are my welds any good?

[bassandgokarts]

just need someones opinion on my welds. about to build a kart from scratch and just wanna make sure my welds wont fail. im using a harbor freight 70 amp stick welder.

 

[Flyinhillbilly]

I like to practice on the metal I'll be using and then beat / bend on it until it fails. When you consistently break the metal and not the weld you're doing it right.

 

[bassandgokarts]

ok going to try that. still trying to sell my go kart to get enough money to buy metal though.

 

[Bbqjoe]

The cross section looks real good to me.

 

[Kartorbust]

Spatter is fine, not too excessive. There's no undercut, so looks good to me. Was this a butt joint or just practicing?

 

[bassandgokarts]

just practice on some flat bar 1/8 inch thick

 

[Kartorbust]

Looks good. Do so butt joints, since those are the majority of what karts will be made from.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Are my welds any good?

We should ask Spindles.

 

[bassandgokarts]

im out of electrodes again i can only use 1/16 or 5/64, the hf 70 amp welder just can't do 3/32. ill be getting the wheels for the kart saturday though, theyre from a suzuki lt250r.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

At least you have DC capability. I'm still rubbing sticks together with an AC buzz box.

Yours looks better than mine.

As the other guys have said, practice on what your gonna do and then tear it up. A good weld will never fail, it will break the original material right near the weld.

 

[Kartorbust]

What rods you using? As much as I hate stick welding, I usually use 6013. At times I would like a 7018, but since that's a low Hydrogen rod, a 7014 will be off the same strength.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I'm not the nice guy in the bunch, I'm not the expert welder, but.....can anyone who REALLY KNOWS WELDING.....see sufficient penetration?

Looks like a surface bead of crap to me.

 

[Kartorbust]

I'm not the nice guy in the bunch, I'm not the expert welder, but.....can anyone who REALLY KNOWS WELDING.....see sufficient penetration?

Looks like a surface bead of crap to me.

Yes they can. Visual inspection is a legitimate weld inspection as per the American Welding Society. Usually requires someone with no worse than 20/40 vision. Though welding gauges do help.

It'd be easier to judge in person and if it was a lap joint, t-joint, butt joint, etc. Going by pictures, it's hard to tell, but there is no slag inclusion, under cut, or excessive spatter. Unless they want to become a member on say Miller or Hobart's websites and ask people who have more years of experience in welding than I do or any of us really for that matter.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Gee I'm no expert either PB, but I see the weld and the steel appearing as one on the cross section.
I'm certain a better test would be a butt joint or a lap weld.

 

[B.M.800]

If you were to polish the cross section you ought to be able to see the penetration of the weld in the base metal. Im not sure if something like vinegar would make more noticeable?

You could take a grinder and grind it down little by little to see if there is any porosity in there.

...if you really wanted to take the time...

 

[bassandgokarts]

using 6013 rods, i dont think they make 7018 1/16 inch rods but i could be wrong, i know ive never seen them though. ill probably pick some more rods up tomorrow, someone bought my kart for 250 so i can get steel too.

 

[machinist@large]

Some times it seems even the simple stuff is to complicated for some.....

I'm not the nice guy in the bunch, I'm not the expert welder, but.....can anyone who REALLY KNOWS WELDING.....see sufficient penetration?

Looks like a surface bead of crap to me.

Based on just the photos provided, I'd tend to agree; if it was a properly prep'ed V joint we'd see a root penetration bead on the underside. I'm willing to cut the OP some slack though, because he's A] being polite, and B] he's trying to learn.

What rods you using? As much as I hate stick welding, I usually use 6013. At times I would like a 7018, but since that's a low Hydrogen rod, a 7014 will be off the same strength.

7018 is stronger than 7014 due to the fact that it's low hydrogen. That being said, it takes a lot of effort to keep 7018's rating if you don't use it every day, the most important being keeping it dry. Not "I store it on a shelf in the garage" dry, try "I keep my rod in the rod oven at at least 250°F at all time's to drive off moisture" dry.

That being said, I'll take 7014 over 6013 anytime. The only thing 6013 has going for it is ease of striking and keeping an arc going. Its cleaning action is non existent, its penetration action is almost as bad, and it excels at slag inclusions.

using 6013 rods, i dont think they make 7018 1/16 inch rods but i could be wrong, i know ive never seen them though. ill probably pick some more rods up tomorrow, someone bought my kart for 250 so i can get steel too.

Crash course in welding rod size selection; when using a small machine on small cross sections of material, USE EVEN SMALLER DIA. RODS!!!!! Case in point, 1/8" thick material, use 1/16" (or smaller) dia. rod. You have to match the rod size to what your material thickness, as well as your machines output and your actual skill set.

 

[Bbqjoe]

^^^^ This is why I'd never claim to be a welder.
I can usually stick two things together though.

But I'd be willing to bet, a guy would have a heck of a time knocking the OP's bead off with a hammer.

 

[Kartorbust]

Based on just the photos provided, I'd tend to agree; if it was a properly prep'ed V joint we'd see a root penetration bead on the underside. I'm willing to cut the OP some slack though, because he's A] being polite, and B] he's trying to learn.



7018 is stronger than 7014 due to the fact that it's low hydrogen. That being said, it takes a lot of effort to keep 7018's rating if you don't use it every day, the most important being keeping it dry. Not "I store it on a shelf in the garage" dry, try "I keep my rod in the rod oven at at least 250°F at all time's to drive off moisture" dry.

That being said, I'll take 7014 over 6013 anytime. The only thing 6013 has going for it is ease of striking and keeping an arc going. Its cleaning action is non existent, its penetration action is almost as bad, and it excels at slag inclusions.



Crash course in welding rod size selection; when using a small machine on small cross sections of material, USE EVEN SMALLER DIA. RODS!!!!! Case in point, 1/8" thick material, use 1/16" (or smaller) dia. rod. You have to match the rod size to what your material thickness, as well as your machines output and your actual skill set.

Yeah I know. We did that with all our rods in college regardless if they were low Hydrogen or not. But to me 70,000 strength is 70,000 regardless of composition. That's why I said a 7014 and 7018 besides being a bit different for all intents and purposes they are close enough. Also if one does use a low Hydrogen rod and not heat it constantly for storage, they should only buy the smallest amount they can and use it up, other wise in a way it does become like a 7014, at least that's what my instructor told me in college.

 

[machinist@large]

^^^^ This is why I'd never claim to be a welder.
I can usually stick two things together though.

But I'd be willing to bet, a guy would have a heck of a time knocking the OP's bead off with a hammer.

If it's 6013, that weld bead could just be laying on the surface. And no, I'm not joking. In industry, 6013 has zero structural rating, and is commonly known as "Lair's Rod".