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Welding critique

hjeepxj

hjeepxj

#OCDINK
NAXJA Member
Location
Denver, CO
Installed the rear driver side Hooligan stiffener. Some of the welds turned out pretty decent - some not so much. I got 2 holes in the frame (small) and I should be able to fix them. I am having a heck of a time welding the bottom side - does any body have any tricks? Does it look decent? I had the welder set on the recommended setting for the 16 guage it seemed to work decent but perhaps I need to turn it up? Doing the other side tomorrow.

These are some shots of areas I'm having a hard time with:

34958233995_d461293894_b.jpg


34794378802_b277e04b06_b.jpg


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34794367682_13b36e18aa_b.jpg


34794361972_5210433a3b_b.jpg


These semed to turn out okay:

34794352652_781a1c0420_b.jpg


34570977480_b68fe8cdd1_b.jpg


34826226341_44828ce979_b.jpg


34570946130_f4b7372e43_b.jpg


34570952450_2c547c73ac_b.jpg


34917832896_62fe2387c6_b.jpg


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On this shot, it is towards the back, there is NOT a lot of room to weld - any input? Do I need to not weld back there?

34570970110_1143097893_b.jpg
 
Also, do you want to hit the holes all the way around?
 
It looks like you need to slow down. I would do the holes all the way around. When Im welding to thin sheet metal, I have no problem running the welder hot and just doing the stack a tack method, so that's an option. Don't forget when welding thick to thin to try and concentrate your heat to the thicker material.
 
As the pictures go from top to bottom the welds look better. Most of those successful welds are decent looking welds. If you don't weld often it takes a bit to regain the skill, and to figure out what technique works for the situation. When welding thick metal to thin, angle the gun toward the thicker metal. You need to spend more time on heating up the thicker metal and getting good penetration. When the thicker metal is heated and you have a fair sized pool of molten metal you move over to incorporate the thinner metal. At the back nearer to the rear spring shackle mount, the skid plate and/or Class-III hitch bolts will substitute OK for welding. I would fuse that slot. Round holes for rosette welds are usually welded all the way around.
 
The pictures of the bad welds weren't chronological, so it wasn't necessarily regaining the skill (all though that was a bit of it because I don't weld often). It was more the fact that I was on my back with my arms floating (I usually like to support my one arm on something stationary then use that arm to support the other arm).

Also, on the welder settings, I can get on board with working from the 3/16"s to the body - it seemed as if to big of a pool of weld was building up before the 3/16 was melted - should I turn my speed down a little and my heat up a little?

THANK YOU GUYS for your input! :cheers:
 
Give it try. Or just turn the spped down some and slow down on how fast you're moving. You might just have to mess around with the setting to suit your style of welding. And yea, out of position welding gets interesting!
 
You need to establish the puddle before you start travel: When you start the arc, hang out on that spot long enough to build up heat and establish a puddle, then start travel. When you get to the end of your weld, pause and keep pushing wire to fill out the puddle.
 
The single MOST important thing to welding, is to get comfortable!! Pre run the welds and see if you're comfortable, steady and can run it with ease. A weld ran comfortably is gonna be 100x better looking, especially if you're newer to welding. Find something to rest your arm on, and make sure you do your movements with the back hand (one holding the trigger). Not sure if that's a 100% rule, but that's how I was taught.
 
Honestly if you have scrap metal to work with I'd practice ALOT. I found it helped me when I started welding. just run beads over and over until they're good.
 
Thanks for the input dudes! I went back and finished the rosettes, filled the holes, and completed the other side. Ground them down OCD fashion and painted it all with Top Secret Coatings (POR15 on steroids). Turned out decent.

34939252956_90332c5cb8_b.jpg
 
The welder giveth, the flap wheel taketh away.

Your doing good. I did this same job many years ago. It sucked. Burned all kinds of hole in my flesh from dropping puddles. Weld grind, weld. It will get easier with time. Your doing the right thing, adding stiffeners before the frame cracks and you have terminal death wobble.

John
 
nosigma said:
The welder giveth, the flap wheel taketh away.

Your doing good. I did this same job many years ago. It sucked. Burned all kinds of hole in my flesh from dropping puddles. Weld grind, weld. It will get easier with time. Your doing the right thing, adding stiffeners before the frame cracks and you have terminal death wobble.

John
Click to expand...

Thanks for the positive vibes. :cheers:

This thing hasn't seen hardly a dirt road (that I know of). I knew I wanted to do all the reinforcing I could before I got it all twisted up. My old XJ the doors needed persuasion to close LOL.
 
I guess you are done but are you pushing or pulling your welds? Try pushing if you are not already -- also looks cold -- turn up your heat and wire speed a little if you must pull -- Pushing gets better penetration and may work better with your current settings
 
Heavyopp said:
I guess you are done but are you pushing or pulling your welds? Try pushing if you are not already -- also looks cold -- turn up your heat and wire speed a little if you must pull -- Pushing gets better penetration and may work better with your current settings
Click to expand...

I had to think about the push pull question lol.

I generally push - with the cramped nature of this job I may have pulled some of them but am not sure.

I did turn the heat up after those pictures and you're right, it helped.

:cheers:
 
to me it looks like you were having a hard time seeing the puddle as the weld went in. like others have said concentrate the heat on the thicker material, and watch your tow lines (edge of weld) make sure they are where you want them. remember metal is forgiving, if you dont like it grind it out and do it again.
 
K.Hess said:
to me it looks like you were having a hard time seeing the puddle as the weld went in. like others have said concentrate the heat on the thicker material, and watch your tow lines (edge of weld) make sure they are where you want them. remember metal is forgiving, if you dont like it grind it out and do it again.
Click to expand...

Very true, it was hard to see the pools as the area(s) are tight. I was a lot better towards the end - I will see how the mids go.
 
Heavyopp said:
I guess you are done but are you pushing or pulling your welds? Try pushing if you are not already -- also looks cold -- turn up your heat and wire speed a little if you must pull -- Pushing gets better penetration and may work better with your current settings
Click to expand...

Pulling actually results in deeper penetration and a slightly more crowned bead. Pushing results in shallower penetration and a flatter bead because you are pushing the hot wire out in front on colder plate. Pulling drives the hot wire back into the molten puddle.
 
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