What am I doing wrong

wsmm

Member
Not a great welder at all, but was practicing trying to weld a nut to a piece of steel on the inside of the nut. Trying this as I may have to weld a nut to the filler plug on my transfer case to get it out. Was using a flux core welder with .30 wire. Getting good hot weld to the nut, but the weld is not sticking to the base material, not enough penetration. Can you offer me any advice. Do I need to use my arc welder instead? If so what type of rod would you suggest? Like I said I'm not a good welder but have stuck a few things together.
 
Sometimes the cad plating on hardware makes it hard to stick on low heat. Fresh grinding on the base helps . Turn up heat until it sticks. Shoot it right in there. Don't worry the wrench will break off the first few nuts until you get a good one stuck on. Tougher with arc than MIG. Either works.
 
What are you using for a base? If you're using a piece of thick stock (even 1/2" or so) you're probably not able to get it hot enough with your flux core welder (assuming it's one of the standard little 110 jobbers meant mostly for sheet metal) to get it to stick. I usually use my arc welder for those jobs as I find it easier to manipulate the (relatively) small electrode inside the nut versus the (again, relatively) large nozzle assembly of a MIG gun, but that's me, and others may do better with a MIG.
 
in addition to what the previous two other posters said , drill out the threads of the nut . I generally tig weld smaller nuts and mig weld larger ones , flux cord may prove to be a challenge for what you are trying to do.
 

The plug on the transfer case might be weeping oil , this will make it very difficult to weld onto it . Same thing happens when trying to weld cracks into the backend of a Ferguson , the oil that has sat in it for 60 odd years makes it almost impossible to weld well .
 
weld a flat washer to the plug, then weld a nut to the flat washer. this allows u to weld to the outside of the nut. then use vise grips to loosen.
 
The problem with MIG is it's prone to "cold starts", where it takes a bit of time for the base material to get hot enough to fuse. In the case of welding a nut onto a larger piece of steel, you need to focus your electrode on the big piece until you have a weld puddle, then move over to the nut. It's all about creating and maintaining a weld puddle.

It's always tricky to weld a short bead, but don't be tempted to turn down the heat. The "heat" in the case of a wire feed welder is the wire speed: the faster the speed, the greater the current and the greater the heat. Use the recommended speed and voltage for the larger piece, because that's what you have to heat.

Consider using preheat to warm up the larger piece. Heating the big piece with a torch will give it a head start on the smaller piece.
 
What are you working with, an old Army 6 X 6 or a modern pickup?

Are you SURE the plug is steel, might be aluminum if in a newer vehicle.

Also, modern transfer cases are often mode of magnesium to save weight, better not light that stuff of, if that's what you are dealing with!
 
Do you really need the nut welded to the plug? Why not just a length of steel rod or angle iron and skip the nut/wrench part?
 

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