[Arlie]

Hello,

I am a retired aerospace Engineer/Researcher. During my career, I have frequently been embarrassed by having to critique welds done to my design - knowing that I lacked the ability to weld myself. I was early-on intimidated to attempt welding due to a horrible experience in an undergraduate welding class required of engineering students back in 1959. As I recall, I spent the whole semester breaking off rods that had frozen to the work! I just couldn't see what I was doing.

In retirement, strictly due to the availability of auto-darkening helmets, I signed up for welding at the local junior college. i ended up taking every welding class offered, over a period of 3 years, and I eventually succeeded in getting a Structural Steel Certification from the City of LA plus the AWS. I haven't done anything with those certifications - just DIY projects around the homestead.

The real motivation for me to get into welding came from a vacation trip taken in 2003. My wife and I drove our truck and trailer to Bellingham, Washington to commence a 2-month cruise up to Petersburg, Alaska aboard our dinky little cabin cruiser. The rain in Alaska has to be experienced to be appreciated. The "rag top" on our boat proved insufficient to keep out the damp. Something had to be done. So, I promised my wife that I would construct a water-proof, solid "pilot house" for the boat. Steel, wood, and fiberglas were all too heavy for stability. It would have to be aluminum. And, since bolted construction is not suitable for salt water condition, it would have to be welded. So, I had to learn to weld.

During school, I acquired a used Ranger 8 plus a crotchety old Lincoln 25 wire feeder. For the aluminum project, I bought a new ThermalArc 186 for TIG, and also SMAW. Very recently I have purchased a Lincoln PowerMig 256 for several necessary projects: Driveway gates, perimeter railings for my deck reconstruction, and repair of wear-damaged skids on a 6' "Brush Hog" that I use behind my tractor for brush clearance on my 10 acre pasture.

All of these projects were put on hold last year when I received a dread diagnosis. The winter on onto summer I spent in treatments and I now have a clean bill of health and am recuperating from the treatment. When the doctors told be that I was clear and should live many more years, I calculated (rationalized) that I could probably get sufficient use out of a new welder as to justify the expense. So, I just recently popped for the the PowerMIG 256. But, I am running into some problems doing Plug (spot) welds on the brush hog project. Having watched Jody's great videos and even buying the 4-disc set, I naturally turned to this forum for information. In order to post, I had to register, so here I am. I anticipate starting a thread on the Plug weld issue and expect to offer a review of the Lincoln PowerMig 256, which like all welding machines, has both good and bad points. I have been able to work around the bad points and I am very pleased with the machine at this point.

Well, that's enough. I'll sign off and await the moderator's OK to make posts.

Arlie

[GreinTime]

Moderators okay?! Man, if you introduce yourself first before making a post, you're way better off than some of our members

Seriously though, welcome to the Forum. We have members of all kind, from all industries, and from all skill levels. Anything you need to know, someone will research if they don't have the answer offhand, simply because we enjoy the challenge and it may prove useful to all of us at one point or another.

What issues are you having with the plug welding anyways?

[GreinTime]

I'm Sam by the way, resident peg leg extraordinaire!

[Arlie]

HI, Sam,

Thanks for the welcome. I will be starting a thread that will, hopefully, elicit a general discussion of plug welds. My new Lincoln welder (PowerMig 256) is advertised to have both flux core and plug (spot) welding capability. But, Lincoln does not produce either a flux core nozzle (diffuser port cover) nor a spot weld nozzle for the new Magnum Pro gun. I have spent hours on the line with various Lincoln departments and also at the dealer's store (AirGas). The bottom line is that only Lincoln accessories will fit the Magnum Pro gun and Lincoln doesn't make them. So, I got a spot weld nozzle for the previous gun (Tweco thread, I believe), cut 1/2 inch off of the business end, and silver soldered it to the end of a standard Magnum Pro nozzle. It looks like a kluge but it works well, so I now have a work-around.

My specific current concern is the plug welding of thicker sheet stock. - My brush hog has a large deck & blade cover made of 1/8" sheet steel, which has been ground down on the sides through much use and neglect on my part. My repair design involves a doubler plus replacement part for the side wall, and a doubler on the skid wear surface. Due to the design, making use of plug welds would be most convenient. Finishing with stitch welds will produce a durable product. But, the instructions call for 3/6" dia. holes, which - for the thicker stock - fill in quickly and inhibits penetration into the second surface. (Jody warns us not to put the wire into the middle of the puddle, but that is compelled with a narrow and deep hole to be plugged.) I know that a larger diameter hole and higher "heat" is called for, but instead of doing the experiment using scrap materials, I thought I'd ask for some guidance from the experts.

Regarding the flux core interest, I have no room in the shop for the brush hog, so must perform the welding outside and there is usually a breeze in our area. So, Flux core rather than MIG will be necessary. The plug welds are not the issue here, just the stitch welding which will expose the diffuser. I saw Jody once use teflon tape, but that is not optimum, so I am interested in suggestions for that as well.

Well, that is the program and my interest. I'll start a thread in a day or so, but any immediate suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Arlie

[Mike]

Arlie welcome to the forum.

[Boomer63]

Hi Sam, and welcome! Great post, by the way! Glad to hear about your clean bill of health!

That innershield flux you are using is a bear to get used to. If I were you, I would do what ever I could to adapt so I could use the MIG with the shielding gas. Better weld, easier and you can trust it! Also, does your Ranger 8 or your TIG have a stick function? If so, get yourself either a 7018 X 3/32" or 6011 X 1/8" and do your plug welding with that. I have done many plug welds over the years with that 7018! In fact, I did some bad burns on my legs doing that ... I was wearing knee pads on a job, which pulled up my pants enough so that a small area of skin was exposed on each leg. Then 10 hours of plug welding 3/4" plate ... left some nice burns.

Gary

[Arlie]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the response and the good advice. Yes, my ThermalArc 186 does have a really good SMAW function and I have used it a lot. Its' TIG function is excellent and has much more in the way of control settings than you might expect for a 10 year-old machine. Also, it only weighs around 75 pounds - plus that Ar tank, of course. I do run 7018 as well as 6010, 6011, and 6013 on the ThermalArc (in special cases). I would need to get some 3/16 7018 rods as I only have been running 1/8". I will consider this as a back up option as I really want to work out something using the new MIG welder. The Ranger 8 is an extraordinary heavy old booger and I only roust it out of the storage shed when I have to go far away from an electric plug. I hope to do some experimenting using larger hole diameters (1/4" and even larger) as well as upping the heat this evening. I'd like to have as much personal information available before I open a thread on this subjects.

Thanks again for the 7018 suggestion. That is a great idea.

Arlie

[Boomer63]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the response and the good advice. Yes, my ThermalArc 186 does have a really good SMAW function and I have used it a lot. Its' TIG function is excellent and has much more in the way of control settings than you might expect for a 10 year-old machine. Also, it only weighs around 75 pounds - plus that Ar tank, of course. I do run 7018 as well as 6010, 6011, and 6013 on the ThermalArc (in special cases). I would need to get some 3/16 7018 rods as I only have been running 1/8". I will consider this as a back up option as I really want to work out something using the new MIG welder. The Ranger 8 is an extraordinary heavy old booger and I only roust it out of the storage shed when I have to go far away from an electric plug. I hope to do some experimenting using larger hole diameters (1/4" and even larger) as well as upping the heat this evening. I'd like to have as much personal information available before I open a thread on this subjects.

Thanks again for the 7018 suggestion. That is a great idea.

Arlie

For the bigger holes use your fast freeze rod, the 6011 or 6010. I like the 6011 and can't stand the 6013. But you will find that there is a feud between the 6011/6013 users! I HAD an old Ranger 8. Loved it! If I didn't have a brain injury, I could probably remember exactly when I got the thing and when I used it. As it is, I can remember the truck I had it mounted to and the types of jobs I did with it. Loved that old Lincoln! Anyway, fast freeze is your best option for filling in those gaps. It is what the rod is made for. Keep us posted!

[GreinTime]

Hi Sam, and welcome! Great post, by the way! Glad to hear about your clean bill of health!

That innershield flux you are using is a bear to get used to. If I were you, I would do what ever I could to adapt so I could use the MIG with the shielding gas. Better weld, easier and you can trust it! Also, does your Ranger 8 or your TIG have a stick function? If so, get yourself either a 7018 X 3/32" or 6011 X 1/8" and do your plug welding with that. I have done many plug welds over the years with that 7018! In fact, I did some bad burns on my legs doing that ... I was wearing knee pads on a job, which pulled up my pants enough so that a small area of skin was exposed on each leg. Then 10 hours of plug welding 3/4" plate ... left some nice burns.

Gary

His name is Arlie lol. That just really confused me, as I wasn't sure which one of us you were talking to until I reread it

[Arlie]

Call me Arlie; call me Sam; call me anything you like, just call me in time for dinner. lol

Arlie

[Otto Nobedder]

Call me Arlie; call me Sam; call me anything you like, just call me in time for dinner. lol

Arlie

LOL!

Gary (Boomer63) is one of our regulars.
We get overwhelmed on occasion, and type too quickly to keep up.
We'll get it straight.

No one will call you late to dinner...

Steve S

[Boomer63]

Sorry Arlie! I have a heck of a time with names! I deeply apologize for any offense! LOL! Welcome again!

[GreinTime]

Sorry Arlie! I have a heck of a time with names! I deeply apologize for any offense! LOL! Welcome again!

I'd say both of us have likely been called worse by better

[GreinTime]

Sorry Arlie! I have a heck of a time with names! I deeply apologize for any offense! LOL! Welcome again!

I'd say both of us have likely been called worse by better