Welding question.

lastcowboy32

Well-known Member
I recently modified the exhaust system on our Jinma 284. To do this, I cut the old muffler off of its mounting flange and then welded a 6" long x 1-3/4" black iron pipe nipple onto the flange in order to make something that I could clamp a stock muffler onto.

Anyway, I ground the end of the pipe so that it had a taper all of the way around and set it on the flange. The pipe is fairly thick. I estimated about 1/8" steel. So, I set my wire-feed welder to high current (it just has a high/low) and the appropriate wire feed speed for 1/8" thick metal.

Boom! First arc blew through the joint instead of tac welding. With a little finagling, I was able to get it tac welded in a couple of spots and proceed to weld the pipe onto the flange.

The thing is, it seemed as though it would blow through if I aimed right at the joint where the taper met the flange. It seemed that I had to aim the wire at a point just above the taper where the pipe was full thickness and then work the "puddle" toward the joint.

Seeing as how the metal was thin right at the joint, due to the taper that I ground on the pipe; should I have started with a lower current and wire feed setting to weld the taper and then made another pass with higher current and wire feed speed?

I'm a little new to welding, so any advice would be appreciated.
 
You always work from thick to thin when welding. As for wire feed well a trained monkey can do that. Yes I do not like wire feed and yes I own one and have done it for a job but if I have a choice I will stick weld before I ever fire up the wire feed. Yes I know stick mig and tig and have done them all
 
(quoted from post at 20:51:34 08/16/15) You always work from thick to thin when welding. As for wire feed well a trained monkey can do that. Yes I do not like wire feed and yes I own one and have done it for a job but if I have a choice I will stick weld before I ever fire up the wire feed. Yes I know stick mig and tig and have done them all

The wire feed is all I have. It's not so simple though, as it's a cheap welder that I purchased to get some experience. The arc is AC, not DC and there is no inert gas. The damn thing splatters and spits.

I've read some reviews online that say that I can buy a bridge rectifier and capacitor and modify it to make a DC arc.

I've also read that I should throw away the spool of wire that comes with it and buy a spool of good name brand wire.

But back to working thick to thin.

The sections where I did that seemed to lay the nicest bead, although the bead had a somewhat braided appearance, as I wavered slightly to work the puddle from the thick part of the pipe toward the taper.

I welded the piece standing up (I'll post a photo below), so I worked from the pipe and let gravity help the puddle/bead work toward the flange. Maybe I would have been better off if I had oriented the pieces level?

26174.jpg
 
What the heck. Here are a few other pictures of the project.

The old muffler had vibrated apart near the bottom in part of its fat section (unweldable). I went to a dealer and got a stock tractor muffler. Also got a piece of 1-3/4" pipe and some stock muffler parts. I cut off the old muffler's flange and used it to mount the new assembly.

26175.jpg
26176.jpg
26177.jpg
26178.jpg
 
Sounds like you need flux core wire and you do not have that in the machine. My mig uses the flux core no gas and yep they spot and splatter and that is one reason I almost never use it. Lay it on its sdie so you can work back and fourth on the 2 pieces so you do not get the thin to hot and burn a hole in it.
 
(quoted from post at 08:45:33 08/17/15) Sounds like you need flux core wire and you do not have that in the machine. My mig uses the flux core no gas and yep they spot and splatter and that is one reason I almost never use it. Lay it on its sdie so you can work back and fourth on the 2 pieces so you do not get the thin to hot and burn a hole in it.

It has flux core wire in it, but I've been told that cheap flux core wire is a whole different world than name brand flux core wire.
 
Yep not all stuff is made worth much now days. On thin still like you working with I would try the low side of the welder and see how it works. Guess that is the reason if I look at a welder to buy I make sure it has a good bit of adjustments on it or they are pretty much maybe at best a boat anchor to me. Even my mig welder has a good bit of adjustment on it and I think I picked it up for under $50
 
I think you should have been able to use low amps on the wire feed and work fromt he flange to the pipe as old said. put the heat on the thicker part.

This past weekend I cut some exhaust pipe up to use as patches for tractor rims. I used 70a and 3/32 6011 rods to weld those in.

gotta be carefull not to blow thru.. but stick will get it. :)
 
You have to work with what you have, butnwith that shrt se rion I would have laid it on its side, placed the bead on the flange and let gravity flow it to the tube. Having some old skates or steel wheel to put on the bench helps roll it around as you weld.
 
(quoted from post at 13:18:07 08/17/15) You have to work with what you have, butnwith that shrt se rion I would have laid it on its side, placed the bead on the flange and let gravity flow it to the tube. Having some old skates or steel wheel to put on the bench helps roll it around as you weld.

Lets say that I plan to aim at the flange and let the bead flow toward where the pipe mates with it. I'm assuming that I should put my welder's return clamp on the flange (as opposed to the pipe) to ensure that I get a good arc started.

Yes? No? Doesn't matter?
 

If t sputters and spits make sure you have the polarity right and make sure you are using flux core wire. Wire for use with gas is different and will not work without gas. The polarity is reversed for gas vs no gas. Turn the heat down and start your arc on the thick metal and move to the thin and do not be afraid to get off the trigger.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top