My first welding attempt

[goldstar0011]

Since getting a welder I've played about welding hinges shut and making weld pattern, but thought best way to learn is to have ago.
Alienfish has given me info over time on this project so thought is best one to try.
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Firstly it's a spare shifter so thats ok and as for testing the weld would throwing at the floor hadr work? well first time it broke so start again, then after chaging the setting and wire speed it was welding better, another throw test and it held, tested again and again and again and it's still fine!

Will fit to car end of month as am off, so will drive round bloke so it it breaks i'm not too far away, cause some of us know how Alienfish had to make use of his AA when his broke!!

 

[RIK]

nice one....this is somthing i really want to do,alot of my plans involve weldeing but i get my uncle to do it all for me,he offers to show me but i never say yes.so that he gets my job done quiker basicly and i can get back out on the road

but i will next time and maybe buy my own to keep at my house instead of lending his

 

[Andrew]

It's hard to tell from the pics, but it doesn't look like you cleaned much of the area either side of the weld. I can't see if you have ground the weld off after doing it, but if you haven't, there is no way that weld has good penetration. I'd say welding a rod of thick steel like this isn't the easiest thing in the world.

 

[RIK]

the best way to join a bar that needs to keep its strenght,is to taper the ends down on a laith if poss and collar it drill it though and pin it,,but i dont think its needed in this case

but doing that would make i the stongest part of the bar,,making the part either side of that area a weak point and would break ther if it was going to,

 

[59 bhp is more than enough]

thats a lot better than my first attempts at welding. seems like you have done a god job, did you taper the ends with a grinder? as i found that to be the easiest for welding a thick shaft but as long as its works mate, just make sure you test it a lot coz you dont want it snapping when driving. best way is to put it in a vice and give it a few good knocks with plastic hammer or something.

 

[goldstar0011]

Did I taper? erm...don't know.

I ground each joint end to and angle which makes my area to join when welding, ground the excess with the bench grinder but not bothered about how it looks.

I used Cisco's guide and it seems to have worked good

 

[RIK]

Did I taper? erm...don't know.

I ground each joint end to and angle which makes my area to join when welding, ground the excess with the bench grinder but not bothered about how it looks.

I used Cisco's guide and it seems to have worked good

yeah,,shold be better than just buttng two flat ends together

 

[hughes_16v]

you can weld my blowing exhaust next

 

[Alienfish360]

yep, taper the ends, and since it's a cylinder. SLEEVE it and weld the sleeve on. As it's solid when you weld it, the joint is only round the outside, I learnt this the hard way. If you sleeve it and weld either side of the sleeve, much stronger. It took around 2 or 3 months for mine to break. Looks as though as it had been going for a while though as rust had got in

 

[masterbiker]

Also if no-one has told you, let all your welds cool down naturaly as it will be stronger than if quenching it in water.