Welding a VAC Drawbar

Anonymous-0 · Mar 11, 2014

About five years ago I bought a nice little '54 VAC-14 out of Howell, MI. After doing just a few quick repairs on it I parked itin the shed. Well, hopefully I'll get a chance to work onit this summer.

Some things needing immediate attention:
•Loose rear wheel
•Re-work seat suspension
•Replace tie-rod end on left front wheel
•Etc.

Well, about number 8 on the priority list is the drawbar. Someone simply cut probably about the last 4" off the end.

Years ago I welded tbe drawbar on our Minneapolis. Moline U after someone drove it through a road ditch with a green chopper on the back. No one told me the dangers of welding a drawbar. I simply jacked up our Forney arc welder & welded it up. Years later it was still hauling manure with our 220 bushel spreader. So I am not too worried about welding my VAC.

We had our first nice spring day yesterday after a record breaking cold streak (some 60 days belowzero). And now I see we may be below zero again tomorrow night. Whew!

Anyway...not much point to this June. Just really getting antsy for spring.

Glenn F.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 11, 2014

Silly auto correct....

Not much point to this post. Just really getting antsy....

Don Rudolph · Mar 11, 2014

Glenn,
I feel your pain. I know others have had a tougher winter, but this has been a bad one in my book. Yesterday was beautiful, but fleeting. It really gives you hope and then its gone.

Remember our show up here is featuring Case this year. Don

casenut1 · Mar 11, 2014

Where's your show at?

Anonymous-0 · Mar 11, 2014

I haven't been there, but I believe it's at Valmy, WI., probably ten miles from Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Glenn F.

Don Rudolph · Mar 11, 2014

Glenn is right. It's the Valmy Thresheree put on by the Northeast WI Antique Power Assn. Aug. 15, 16, and 17. We are on the beautiful Door County peninsula about 50 miles NE of Green Bay, WI. Don

Christopher Mikesell · Mar 11, 2014

Make sure that you vee-out the joint at a 45 degree angle on both the top and bottom sides. After welding a base pass and several cover passes, back-grind the joint to eliminate any areas with poor penetration and to avoid trapping any flux. Once you have filled the vee, grind the surface smooth and remove any slight warp by heating it with a torch and bending it straight. Drawbars are usually made of mild steel, so running 6010 with your Forney arc welder should work out just fine.

Jimmie D. Phelps · Mar 13, 2014

Also preheat the bar up to 4 in. from each end pre heat it to about 1000 to 1200 degrees get a weld stick of that range and use it to be sure of the temp. You need to use that to for axles. Without doing that the bar can crystalize and break.

Christopher Mikesell · Mar 13, 2014

If the drawbar is mild steel, then no preheat should be necessary. Really, you don't need a preheat for mild steel unless the piece is very large and you are using a small rod. I cannot recommend repairing axles. I know that many axles are forged, and some are made of high strength steels. No forged piece will regain its original properties after welding, even with a post-heat treatment. Also, axles need to be accurately straightened after welding, since welding on them will distort them.
If you must weld an axle, first find out the composition of the steel. Then, get a professional welder to do preparation and the welding, and have it straightened at a machine shop. Or, just buy a salvaged replacement.

Welding a VAC Drawbar

Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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Don Rudolph

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casenut1

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Anonymous-0

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Don Rudolph

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Christopher Mikesell

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Jimmie D. Phelps

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Christopher Mikesell

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