Fabricating equipment

[Tim Harrigan]

I generally agree with most comments. I like the 7018 best, seems to be clearly the best for vertical and overhead. I find it easier to use than the 6011 for instance, DC technique is different from AC. 6013 is easier than the 6011 for most folks who do not weld much. Lays down more steel and less likely to burn through. 6011 can sure blow through rusty crap though.

[LostFarmer]

I have the standard Linclon AC225 buzz box. It works but isn’t great. I have a Hobart little 220 wire feed with gas shield that works pretty well for light stuff. I am not much of a welder but have a neighbor that I can take the tough stuff too. He learned to weld in the Navy during Korea and is one heck of a fabricator. You need a grinder and I have a abrasion wheel cut off saw that is pretty handy. My uncle uses a saw that looks like a skil saw but cuts metal. It is great for many things. Works well to hack apart scrap and cut out broken pieces on equipment.

As to rod, 6013 and 6011 are the standby for my shop. Best thing I did is get a good auto glass helmet. LF

[Ed Thayer]

@Rod 15864 wrote:

Hi Ed

I wondered about the splatter, thanks. Would it be an issue of too slow a feed rate or too fast?

Usually too fast a wire feed rate will push the molten metal right out of the weld puddle. The result is the spatter balls. Gun angle and direction of travel can also play a role in this.

Fluxcore welding requires clean metal just as mig does. I should have stated that earlier. But it does a superior job, if set up properly, and is much faster for general fabrication.

I still have to stick weld the heavier projects like bucket repair or cast steel jobs.

In school we had to use coathangers for filler metal and flux. How things have changed.

As said here before, there isn’t anything one could not fix with a stick weldor and some patience.

[near horse]

Ed,

PATIENCE?! PATIENCE?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!!!! I’M PATIENT!!! Or maybe not. Likely that’s an additional problem.

[Does’ Leap]

Geoff:

Carl mentioned taking a welding class. I didn’t mention it before, but I highly recommend it if you are decide to stay with stick welding (or any other welding for that matter). I took a welding class at the local high school and burned up 100s of rods. This in combination with the instructor looking at my welds was invaluable. Auto darkening helmets also help.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone ever tried running flux core wire with the gas shield? I’ve heard this works better than either one alone. I’ve never seen it done so I don’t know. Just something to check into.

[CIW]

I run dual shield many times when I’m doing something structural, such as a wagon frame, that gets alot of flexing. Especially if I need to make multiple passes, it greatly decreases any imputities in the surface of the previous bead. Less prep between passes that way.
The double shielded bead doesn’t seem to crystalize like flux core. Using 75/25 or pure argon instead of carbon dioxide as your choice of shield gas will decrease spatter and help with the way the bead lays into the piece your welding if you have your wire speed and amps adjusted correctly.
Also, and probably the most important thing I have found is preperation of the area to be welded. If I bevel out a place for the bead to lay into, it gives greater material penetration and surface area for the bead to stick to giving me greater results. This is where the grinder and a cup brush come in handy.
I also believe that if more people learned to torch weld well, before attempting solid state welding they would possibly find that they better understand how a weld bead is to lay in for greater adhesion and strength. It will also come in handy when wanting to learn to TIG weld metals like stainless or aluminium.
Wes I can agree with learning to use baling wire as filler rod. Also wire coat hangers and barbed wire work well.

[near horse]

I agree George. Nothing better than experience and guidance together. I’m looking to see what welding class might be available nearby – unfortunately our local HS guy is worthless. Still looking.

[TBigLug]

We have the most basic of fabricating equipment. Gas axe, buzz box and a grinder. I’m looking to expand into a chop saw, saw-zall, wire welder and plasma cutter eventually. It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t have much! 😉

[J-L]

Hey CIW, thought you dropped off the edge of the world or something. CIW is a blacksmith by trade and does some great things with metal. A little beyond my ranch kid duct tape and baling wire stuff.

[Barw]

I do all our fabricating and farm repair jobs.I have a 180 comet AC, LKS 250 AC/DC, Miller 400 amp DC with diesel engine portable and a Miller 250 Mig gas
welders along with all the regular welding shop tooling.
It is a very profitable and interesting hobby and there is some to do on the weathered in days.

[Big Horses]

I run a good ol’ Millermatic 200 (same one for over 25 years so far…been rebuilt and probably will be again) , and mostly “dual shield” wire. I’ve used Hobart and Esab dual shield wire and like both. I’d never heard of it before I got asked to help on some locomotive repair…the penetration and quality of the weld is awesome! I normally use straight CO2, unless it’s something that is needing more strength, then switch to 25/75.
I too, learned on a buzz box, and have done LOTS of oxy/acetylene (almost all the aircraft work I do is with o/a), and just a little TIG…but for all around, the wire feed is so nice and simple! The only time I stick weld anymore is if the crusher breaks or needs the rolls built up (about every week), then it’s time to break out the Miller Roughneck portable and fix her up!
JH

[jac]

A fabricating/recycling question .. reading the hummer conversion posts made me wonder if light truck steering can be used for a steering set up on a manure spreader for example.. or would the camber/castor effect make for to much whip at the pole ? I believe the old “auto” steer system was neutral regard camber and castor ??. BTW I discovered you can do a fair repair on cast with a mig.. crank up the power and make sure the break is spotless of oil. Fixed my old hay turner gearbox that way last summer..
John

[Ed Thayer]

@Dave G 15904 wrote:

Has anyone ever tried running flux core wire with the gas shield? I’ve heard this works better than either one alone. I’ve never seen it done so I don’t know. Just something to check into.

The process you are refering to is called OUTERSHIELD and works well for structural projects. It is still vulnerable to the wind issue in the outdoors.

Each process has its place and I do not think any one is really better than the other.

You use what ya got and most do this very successfully.

Honestly, you can make two pieces of steel stick together with just about anything and make it hold. The structural and stressfull welds are what will fail quickly if not prepared and done right.

[Author]

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