newb welding question

[Even]

Alright, i've been busting my ass trying to get my fathers friend with a mig to weld my truss onto my 44 for me. He's starting to get busy with work and idk if it will ever happen.

If it comes down to the wire, is it a bad idea to arc weld this shit? A lot of people i talk to are like ZOMG ARC WELDER DON'T DO IT.

What should i be real careful of while doing this?

What amp should i run? It's a 250 that is at least 10 years old, probably runs a little low by now.

What size/type rod should i use?

[Bigbike]

JB Weld it on All the cool kids do it.

[Ktmracer419]

i wouldnt use flux core on it.

you get more penetration, but all my arc welds end up looking like shit, and you don't want your pretty axle you swapped in looking like shit

[Even]

i wouldnt use flux core on it.

you get more penetration, but all my arc welds end up looking like shit, and you don't want your pretty axle you swapped in looking like shit

I've been practicing and my welds don't look half bad, if i get good penetration i don't really care what the welds look like as long as they will be strong.

If it takes me some time to grind down/re-weld to make the welds perfect it's a learning experience for me. I just wanna get this shit done.

[ninetysix-ex-jay]

i wouldnt use flux core on it.

you get more penetration, but all my arc welds end up looking like shit, and you don't want your pretty axle you swapped in looking like shit

X1000

I wont weld on my jeep with my flux core. Better just do it right the first time.

[OWEN]

Alright, i've been busting my ass trying to get my fathers friend with a mig to weld my truss onto my 44 for me. He's starting to get busy with work and idk if it will ever happen.

If it comes down to the wire, is it a bad idea to arc weld this shit? A lot of people i talk to are like ZOMG ARC WELDER DON'T DO IT.

What should i be real careful of while doing this?

What amp should i run? It's a 250 that is at least 10 years old, probably runs a little low by now.

What size/type rod should i use?

Stick welding it sounds good to me. 1/8" 7018 rod at 150 amps DCEP will give you way better penetration than the migs that most people own are capable of. I think most people stray from the stick welding cannot do it and that is ok... It is not easy, but it is a good process to be familiar with. If you are lucky enough to have a shop with four walls, MIG is a great process, but good luck in any windy environment... That is where gasless processes are valuable.

Generally the output of welding machines do not deminish over time for simply the reason of being "old", so if it is rated 250 amps it probably puts out at least that, given you have the correct input power.

[customcreationsllc]

All welds are about the same strength as long as it is a good weld and you have good penetration.
Arc, Mig, Tig, Gas it doesn't matter as long as the two pieces are completely welded together.

Some welders are is just easier better in certain situation.
Arc welding and Flux core are normally used on thicker material and out on job sites because they both use flux instead shielding gas but they are messier the slag needs to be chipped away after welding.

I never got into Arc welding but you have a lot of choices between rod material, I would ask the guy at the welding shop or look up in a welding hand book what rod for what metal.

As far as the amperage 250 amp machine is more than enough. Practice on similar material and figure out what works best.

If you don't trust yourself just tack or mark it together and bring it to someone to weld on for you.

Good luck.

[stinky]

All welds are about the same strength as long as it is a good weld and you have good penetration.
Arc, Mig, Tig, Gas it doesn't matter as long as the two pieces are completely welded together.

Some welders are is just easier better in certain situation.
Arc welding and Flux core are normally used on thicker material and out on job sites because they both use flux instead shielding gas but they are messier the slag needs to be chipped away after welding.

I never got into Arc welding but you have a lot of choices between rod material, I would ask the guy at the welding shop or look up in a welding hand book what rod for what metal.

As far as the amperage 250 amp machine is more than enough. Practice on similar material and figure out what works best.

If you don't trust yourself just tack or mark it together and bring it to someone to weld on for you.

Good luck.

really?? not so much chief, not all welding processes are of equal strength

just because the metals stick together with 100% penetration, doesnt mean shit...mig generally uses a E60 welding electrode, which means that it will withstand a 60,000psi (pounds per square inch ) tensile load, although an E70 series wire is available too...whereas a 7018 stick electrode is rated at 70,000psi, 8018, 80,000 psi and so on.... and thats only when a sound weld is placed. and not all stick electrodes offer the same amount of penetration, only a few rods offer substantial penetration, most are for filling purposes and have designations for certain positions...flux core mig, dont waste your time unless you're running a 220 machine and running it hot, a 110 mig, using flux core, forget it, i only use it when its an emergency and its all i have (other than a coat hanger and 2 batteries)

now if you run an 1/8" 7018 rod at 150 amps, halfway through the rod the flux becomes unstable due to the ridiculous amount of heat run through it and it wont perform as it should...120 amps is more than enough for an 1/8" 7018 electrode, and if you're having trouble keeping it lit, preheat the axle tubes a little...stick is not a process that means big bead equals stronger weld, all that means is less of a focal point for the heat into the base metals and less penetration and more chances of a slag inclusion...so if you run a small bead, and it doesnt look like it has a lot of reinforcement, allow it to cool off to about room temperature-ish and run beads over top of it...this is the best picture i could find, the bottom right picture is what im explaining

http://deltaschooloftrades.com/pract...s/image002.jpg

honestly, if you're using 1/8" 18 wire to weld on your truss, clean the living dog piss out of the tubes, and if it gets welded to the casting, weld it last, but clean it up well...tack all 4 corners of the truss to the tubes (1/2" tacks so they dont pull and crack)...then stagger your beads (left rear, right front, left front, right rear of truss)...let it cool...if your truss gets welded to the casting, heat the casting to about 150-220 and weld the bitch, and allow it to cool off slowly, if it cools fast, the cast will crack like a mother

any other questions, ask away

[Ktmracer419]

i was at rc welding up my crossmember this past weekend

and i noticed their stick welder

it was a 220 arc

and they had different rods

and they were labeled something like this:

"newbie rod"
"expert rod"
"clean metal"
"rusty metal"



i like how they dumbed it down for me

[OWEN]

7018 clean metal
6011 rusty metal

[CumminsJeep]

i was at rc welding up my crossmember this past weekend

and i noticed their stick welder

it was a 220 arc

and they had different rods

and they were labeled something like this:

"newbie rod"
"expert rod"
"clean metal"
"rusty metal"



i like how they dumbed it down for me

I liked our homemade speed control for the MIG