General welding information

[metalmeltr]

I am writing this to provide the go karting comunity with some general information about welding. If you have any welding related questions please send me a PM. Although i am not a profesional welder I do have a fair amount of expirence and a high level of understanding of welding.

Welding steel

Steel can be welded by many methods.
MIG
TIG
Arc
Oxygen fuel torch welding

I would recomend Mig for inexpirenced welders with a flexible buget for a machine.

TIg is a specialty process that is not generally needed fro welding mild steel.

Arc macines are very afordablr but harder to learn how to use. They are also better suited for thicker metal, but thin metal can be welded with an arc welder.

Torch welding is harder to learn but can weld many thickneses of metal. A torch is also a very versatile tool to have.

Welding Crome Moly Steel

Crome moly steel which is high strength steel that is generally used in very high strength aplications.

Crome moly must be welded with TIG

Welding stainless steel

Stainless steel can be weld with a MIg or Tig.

Welding stainless steel is not much diferent from welding steel except for the shielding gas and the filler metal.

Welding aluminum
Aluminum can be welded with MIG or TIG
Although it is somewhat dificult you can use aluminum welding wire in a standard MIG welding machine.
The most afordable and simplest method of welding aluminum is to use a spoolgun on a MIG welder.
Aluminum can also be welded with TIG.


Welding FAQ

Will This welder work?

If it is a MIG or TIG it will definentally work for building a go kart. If the welder is an arc welder it can be used if you practice diligentally at welding the thinner metal.

 

[lemegacool]

i'm a pro-welder so if anyone have a question feel free to PM

also chome moly can be welded with other processes... it just needs a little love and pre-heat lol

 

[stkcode]

Tig is the welding method generally preferred for welding aluminum and stainless. Especially, thin metals. Mostly due to it's on-the-fly voltage control (usually via a foot pedal which really helps for heat control).

I'd just thought I'd mention it since some ppl might be making their frame or other parts from aluminum or ss. It's not to say that these types of metal cannot be welded via mig (using a spoolgun) or arc welding...but tig is usually the preffered method.

 

[lemegacool]

keeping in mind that most of the guys on the forum dont have access to a tig this guide should be focused more on stick and semi-auomatic welding

just to add tig is EXTREMELY intolerant to oil, rust or dirt...

if you want to make a frame in alu get a spool gun... you will save you many swears (welding tight spots on alu with tig can sometime be a pita...

 

[motor_head]

with a arc as long as you can get the arc going you can get a strong weld
with all the welding questions lately this should be stickied

 

[lemegacool]

with a arc as long as you can get the arc going you can get a strong weld
with all the welding questions lately this should be stickied

yep, but when welding a frame i would suggest using low hydrogen 7018 rod... it makes much stronger welds than let say 7014... use 7013 or 7014 rod for accesory and 7018 for frame. if you have a AC (alternative current) welder then take AC 7018... because DC 7018 will be more of a pain to use in AC

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Really? I use 7014 for everything because I have a lot of it laying around, I figure its stronger than the mild steel I am welding on in the first place. I have some 7018 to play with but I would have to dry it out.

 

[rmkrider1]

yep, but when welding a frame i would suggest using low hydrogen 7018 rod... it makes much stronger welds than let say 7014... use 7013 or 7014 rod for accesory and 7018 for frame. if you have a AC (alternative current) welder then take AC 7018... because DC 7018 will be more of a pain to use in AC

7018 is not "much stronger" then 7014,7013,7024 etc. Do you know what the first 2 numbers in 7018 mean? the same thing they mean in 7014! Also AC is not alternative current it is alternating current.

 

[That One Guy]

I'm making my own frame in shop, and somewhat recently in the build, I have decided that it would probably be a smart idea to bevel the edges of my 1" 0.90 pipe, so the weld can sink into the groove, and i can grind it smooth. Is this a good idea?

 

[lemegacool]

7018 is not "much stronger" then 7014,7013,7024 etc. Do you know what the first 2 numbers in 7018 mean? the same thing they mean in 7014! Also AC is not alternative current it is alternating current.

dude i do my best to translate as i post (in french its "courant alternatif") and yeah the first two strenght number are the same but i personally find the 7018 to be more resillient to stress

 

[rmkrider1]

I'm making my own frame in shop, and somewhat recently in the build, I have decided that it would probably be a smart idea to bevel the edges of my 1" 0.90 pipe, so the weld can sink into the groove, and i can grind it smooth. Is this a good idea?

Great idea.....especially if you're wanting to grind the welds down flush beveling is a must.

On a side note I see your from Pasco WA. How do you like the area? I worked in moses lake for about 5 months of this year and I thought the locals were rude.

 

[rmkrider1]

dude i do my best to translate as i post (in french its "courant alternatif") and yeah the first two strenght number are the same but i personally find the 7018 to be more resillient to stress

Thats fine and i understand. Just don't like seeing false information being passed on as facts.

 

[That One Guy]

Sweet, thanks
Well, weather-wise, it's very diverse, and we just got our first snow a bit late on Saturday. And about Moses Lake People there ARE rude, they're TERRIBLE. But out here in rural Pasco, everyone's pretty nice. It's the townfolk you might have to worry about... (Mexicans).

 

[rmkrider1]

LOL I hear you.....We had to drive to Othello for rooms one week and the "townfolk" was really bad there!

 

[That One Guy]

Pretty much anywhere here, other than the Tri-City's is like that