Welding Tips and Tricks

My father in law and I have been selling poplar post to make a little extra spending cash and pay for the new tractor, plus we needed to clear off some new pasture anyway. He saw a log skidding hitch on Northern Tool and loved it so I decided to build one. We have a lot of scrap laying around the only thing we had to buy were the hitch pins. The hook was off an old ratchet binder that is seized up so I cut it off and welded it. I am posting a link to Northern Tools hitch to compare. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200335943

Got it all painted up, now to scratch it up.

And more

Looks good Matt. Sad that it will get all scratched up though. Oh well, that's life I guess.
-Jonathan

I know but the paint job wasn't that great anyway, just a barrier to keep it from rusting out. It is heavy built though. I put about 3 lb of 7018 rods into this build. I put three passes on each joint just to make sure it won't break.

Those are your welds??

Yes they are, I do all my own tricks

The C channel did not have a good fit up. I got sloppy and just rushed it out because I am already swamped with orders and since it was for myself I rushed it and slopped it because if it ever breaks it's mine I can fix it. I know it is better to do it right to start with but I am swamped so I thought I would gain time on my personal project and take time on others. I had about a 1/4" gap on the c channel so it is a little sloppy. i welded it with mig just because of the gap and wanting to get it done. the tubing and the hitch components are 7018 but the c channel is mig.

mcoe wrote:The C channel did not have a good fit up. I got sloppy and just rushed it out because I am already swamped with orders and since it was for myself I rushed it and slopped it because if it ever breaks it's mine I can fix it. I know it is better to do it right to start with but I am swamped so I thought I would gain time on my personal project and take time on others. I had about a 1/4" gap on the c channel so it is a little sloppy. i welded it with mig just because of the gap and wanting to get it done. the tubing and the hitch components are 7018 but the c channel is mig.

Yes please take your time on my fire pit It is a down and dirty farm fab, no need for a blue ribbon.
-Jonathan

Oh trust me, we are going super slow on it.