User Panel
Posted: 4/13/2017 12:39:19 PM EDT
Okay not really back from the dead. I don't have that power.
It was such a damn good thread, though, with excellent information from all the welders here, I didn't want to lose it. Didn't mean for it to drop into the archives, but it did. SO.... Here's the link to Any Welders on the Forum? I've got Questions--also known as Kitties' Beginner Welding Thread As a quick background to anybody who did not read that thread--I have welded before. Big tombstone shaped stick welders in ag shop in high school, plus a time or three on a big torch (found out I can blow a hole through metal really quickly). I passed the class just fine, and did what was necessary, though I cannot promise you that they demanded the same of me that they demanded of the farm boys. If I was ever aware of their being soft on me, I elbowed my way in and said, "no, make me do it right. you're not doing me favors by letting me slide." (first girl ever in Vo-ag in my county--they did not know what to do with me.) Anyway, that's the last time I welded and that was a long time ago. So...you can read my first post int he archived thread if you want to know more. Onward.... Today I have a good example of questions I would have for the awesome welders who chimed in on that first thread: Last Saturday I got the mower cleaned up, oil changed, serviced, yadda yadda. I found this, which I did not notice last fall when I quit for the season (probably because I blew off the fall servicing and did only a rudimentary cleanup). I forgot to take pics when I had the deck disconnected (I am continuing to mow with it because...Spring....) so these angles are bad because there's not much room under there, but here is something broken: Here is looking from the NOT broken bracket/support to the broken one at the other end of the deck. This one is sucky...sorry. I don't know what to call the broken thing, as it has no separate number in the parts list that I can find. It is simply part of the "deck, weldment, mower" I guess, since it's actually welded onto the mower and cannot be purchased separately. Looks to me like it's a mounting bracket, sort of. So....Y'all who are good with welders...I'm guessing you would fix this yourself. I, as a beginner, would likely not try this. BUT HERE'S MY QUESTIONS: Y'all gave me GREAT theory in my first thread. Now I want to approach this differently. With a real-life (MY life) example. I would like to know, if this were YOUR mower deck, the exact steps you would go through to fix this, the EXACT minimal equipment you would need (Like...would the little wire welder I'm considering-- a low-end starter welder (no gas--not MIG)--be CAPABLE of welding something like this?) Like--after the mower is detached, would you heft the thing up on something? What attachments would you use to grind out the rusty parts and remove the paint? Would you completely grind off the old weld, thus fully separating the mounting bracket (I'm just gonna call it that, kay?) from the deck itself? (Scary...cuz that's jumping off the cliff...you fix it or you don't have a mower.) Or would you clean it up, and try to "meet" their existing weld? What size wire/rod? What kind of settings on the welder? Would you weld first the top side, then go under and weld the bottom side too? Then what? Their weld is not particularly pretty, but the deck has held up with sorry-ass lack of good maintenance for a long time. (I pull out a grease gun for the pulleys. I spray off the deck with air. I change the blades out for sharp ones once a year at least. (I keep two sets, one always sharp) I spray the thing with a garden hose and let it drip dry. It sits out in the rain.) Anyway...I don't care if it's pretty. I care if it's strong, wont' get in the way of anything, is cleaned and painted properly, etc. What would you paint it with? Okay I'm not saying I'll do this. But Pavelow bought that old bushhog and is gonna fix the deck. That's exactly the kind of ability that prompted my original thread...getting pissed off at being dependent for anything metal that needs fixed. His ability is a far cry from my present capabilities, but when I found this broken deck, I thought, "I bet I could set myself up as a welder for what it'll cost me to have that fixed or buy a new deck." What I can't go out and buy are the experience and skill level, which is why I won't try this. Yet. First I'll weld my lawn chair. So...in this new thread, I'd like to present you with pics, at least at first, and ask...Okay what would an experienced welder do, who does NOT own a $3K welder--cuz that's not gonna happen. I'm not ready for that level of equipment, and may never be. Other newbies are welcome to add their photos and questions. Thanks in advance for all of y'all who have knowledge and are willing to share it. Kitties, the wannabe-welder. |
|
OK, here is what I would do:
First, use the wire brush to remove paint around the area, get down to bare metal. Next, grind with the end of the grinding wheel along the crack FROM THE BOTTOM SIDE, to be welded later. Then, I would grind the weld where it is broken flat and flush with the bracket. I would cut a piece of angle iron and weld that to both the bracket and the deck. I would then proceed to weld along the crack where I did the grinding before. Did I mention align the bracket/deck to where it should be before welding? Well, I did now. I would use the grinder to finish off any sharp edges (which would all be on the angle iron, so you could do that before welding the angle iron on). Paint with Rustoleum rusty metal primer. If I were bored, I would paint to match, or match as best as I could. Equipment: 41/2" angle grinder My 120VAC wire feed flux core welder Steel brush, powered or old fashioned. Estimated repair time: 3 hours from start to tools put away. ETA: Should mention that the grinding along the crack is only necessary on metal that is about 3/16" thick or thicker, and you don't need to grind a channel, just a V groove along the crack to be filled with weld. The opposite side of the metal where you are grinding should show no sign you did anything, sans some color from heat. |
|
This would actually be a very easy repair job for you to tackle with minimal time practicing on scrap metal. Thin lawn chairs would be much harder to weld actually.
|
|
I got a ar500 gong a friend of mine managed to crack at the bolt...
Can those even be welded? Lol |
|
|
Hey Kitties:
Welding 1/4" thick steel with those cheap 120VAC wire feed welders. Proof it can be done Attached File |
|
Quoted:
OK, here is what I would do: First, use the wire brush to remove paint around the area, get down to bare metal. Next, grind with the end of the grinding wheel along the crack FROM THE BOTTOM SIDE, to be welded later. Then, I would grind the weld where it is broken flat and flush with the bracket. I would cut a piece of angle iron and weld that to both the bracket and the deck. I would then proceed to weld along the crack where I did the grinding before. Did I mention align the bracket/deck to where it should be before welding? Well, I did now. I would use the grinder to finish off any sharp edges (which would all be on the angle iron, so you could do that before welding the angle iron on). Paint with Rustoleum rusty metal primer. If I were bored, I would paint to match, or match as best as I could. Equipment: 41/2" angle grinder My 120VAC wire feed flux core welder Steel brush, powered or old fashioned. Estimated repair time: 3 hours from start to tools put away. ETA: Should mention that the grinding along the crack is only necessary on metal that is about 3/16" thick or thicker, and you don't need to grind a channel, just a V groove along the crack to be filled with weld. The opposite side of the metal where you are grinding should show no sign you did anything, sans some color from heat. View Quote |
|
Quoted:
Hey Kitties: Welding 1/4" thick steel with those cheap 120VAC wire feed welders. Proof it can be done https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/165887/Welding-186583.JPG View Quote You did a great write up on that. |
|
|
Quoted:
Okay wait... Rat_Patrol said: So... 1-.I'm grinding the weld flat and flush with the bracket...BUT......as a result there's going to be a small gap I'm guessing, Because rust and broken metal ground off...??? Yes, you will be making a gap. It can be filled with weld later from the under-side if required for proper lawn cuttings flow. And So the angle iron is going to fill the space/do the job that the missing metal took up...Am I understanding sort of correctly? I'm bridging the gap from strong metal to strong metal with another piece of metal, rather than trying to do it with the weld? More or less. The reason I would add the piece of angle iron is obviously this is a weak point in the design. Since your weld on their weld would never be at good as it should be, adding more material fixes that. You could also use a piece of square bar stock, or whatever. I just have tons of angle lying around. 2-how would you align these two pieces and hold them aligned? Pipe clamps seem like an obvious choice, but..? BFH, or whatever is appropriate. If the metal has 'settled' into its new position, you may have to hold pressure on the bracket while laying a bead (may require a helper) and then finish welding it up after you welded enough to hold it. AND: 3-I've got a break along one "side" of the bracket, (see that broken bit below the red "rear" label on the pic below?) and along part of the front (most of the front) where it meets the body of the deck--where their "weld" is (I've marked it with purple). How would you address this--bother with that corner/break to the rear? Do you mean to put the angle iron only on the front, and weld together the break on the side (which is not particularly straight, from what I see in the photos--.) Or do you mean to put the angle iron on the 'rear" part of that bracket? I would put the angle iron (or whatever piece you have lying around to support everything) to the front of the bracket, which is the weakest point (where the part originally failed. The cracks are the results of the bracket ripping away from the deck). The rest of the cracks I would grind and weld as I outlined before. 4-With the small welders I am considering--similar to the one you have demonstrated--what size wire would I choose for a job like this? (I understand the need for cleaning and the nozzle goo and slag removal aferward). Typically, the wire size is dictated by the machine. Whatever your machine uses (and you can find locally) is fine. Basically, its the same as does your mechanical pencil take a .05 or .07 lead stick? Wire feed welders aren't picky about the wire size, unlike stick welding where you need the right stick for the job. One size wire will do about anything you need to do. ETA: Here is some help to understand the terminology I'm using. I understand that I am to attach the angle iron to the FRONT of the bracket, but the existing weld is in the way. Am I grinding off their weld? Yes, I would. You need to make way for the support material that 'should' be added. Option B is just weld everything back, but I would bet it would just break again in short order. Would you attach to the back of the bracket? I would attach support iron to the front of the bracket, the weakest point. http://www.fototime.com/19F2C0537B6CDD0/standard.jpg I cannot weld to "their" weld, right? Even if it would attach, that seems like it would have to be really weak. View Quote |
|
Quoted:
That's like the tubing on the trailer you were building, right? You did a great write up on that. View Quote |
|
Quoted:
BUT HERE'S MY QUESTIONS: Y'all gave me GREAT theory in my first thread. Now I want to approach this differently. With a real-life (MY life) example. I would like to know, if this were YOUR mower deck, the exact steps you would go through to fix this, the EXACT minimal equipment you would need (Like...would the little wire welder I'm considering-- a low-end starter welder (no gas--not MIG)--be CAPABLE of welding something like this?) Like--after the mower is detached, would you heft the thing up on something? Depends on how hard it is to work on. The better your work area, the less pain in the back. I would probably just leave it on the ground because I'm lazy and I can. What attachments would you use to grind out the rusty parts and remove the paint? I would use my 4/12" angle grinder with a grinding disc. I would clean all sides of the weld affected area, at least one inch back from the location of the weld. That is to keep the rust, dirt, and other impurities out of the weld. Most "farm welders" don't worry about this, but it's engrained in me now. Would you completely grind off the old weld, thus fully separating the mounting bracket (I'm just gonna call it that, kay?) from the deck itself? (Scary...cuz that's jumping off the cliff...you fix it or you don't have a mower.) Depends. The weakest part of any weld is the transition between the weld metal and the material you are welding. If you have big gaps to fill in, then a piece of angle iron makes it a lot easier but you need to remove the old weld to make it fit. If you don't have a big weak area that needs filled, then just clean up the existing area and add to the weld. Or would you clean it up, and try to "meet" their existing weld? One thing to think about with welding over the existing: You need enough melted metal on both parts to make it hold. This is where the angle and manipulation of the torch come into play. If you point your weld torch more towards the old weld or vertical piece of metal, it will melt and put more filler metal in that part, which doesn't blend as much with the horizontal plate. Same if you point the torch more at the horizontal, less penetration on the vertical. An ideal weld would point exactly 45* into the joint and have equal penetration, but that is rarely possible in real life. Sometimes one part is thinner than the other and will burn out instead of build up weld, which just makes the job more frustrating. With a little welder, it's better to make a bunch of small but good passes and build your weld out than it is to try to make one big weld pass to fix it quick. What size wire/rod? I have the Miller welding app on my phone which I use as a guide. For 1/8" steel on a flux core welder, Miller recommends 0.035" (0.9mm) wire size, 175-185 IPM wire speed, 140-155 amps. That's probably a great starting point for your project. If it's not putting enough metal out and the weld is too flat, increase your wire speed. If it's melting your project and the angle of the torch isn't helping with heat control, lower the amps. If it is just plopping metal on the surface and not penetrating well, increase the amps. What kind of settings on the welder? Would you weld first the top side, then go under and weld the bottom side too? No, probably not. Once the two pieces are joined they are joined. For what it is and what it does, one side should be just fine. Then what? Their weld is not particularly pretty, but the deck has held up with sorry-ass lack of good maintenance for a long time. (I pull out a grease gun for the pulleys. I spray off the deck with air. I change the blades out for sharp ones once a year at least. (I keep two sets, one always sharp) I spray the thing with a garden hose and let it drip dry. It sits out in the rain.) Anyway...I don't care if it's pretty. I care if it's strong, wont' get in the way of anything, is cleaned and painted properly, etc. What would you paint it with? Just some rustoleum. Since you are exposing the bare metal and then welding it, if you do nothing it will turn into a rust pile pretty quick. Okay I'm not saying I'll do this. But Pavelow bought that old bushhog and is gonna fix the deck. That's exactly the kind of ability that prompted my original thread...getting pissed off at being dependent for anything metal that needs fixed. His ability is a far cry from my present capabilities, but when I found this broken deck, I thought, "I bet I could set myself up as a welder for what it'll cost me to have that fixed or buy a new deck." What I can't go out and buy are the experience and skill level, which is why I won't try this. Yet. First I'll weld my lawn chair. Thanks in advance for all of y'all who have knowledge and are willing to share it. Kitties, the wannabe-welder. View Quote |
|
|
Hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like the weld that broke may have been a partial "cold" weld to begin with. I.e. it didn't get the proper penetration into the deck over much of the length. I don't see much parent material still stuck to the weld. Some of the prep work mentioned above will help avoid this.
I'm an amateur welder but have designed a lot of welded parts and a cold weld is something to always keep in the back of your mind. Make sure that as you start your puddle that you are seeing good signs of heat on both parts. Sometimes it might just "stick" to the surface of one of the parts but not actually penetrate. The flip side of this is that welding can make the metal very brittle (read up on heat affected zone) so be smart about how much heat you are putting into it. You probably don't need to worry about it on your mower, but if you had access to a media blaster you could do a poor mans shot peening to help get rid of some of the residual surface stress. |
|
Lots of good advice has been posted.
I'm not a welder but was once upon a time. First of all, I don't think the deck material is going to be thick enough to grind out the back side as rat patrol suggested. Most mower decks seem to be as thin as they can get away with. Tear-outs like you have here are pretty common. I don't think it was a cold weld or a problem with the weld. I cannot tell from the pics but it looks like your deck material tore loose at the edge of the weld. Additional pics are not required because it doesn't matter why it failed, you just need it welded back together. And yes, I'd just follow that crack with your new weld bead, filling the gap from the old weld to the new material on the other side of the crack. Nothing wrong with welding over a weld in most cases. In fact, that is a very common practice when welding thicker materials- making multiple passes. Just weld over it and if you don't like the way it looks, lay another bead beside it, over it, across it, whatever it takes. The first thing I'd do is remove the deck and put it where I could comfortably work on the area needing attention. The next step is to prep the weld area. I agree that a wire brush is the usual tool for this but in your case I'd give both sides of the deck a light touch with a grinder FIRST, it will save brushing. Think of the angle grinder as being course sandpaper and the wire brush as finer sandpaper. Clean at least an inch from the crack on each side as much as possible. Use whatever you can think of to align the parts in their proper position. You might be able to clamp it with pipe clamps and blocks, c-clamps, maybe even vise grips on the upper part and pulling it down. Don't be afraid to use a heavy hammer liberally. I have seen welders that need some leverage actually weld a pry bar onto the item being welded in a position such that holding the bar will keep the edges aligned, then after the tacks or welds are complete, grind the bar's weld off to remove it. If there is a gouge or groove left by the removal, weld it full and grind it back smooth. You'd never know it had been there. Once positioned, tack weld it into place. Often, your tack weld will pull the parts slightly put of place as the tack cools, usually almost immediately after you weld it. Be ready with your hammer and force it back where you wanted it to be. You can actually hammer the tack weld while it is still red if you want to save yourself some trouble. If you hit it too hard, you might break the tack. So what? You have a welder, just tack over your tack! Once you have welded one side and the metal is cooled, I'd look at the back side and see if my weld filled the crack. If not, weld that side, too (after cleaning out the crack with a brush or grinder). Make multiple passes if that's what it takes to fill the crack and grind any weld flush if you aren't satisfied with them. I don't think there is any real need for beauty for this project, I'd just let the welds pile up as long as they don't interfere with anything. The angle iron mentioned above is simply a patch much like a patch sewn on clothes or glued on an inner tube. If an angle doesn't fit, you can use anything you think WILL fit. Because the heat from welding often causes the metal nearby to weaken, I'd try very hard to make sure the welds for my patch were mostly at least an inch away from the welded crack. I mentioned using a lever to hold the deck into place. Here is the gist of how that can be done: Take a 1/2 or 5/8 in bolt and a nut on the bolt. Lay it parallel to the crack, about an inch back from the crack, and use a heavy tack across the outer part of the bolt head and another on the nut on the other end. This is your fulcrum. Take a metal object 2-3 ft long to use as a lever and lay it across the bolt so that the short end crosses the crack and extends about an inch. It should only touch the far side of the crack and the bolt at this point. Hold it in place and weld the "handle" (lever) to the bolt. Weld the short end to the deck. Push down on the lever to raise the far edge, lift up on the lever to push the other side down. When the pieces are in place, tack the crack on both sides of the lever. Remove the lever and bolt by grinding off their welds and whacking with a hammer. Tack fill any voids. Move lever down to next place needed. Rinse and repeat. This might seem to be an unmanageable project due to the volume of my prose but believe me when I tell you, "You can do it". You can make that go back into place and you can weld it so it stays there. Don't be afraid to just do it. If your first attempts fail, well that's why you are buying a welder, isn't it? Fix it again only better next time! |
|
Quoted:
Lots of good advice has been posted. I'm not a welder but was once upon a time. First of all, I don't think the deck material is going to be thick enough to grind out the back side as rat patrol suggested. Most mower decks seem to be as thin as they can get away with. Tear-outs like you have here are pretty common. <snip> You may well be right. As I think about it that deck is not particularly thick. Think of the angle grinder as being course sandpaper and the wire brush as finer sandpaper. <snip> That's a GREAT analogy, and very helpful! <snip> I have seen welders that need some leverage actually weld a pry bar onto the item being welded in a position such that holding the bar will keep the edges aligned, then after the tacks or welds are complete, grind the bar's weld off to remove it. If there is a gouge or groove left by the removal, weld it full and grind it back smooth. You'd never know it had been there. !!!!!! Once positioned, tack weld it into place. Often, your tack weld will pull the parts slightly put of place as the tack cools, usually almost immediately after you weld it. Be ready with your hammer and force it back where you wanted it to be. You can actually hammer the tack weld while it is still red if you want to save yourself some trouble. If you hit it too hard, you might break the tack. So what? You have a welder, just tack over your tack! I think I really need to apprentice with a person who welds a lot. Only years of doing this stuff leads to fearless understanding and solutions like this. Once you have welded one side and the metal is cooled, I'd look at the back side and see if my weld filled the crack. If not, weld that side, too (after cleaning out the crack with a brush or grinder). Make multiple passes if that's what it takes to fill the crack and grind any weld flush if you aren't satisfied with them. I don't think there is any real need for beauty for this project, I'd just let the welds pile up as long as they don't interfere with anything. The angle iron mentioned above is simply a patch much like a patch sewn on clothes or glued on an inner tube. If an angle doesn't fit, you can use anything you think WILL fit. Because the heat from welding often causes the metal nearby to weaken, I'd try very hard to make sure the welds for my patch were mostly at least an inch away from the welded crack. I am worried about this part, in green. I could feasibly wreck my deck. I mentioned using a lever to hold the deck into place. Here is the gist of how that can be done: Take a 1/2 or 5/8 in bolt and a nut on the bolt. Lay it parallel to the crack, about an inch back from the crack, and use a heavy tack across the outer part of the bolt head and another on the nut on the other end. This is your fulcrum. Take a metal object 2-3 ft long to use as a lever and lay it across the bolt so that the short end crosses the crack and extends about an inch. It should only touch the far side of the crack and the bolt at this point. Hold it in place and weld the "handle" (lever) to the bolt. Weld the short end to the deck. Push down on the lever to raise the far edge, lift up on the lever to push the other side down. When the pieces are in place, tack the crack on both sides of the lever. Remove the lever and bolt by grinding off their welds and whacking with a hammer. Tack fill any voids. Move lever down to next place needed. Rinse and repeat. I am going to have to think about this paragraph. I can kind of see it. I also kind of realize I would go get help--and get somebody to just hold pressure on it somehow while I was welding. But this you've outlined comes from having to do stuff by yourself, which is an awesome skill to have--working stuff like that out, I've never had to think about this stuff with regard to welding. Other stuff...yeah. Welding? No. Having an electrical arc at the end of my hands is a little intimidating, and seems to sort of overpower my normal common sense and normal ability to think through stuff, which is a shame. This might seem to be an unmanageable project due to the volume of my prose but believe me when I tell you, "You can do it". You can make that go back into place and you can weld it so it stays there. Don't be afraid to just do it. If your first attempts fail, well that's why you are buying a welder, isn't it? Fix it again only better next time! View Quote I am really tired of not being able to fix metal things. Dependence annoys me. |
|
Quoted:
Hard to tell from the pictures, but looks like the weld that broke may have been a partial "cold" weld to begin with. I.e. it didn't get the proper penetration into the deck over much of the length. I don't see much parent material still stuck to the weld. Some of the prep work mentioned above will help avoid this. I'm an amateur welder but have designed a lot of welded parts and a cold weld is something to always keep in the back of your mind. Make sure that as you start your puddle that you are seeing good signs of heat on both parts. Sometimes it might just "stick" to the surface of one of the parts but not actually penetrate. The flip side of this is that welding can make the metal very brittle (read up on heat affected zone) so be smart about how much heat you are putting into it. You probably don't need to worry about it on your mower, but if you had access to a media blaster you could do a poor mans shot peening to help get rid of some of the residual surface stress. View Quote |
|
bummer we lost the other thread. that thread was kinda the motivation i needed to get working on an outdoor 22o outlet. which i just final got finished up on.
now i need to make some much longer leads. so i'm not welding up against the wood siding. |
|
Quoted:
bummer we lost the other thread. that thread was kinda the motivation i needed to get working on an outdoor 22o outlet. which i just final got finished up on. now i need to make some much longer leads. so i'm not welding up against the wood siding. View Quote |
|
|
Thanks! What a GREAT thread!
|
|
@Rat_Patrol !!!!
Please explain and show your welding "hold" devices, like the magnet you referenced in your Minnesota Homesteading thread. Oh and where do you buy such things? |
|
|
Harbor freight sells them also
Small Ones Med Ones Large One Extra Large If possible I prefer to use big c clamps it seems every one of these magnets I have is full of metal and grinding shavings one downside to them |
|
So is this a show-your-ugly-newbie-weld thread?
I built this gadget, need lots more welding practice. Learning that if I'm gonna get pretty welds, I'm going to have to brace myself up better. Too shaky in my old age to hold a steady angle/distance/speed freehand. Finding poor vision doesn't help any either. Up to now using cheaters to read has been about the extent of the concessions I've been willing to make, but I guess I'm gonna have to go in for some real glasses. Things just keep getting fuzzier and lights a little dimmer as I get older. Attached File |
|
Quoted:
So is this a show-your-ugly-newbie-weld thread? I built this gadget, need lots more welding practice. Learning that if I'm gonna get pretty welds, I'm going to have to brace myself up better. Too shaky in my old age to hold a steady angle/distance/speed freehand. Finding poor vision doesn't help any either. Up to now using cheaters to read has been about the extent of the concessions I've been willing to make, but I guess I'm gonna have to go in for some real glasses. Things just keep getting fuzzier and lights a little dimmer as I get older. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/219829/grinder3-189239.JPG View Quote building the structure would be one thing but all the little rollers and alignment and crap |
|
Quoted:
So is this a show-your-ugly-newbie-weld thread? I built this gadget, need lots more welding practice. Learning that if I'm gonna get pretty welds, I'm going to have to brace myself up better. Too shaky in my old age to hold a steady angle/distance/speed freehand. Finding poor vision doesn't help any either. Up to now using cheaters to read has been about the extent of the concessions I've been willing to make, but I guess I'm gonna have to go in for some real glasses. Things just keep getting fuzzier and lights a little dimmer as I get older. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/219829/grinder3-189239.JPG View Quote What is it? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
So is this a show-your-ugly-newbie-weld thread? I built this gadget, need lots more welding practice. Learning that if I'm gonna get pretty welds, I'm going to have to brace myself up better. Too shaky in my old age to hold a steady angle/distance/speed freehand. Finding poor vision doesn't help any either. Up to now using cheaters to read has been about the extent of the concessions I've been willing to make, but I guess I'm gonna have to go in for some real glasses. Things just keep getting fuzzier and lights a little dimmer as I get older. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/219829/grinder3-189239.JPG What is it? |
|
Kitties, if you haven't repaired that mower deck yet I have another thought about how to pull it together for welding.
After prepping the area for welding, drill a hole in the crack and run a bolt through it with flat washers on both sides. As you crank down on the nut /bolt, the two sides of the crack should pull together. Run your welds up to the edges of the bolt on each side, remove the bolt, and go back and fill in the bolt hole with a series of spot welds. Or don't. If the bolt doesn't interfere with anything you could even weld it in, weld the washers down, etc. and might not even need additional patches. Using one or two bolt/washers would probably fix that crack just fine. If the bolt is too long, blast it off with your welder or cut off any extra length with an angle grinder. |
|
Quoted:
Kitties, if you haven't repaired that mower deck yet I have another thought about how to pull it together for welding. After prepping the area for welding, drill a hole in the crack and run a bolt through it with flat washers on both sides. As you crank down on the nut /bolt, the two sides of the crack should pull together. Run your welds up to the edges of the bolt on each side, remove the bolt, and go back and fill in the bolt hole with a series of spot welds. Or don't. If the bolt doesn't interfere with anything you could even weld it in, weld the washers down, etc. and might not even need additional patches. Using one or two bolt/washers would probably fix that crack just fine. If the bolt is too long, blast it off with your welder or cut off any extra length with an angle grinder. View Quote |
|
Thread title is disappointing. I was hoping for some metal-work automated zombies....or possibly zombie metal workers....
|
|
|
Ost for when I'm in front of a computer.
Pops is a welder/pipe fitter. Swore he'd never teach me a damn thing, yet I can weld better than most the younguns he employs. |
|
Quoted:
Ost for when I'm in front of a computer. Pops is a welder/pipe fitter. Swore he'd never teach me a damn thing, yet I can weld better than most the younguns he employs. View Quote But he never had a welder in my lifetime at home with him. He was born in 1919 and died in 1998, and always told me I would be a good welder, but he never owned a welder. I want one. |
|
Bump. The break in the mower deck is getting bigger.
I think it might be why my belt keeps popping off of the pulleys. I can't see any other reason. I figure the deck is now a quarter inch lower on that one side and probably has a lot more bounce because of the break. I've got to get it fixed. I'm afraid it will need fixed before I can set myself up and get it welded. We have a very busy spring/summer. Dang. I wanted to do this myself. |
|
Since this is a welding thread:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1987882_A-celebration---A-wedding---And-a-giveaway-.html |
|
Kitties, just using a wire brush or however you can getting rid of paint and rust around the area so it's 'ready to weld' will save considerable money if you find a local guy to weld it for you.
From what I see, it's a 15 minute welding job. Prep and paint will be closer to 2 hours by themselves. Welder makes the same welding or prepping and painting. |
|
I'm not saying this is the best way to do it, but this is how I'd do it.
Pull the deck out on the driveway, beat the ripped section back into place with a sledge hammer. Weld the crack shut with my 125volt mig loaded with flux core wire, or in your case, a regular welding rod with a thin diameter. Throw it back under the mower and use it till the other side cracks. These things crack all the time. You can wire brush it before and put some gray primer on it after if you want to get fancy. It's just a lawnmower, not some structural part that your life depends on. Don't overthink it and build it up in your head that it's something you can't do. It's easy. If you want to get really fancy, drill a 5/16" hole at the end of the crack to help stop the spread, but I don't think it's going to make much difference. |
|
Quoted:
Kitties, just using a wire brush or however you can getting rid of paint and rust around the area so it's 'ready to weld' will save considerable money if you find a local guy to weld it for you. From what I see, it's a 15 minute welding job. Prep and paint will be closer to 2 hours by themselves. Welder makes the same welding or prepping and painting. View Quote It was on sale when I started the original thread. Probably not now, but I might just fo. If you don't have it handy, I'll go back to the archived thread. You linked to it there. I know it was from Northern Tool, right? |
|
Quoted:
I'm not saying this is the best way to do it, but this is how I'd do it. Pull the deck out on the driveway, beat the ripped section back into place with a sledge hammer. Weld the crack shut with my 125volt mig loaded with flux core wire, or in your case, a regular welding rod with a thin diameter. Throw it back under the mower and use it till the other side cracks. These things crack all the time. You can wire brush it before and put some gray primer on it after if you want to get fancy. It's just a lawnmower, not some structural part that your life depends on. Don't overthink it and build it up in your head that it's something you can't do. It's easy. If you want to get really fancy, drill a 5/16" hole at the end of the crack to help stop the spread, but I don't think it's going to make much difference. View Quote I need to just fo. It is the time/learning curve involved with something new that has been stalling me. But it seems to me that the value of the skill and the tools to stick metal together outweigh the trouble I will have a-finding somebody to weld it, b-hauling the deck to them and c-paying them to do it. I bet the fee for getting it welded will darn near set me up with a simple rig that will do simple stuff. |
|
|
Quoted:
Rat_Patrol, tell me again which welder you use? It was on sale when I started the original thread. Probably not now, but I might just fo. If you don't have it handy, I'll go back to the archived thread. You linked to it there. I know it was from Northern Tool, right? View Quote I'll poke around their site when I get on my computer today. |
|
Just poking around on Craigslist
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/tls/6100572081.html https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/tls/6104969224.html Either of those would do what you need. Do you have an electric dryer in your house? How close is it to the outside? If it has the right plug and you've got enough cord, you wouldn't even need to install a 220V outlet. Those small Lincoln's run off a regular household plug and will weld plenty of 3/16" steel with fluxcore wire. Are those the best welders out there? No. Are you going to take up semi-professional welding jobs or just use it a couple of times a year? What made the most difference in my welding was one of those autodarkening helmets. No more flipping the hood up and down and feeling around in the dark. $50 for a Harbor Freight model or $70 at Tractor Supply, it's like magic. |
|
Quoted:
Do you have an electric dryer in your house? How close is it to the outside? If it has the right plug and you've got enough cord, you wouldn't even need to install a 220V outlet. Those small Lincoln's run off a regular household plug and will weld plenty of 3/16" steel with fluxcore wire. Are those the best welders out there? No. Are you going to take up semi-professional welding jobs or just use it a couple of times a year? What made the most difference in my welding was one of those autodarkening helmets. No more flipping the hood up and down and feeling around in the dark. $50 for a Harbor Freight model or $70 at Tractor Supply, it's like magic. View Quote |
|
Quoted:
It was northern tool, but I believe my model was discontinued. I'll poke around their site when I get on my computer today. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Rat_Patrol, tell me again which welder you use? It was on sale when I started the original thread. Probably not now, but I might just fo. If you don't have it handy, I'll go back to the archived thread. You linked to it there. I know it was from Northern Tool, right? I'll poke around their site when I get on my computer today. To round out your purchase, you need a welding helmet and gloves. You don't HAVE to have welding gloves, regular full leather gloves work as well, but welding gloves are preferred. Here is a pic of a cart from Norther Tool of the basics to get started welding. I think you may already have an angle grinder? If not, DO NOT GET A 4" ANGLE GRINDER!!! You want the 4 1/2". I know, I know, but trust me. Attached File Double bonus: Both the welder and auto-dark helmet are on sale! The welder considerably so. |
|
Please keep in mind that I am NOT IN ANY WAY saying that welder is the "best" or even "great", but (as you have seen from my various vids) that one can make stuff happen with it.
I'm honestly not 100% sure it comes with welding wire, but if it doesn't you can either pick it up locally (its cheaper in the big spool) or get a small 2 pound spool here northern tool flux core wire (2 pound spool) |
|
Damn, $129! That's cheap for something with a warranty. And that would probably do everything Kittie would need, including gates, small sheds, etc.
|
|
|
Quoted:
I build implements with 1/4" thick steel for use around our homestead with it. View Quote Sometimes there isn't time to pull out the 220V rig. |
|
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.