolds & the like - trouble is over here tig rod is hard to find other than the mundane & is stupidly expensive plus often only in larger quantities than I'd like to keep.

Hi Kiwi, It's a 1968 Bonneville in pristine condition, owned by my bro-in-law. I photographed it last Thanksgiving. The tank was recently painted but the frame has never been touched. It still has the made in england decal on the frame head. I'm more of an off-roader doing long trips in Baja.

Thanks. Very nice, the 68-70 models were my fave 650's.

Get you some Hastelloy-W, ER312, or Super Missile Weld.

I stock all three, if you want a stick or two

Wood Welder wrote:Hi Kiwi, It's a 1968 Bonneville in pristine condition, owned by my bro-in-law. I photographed it last Thanksgiving. The tank was recently painted but the frame has never been touched. It still has the made in england decal on the frame head. I'm more of an off-roader doing long trips in Baja.

Nice to see, the new models can't hold a candle to the old bikes!

Tom Osselton wrote:

Wood Welder wrote:Hi Kiwi, It's a 1968 Bonneville in pristine condition, owned by my bro-in-law. I photographed it last Thanksgiving. The tank was recently painted but the frame has never been touched. It still has the made in england decal on the frame head. I'm more of an off-roader doing long trips in Baja.

Nice to see, the new models can't hold a candle to the old bikes!

They are an insult to the name !!!

Mind you, with their weight, they'd make good boat anchors ...........

kiwi2wheels wrote:

Tom Osselton wrote:

Wood Welder wrote:Hi Kiwi, It's a 1968 Bonneville in pristine condition, owned by my bro-in-law. I photographed it last Thanksgiving. The tank was recently painted but the frame has never been touched. It still has the made in england decal on the frame head. I'm more of an off-roader doing long trips in Baja.

Nice to see, the new models can't hold a candle to the old bikes!

It's an insult to the name !!!

Mind you, with their weight, they'd make good boat anchors ...........

I have a 73 750 Norton Commando HighRider and a 63 Bsa B40, 350 single that I hope to start working on soon they have been neglected for years.

I had a 74 T100R that I bored out .010 and was ready to put back togeather when my son was born. But due to med bills I had to sell it. Even had the stuff to convert it to electronic ignition.

my 72 bonny
came to me in a basket
took a year...
craig

Man I love those bikes!

Looks good!

Thanks for the advice. I went with .045" 309L because I just didn't know if this little project would be worth more exotic filler metals. I wonder how those high nickel/cromium/molybdenum rods weld.

For the most part the beads are pretty bad even though I did get some straw color in a couple places. The beads got pretty wide in a couple spots as the 1/16" ceriated tungsten got balled up so I'm going to take advantage of this by putting the spoon in my two-brick forge and mash the beads down to widen them. Stress relief is an added bonus. I did alternate from side to side with each pass. This HF welder is more of a scratch-start machine than lift-start at the lower amperages. In hindsight, it may have been easier to build up the waist when it was a thicker combo wrench, then start the forging process.

And I don't mind getting off topic one bit as long as it's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Here's a BSA I photographed at the famous Rock Store, also right hand shift:

found a photo of my 72 BSA when i brought it home.

Wood Welder wrote:Thanks for the advice. I went with .045" 309L because I just didn't know if this little project would be worth more exotic filler metals. I wonder how those high nickel/cromium/molybdenum rods weld.

For the most part the beads are pretty bad even though I did get some straw color in a couple places. The beads got pretty wide in a couple spots as the 1/16" ceriated tungsten got balled up so I'm going to take advantage of this by putting the spoon in my two-brick forge and mash the beads down to widen them. Stress relief is an added bonus. I did alternate from side to side with each pass. This HF welder is more of a scratch-start machine than lift-start at the lower amperages. In hindsight, it may have been easier to build up the waist when it was a thicker combo wrench, then start the forging process.

And I don't mind getting off topic one bit as long as it's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Here's a BSA I photographed at the famous Rock Store, also right hand shift:

I had a 49 BSA 250 cc about 30 years ago that was stolen from the backyard still have some parts though.

I had a 49 BSA 250 cc about 30 years ago that was stolen from the backyard still have some parts though.
Tom Osselton

that sounds like the start of a new project bike to me!
craig

Here's one in Baja, Mexico. It's a disc front brake model so after '72. This was turned down by our friend who restores these. It has the tube connecting between the head pipes.

had to be pre 76. thats when they changed shifter
location to the other side.
craig