My First Welding Job

[smyrna5]

I suppose this is how it happens. Word gets around that you have a welder and the first thing you know someone wants you to weld something. A friend of mine had his house painted, and the painters knocked a wall mounted flower box off the wall and broke it. He asked me if I could fix it, seeing as how I am a weldor now

I told him I had only been welding for a few months and I had a little bitty welder that couldn't do thick stuff. He asked me to take a look at it anyway. As wet behind the ears as I am, I was shocked at what I saw. The bracket that holds the box on the wall. was just sort of stuck on with 3 small blobs of metal, but it sure wasn't welded. There was no penetration anywhere. In one place, it almost looked like it penetrated, but it was simply molten metal flowing into the gap and not fusing anything. Those 3 awful paste jobs and 3 like them on the other bracket (I hestitate to call them welds) were holding up 4 good size flour pots filled with dirt and water. The box is 9" x 9" x 34."

Problem is that the thing is made from 3/8" square bar, so it will be a challenge for me to weld it with my Handler 140, but I don't really think I could do a worse job. I told him I would try beveling the joints turn up the heat and give it a shot with flux core, and if that didn't work, I would hit it with our mutual friend's Miller Thunderbolt, which I have no clue how to use yet.

He isn't paying anything for this, so he can't expect too much.







The bracket that is still attached (probably just barely) is the thing with two holes on it in the front of the box.

[TexasLonghorn]

HH 140 will tear up 3/8 bar! You will do a fine job. Don't worry about beveling.

[84ZMike]

Originally Posted by smyrna5

He isn't paying anything for this, so he can't expect too much.

This "may" be true, but if you do a questionable job on it...it will bite you in the butt...... this could be a good source for future jobs to help off set some of the cost of your hobby...... and I'll second that the HH140 will do just fine for this repair....
Mike

[thinkharderchri]

Isn't it amazing just how strong a weld can be. Now I realize that the tacks did not hold but I hope this gives some people a little idea just how strong a proper weld is.

You can definatly do a better job no problem at all with your 140. Just try to kinda wrap around the corners. The hardest thing about welding little welds is that you are done as soon as you start and if you make a mistake you cannot readjust your tecnique as you go along.

[Pumpkinhead]

Smyrna,
my advice is don't over-analyze the first few jobs, you have a good head on your shoulders, you and the 140 will do fine.

[Mike W]

smyrna, you can do that. Did you find the problem with your 120 circuit low voltage? That piece is barely tack welded.

[Some Creep]

You Can Dooo eeeett!!

I've done thicker with a Century 90. You're fine.

There's a big difference between the guy who did the weld in the first place and YOU:

YOU CARE!

Your friend will be happy with the results and you'd better swear him to secrecy or you'll have a door step full of friends with other little welding projects for you to help with.

[Tobias]

The 140 will do it very well. And I am sure you will do a better job then that,,, then that,,, whatever it was that made those first welds!


P.S. You first job will never be your last,


most of the time.



Tobias.

[dsergison]

3/8" bar is not like 3/8 plate. much less material to soak up the heat

~ you have plenty of welder for the job.

[rjt70]

He'll be fine, but I bet his buddy spent way too much on that planter box. One nursery in our area sells this imported crap for 70-$80.! They have a whole collection, I think they refer to it as missionary style.

[smyrna5]

Finished up the job yesterday. It took me about 15 minutes to clean off the old welds get it ready for the new and few minutes to weld it. The most difficult part was welding on such a tiny parts meant your weld was done almost before you started. I put on more welds than the original had, since they seemed to try for the very minimum possible, and I tried to weld each piece as far around as I could reach. I cleaned off the flux and touched up the paint, and am going to deliver it today. I don't really have any way to test it, since destructive testing is out of the question here, but I know my welds are way stronger than the ones on the still existing bracket on the other side. I thought about replacing it, but decided to leave it alone. I could see that fixing all the bad welds on the piece was going to be a never ending job, and would basically lead to rebuilding the entire thing! If it fails, I will just fix it too. I also sent the guy pictures of the bad welds pointing out the lack of penetration anywhere.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Tobias]

Originally Posted by smyrna5

Thanks for the encouragement.

Your welcome.

Encouragement is free, action costs.


Tobias.