My tail gate repair. Don't laugh!

[360 4V]

By picture eleven do you mean the second from the last?

I made that box from 18-gauge steel sheet and eleven AWS E6011 3/32" welding rods.

I also have some ~1/8" steel plating. I don't know if it is .120" or .125" plating.

I read on the Miller website that with a DC stick welder, I have an AC, something can be swapped like going from "+ to -" to "- to +". This would all me to choose from greater penetration or more control for welding sheet metal.

I also found that most arc welders, Mig included only go down to 30 or 40 amp at the lowest. Some of the new Stick welders go down as low as 5 amps.

I really like the ease of changing welding rods out. I don't like wire-feed welders.

I also learned that flux makes for greater penetration than shielding gas. And it tolerates wind that would otherwise blow the shielding gas away from the arc. I have been spraying axle housings with rust oleum the last few weeks and there is an honest breeze where I am working. It is strong enough that I spray with it and not against it. Then again there are some fumes associated with flux.

 

[maverickconner]

Yes the second from the end. You really choose a tough first project. Use the 1/8 plate and try the flat welds, don't worry about reversing the polarity unless you are working on a big project that has a thick coating or heavy rust.
1. try running a bead on the 1/8 plate, don't put two pieces together, just run a good bead.
2. then just put a piece of flat plate on top and weld that and lets see it. Sounds like you have the right size, what number rod do you have? 6011? 6018?

 

[360 4V]

The polarity change was that I could have the polarity one way for thinner metals and the other for thicker metals.

I am running 6011 rod.

 

[360 4V]

 

[360 4V]

 

[360 4V]

I used 15 6011 welding rods today. I found that 40 amps is much harder to weld with on 1/8" plate than 18 gauge sheet metal. 225 apms cuts right through 1/8" plate like warm soft butter.

No wonder I have holes in my frame. Was welding 1/4" thick stock radius arm brackets to 1/8" thick thick frame steel.

 

[asinor]

Suggestion.

Pick one material / thickness.
Pick one welding position.
Pick one joint type.

Find the right rod and amperage, start with the published recommendations, for your material and thickness.

Get that weld type down where you get a good bead, full penetration, without burn through before moving on to other joints / positions. This isn't something you are going to learn overnight, or in a week. You are jumping around way to much.

You can do this.

 

[maverickconner]

I agree with Asinor, stick with the flat piece and get a nice even bead going. Make sure you are making your slow C motion (like a windshield wiper) as you pull your puddle down. If you watch the puddle close you will see that there is a slag layer and then the puddle. You want to pull the puddle. Also with that much splatter, you are too far from the metal. Try and get closer to it. If it starts to stick, turn up the amps. And get a hammer to and smack the slag off of the welds. So next, try and make a 1/2" wide bead even down the flat piece.

Use both hands and if you can, (while wearing good gloves) rest your hand on something to keep it steady.

 

[maverickconner]

I hate to do this to you man, but keep posting. I have to go to the field for two weeks. I'll check in when I get back.

 

[360 4V]

"Pick one material / thickness.
Pick one welding position.
Pick one joint type."

That would be 1/8"/ .125" thick steel plating; because that is what my frame is of. Of course the radius arm brackets are more like 1/4" thick. I am going to postpone any considerations as to the welding of 1/8" thick steel to 1/4" thick steel. I am going to just concentrate on laying down a good bead.

The radius arm brackets would be a lab-joint right? So that is what I want to practice.

 

[scrapman1971]

stop welding on wood you are going to burn your house down

 

[360 4V]

"stop welding on wood you are going to burn your house down"

Good call. I did start a few embers the last few days. Ironically my dad and I used to play with his arc welders in his wood shop years ago. He has them because wood wookers need arc welders for fabricating tools and things of that sort. He hasn't done any arc welding in ~ twenty years. He moved his arc welders out of his wood shop so I don't burn his wood shop down.

Should I get a steel plate to use as a work bench for my arc-welding?

 

[scrapman1971]

please...

 

[scrapman1971]

why can't your dad help you

 

[asinor]

The radius arm brackets would be a lab-joint right? So that is what I want to practice.

Lap as in overlap.

Single fillet lap joint.

 

[360 4V]

He hasn't done any arc welding in twenty years. He helped me mig weld up some horsehoe hooks back in highschool but he doesn't do any arc welding anymore. When he got into wood working thirty/ thirty-fiveyears ago he had a buzzbox and a brazing/cutting torch. He built frames for his saws to ride on. He later bought a Lincoln Mig welder. After finnishing his wood shop he never needed to weld anything again.

He did teach me how to solder copper pipes together. He just retired from the airlines and is doing home repairs of houses he owns. He works in an artististic flow.

 

[Devin]

Good lord. STOP. This is painful to watch.

Have someone physically there to help you. Watch them do it - learn from it. You will never "get" it until you "feel" what it is like to pull a good weld. Have them watch you while you are doing it.

Find someone who knows how to do it. Ask them for help. Take a class. Something. It is going to take forever for you to learn this way - if you can actually learn it this way.

 

[360 4V]

Lap as in overlap.

Single fillet lap joint.

Oh so the radius arm brackets are a "single fillet lap joint". I will go study that and practice it. Thanks.

 

[Explorer]

Not reading back thru ten pages to see if it's been advised. Any way you can take a night course in welding? You can get a good price on this if not going for certification. My youngest son is taking a welding course at a vo-tech school while still in high school. That stick welder will be fine for frame work, but you're going to have to learn MIG for that body. You may pick it up, but some hands on instruction will shorten the learning curve greatly. Good luck and don't weld on the Bronco. Your life will depend on some of those welds.

 

[sicaz66]

Good advice for you:
1) buy biggest sledge hammer you can find
2) smash your welders
3) smash bronco
4) sell all as scrap
5)take scrap money and buy a jeep:-*