I have a HEAVY go kart. do you think my 90 amp welder will do the trick?

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everblade

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I have a 400 pound go kart that Needs word(I'm giving it an all out chop shop re-designe). This is my welder. http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mig-flux-welders/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html

I have used it on my wheel barrel and it holds up fine, but that's alot different than a go kart. I can't have anything breaking while I"m doing 50MPH down a dirt road.

Will this welder suffice? I'D LIKE TO LEARN THE EASY WAY FOR THIS ONE!
:iagree:
 
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everblade

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The wire I'm using was included with the machine I think. The steel tubes on my kart are 1 1/2 inches thick. It's hollow tubing od course, I'd say they're 1/8 an inch thick. But I plan on adding some 1/4 inch steel plating for my swing arm.

My local mechanic has a 125 amp welder he doesn't use. Say he could let me work on my kart at his shop for 20 buck s every day the kart enters the building.
 
Doc Sprocket

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90 amps will be fine, even if the steel really is 1/8". Which, by the way, is quite thick for kart framing. It probably isn't even that thick unless the builder was nuts. I also think 1/4" thick gussets are way overkill, and you're not likely going to get decent penetration on 1/4" with that machine.
 
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pat.m23

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if you going to use your welder i would bevel the edges to make sure that you melt all the way through the metal. i do this anf i have a 124 lincoln welder and nothing has broke yet. and with those type of welders it a short circuit arc and does not penetrate very deep into the metal
 
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everblade

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OK thanks guys. I'm positive the the piping has 1/8 thick steel. Them things that hold your axle on are about 1/4 inch, if not bigger. And I must chop those off and re-weld 'em. Is it a safe job for my little welder?
 
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porsche930dude

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sure itll do it. just bevel the edges like pat said so you can get to all the metal and build it up . My welder is a 100amp and i do stuff much thicker than that. Its not really about how far you can penetrate its weather your getting the wire to touch everywhere
 
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i think he is reffering to beveling the edges then leaving a gap and welding inside the gap

for example most people would assume u weld two peices by putting them right up against them selves and welding on top then let the weld penertreate

really u should leave a gap the thickness for your electrode so u can weld "inside the join as well as on top

kinda like jioning two peices together with glue

u dont push the peices together and let the glue seep into the joint u put glue on each piece and join them together

note in the pic this electrode (iron fileings) was 8mm and it is not a penertrating one
if i took a pic of the underside u would see i welded an 8mm gap and the weld material ran into the gap and penertrated from inside
 

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r97

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I have welded 1/4" steel plate with my 90A flux core welder (.035 wire, beveled edges and an extremely slow travel speed, should have preheated too). It did work, and the weld did not break on my (the hammer test snapped the base metal before the weld). 1/4" plate was a bit over kill in that area anyway.

BUT

Now that I have welded the same metal with 210A, there is a huge difference, the weld from the 210A welder was much sturdier looking. For example, If someone asked me to weld a 1/4" plate on their car with the 90A welder I would say no deal, but with the big welder I would say sure! that'll be $20 :D.

Now, my suggestions to you:

A. Go to the local welding shop and ask them if you can use there big MIG welder for a few welds (Around here they would let me do it for free and send me home with some scrap metal).

B. Redesign the mounting plate from 1/8" steel with several gussets, and rest assured that that thing ain't going nowhere.
 
Doc Sprocket

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r97 said:
I have welded 1/4" steel plate with my 90A flux core welder (.035 wire, beveled edges and an extremely slow travel speed, should have preheated too). It did work, and the weld did not break on my (the hammer test snapped the base metal before the weld). 1/4" plate was a bit over kill in that area anyway.
Click to expand...

I've done it too, in single- and multiple- passes. It's not that it can't be done, it's just not the greatest. The HAZ gets pretty big, and the steel can become brittle.

I still maintain that there is absolutely no need to weld plate that thick on a go kart.
 
devino246

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toystory_4wd said:
I've done it too, in single- and multiple- passes. It's not that it can't be done, it's just not the greatest. The HAZ gets pretty big, and the steel can become brittle.

I still maintain that there is absolutely no need to weld plate that thick on a go kart.
Click to expand...

Bearing hangers are 1/4".
 
devino246

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toystory_4wd said:
Really? For a standard set up? Seems a bit much. However- that's not welding 1/4" to 1/4" blind. That's welding 1/4" to tube in a two-sided fillet. Having access to both sides negates the need to achieve full one-sided penetration.
Click to expand...

True, true, very true.:thumbsup:
 
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