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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default Weld spatter removal

    What are you guys using to remove MIG weld spatter?

    Years ago I a heavy duty scraper with a handle which was the perfect tool particularly on larger flat surfaces like sheet metal, but it's long gone and I can't find them for sale anywhere.

    Also, do the anti spatter sprays work? I had a bad experience with one leaving an oily film on finished components in the past, and have not been game to try them since.

    Graham.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldbikerider View Post
    What are you guys using to remove MIG weld spatter?

    Years ago I a heavy duty scraper with a handle which was the perfect tool particularly on larger flat surfaces like sheet metal, but it's long gone and I can't find them for sale anywhere.

    Also, do the anti spatter sprays work? I had a bad experience with one leaving an oily film on finished components in the past, and have not been game to try them since.

    Graham.
    Without being silly, the best spatter removal tool is avoiding it in the first place, so clean material, correct technique and well tuned welder to start with. For the spatter that cannot be avoided I find that a brick bolster can be a very effective tool as it can be sharpened sufficiently and has a bit of weight behind it that helps pop the little beggars off, likewise a sharp cold chisel can be effective. I find Argon based gasses to be worse offenders than CO2 for spatter in many cases. Yes, CO2 may produce more spatter, but the spatter seems much less inclined to stick to the parent material. Obviously as amperages go up, Argon based gasses can enter spray transfer, while CO2 cannot, (I would generally prefer gas shielded flux core at this point to be honest). CO2 reigns supreme for work on Galvanised or Duragal material and produces much less spatter and a better weld on these materials.
    Spatter removal tool choices can also hinge upon what the end use of the component is and a coarse sanding disc may be a really good choice for a job to be powder coated or painted and a poor choice for galvanised products where it would remove far too much galvanising thus requiring large amounts of touch up work.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Aldinga Beach.
    Age
    73
    Posts
    148

    Default

    I have an old half round file with a handle welded to it to make a T. The handle is set at around 30 degrees and both front and rear edges of the file are ground sharp. I just to drag it across the surface of my table to remove splatter.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ballina, NSW
    Posts
    900

    Default

    I use a broad sharpened cold chisel which I just slide around by hand. I do have a can of spray oil, but rarely use it.
    I have a couple of small fibreglass fire blankets (cheap at aldi occasionally), which are great for protecting stuff if critical.
    Karl - that's an interesting observation re CO2 and splatter.
    Mick

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,943

    Default

    Where I do a bit of work, we use a 4" angle grinder with a wire buff fitted to remove the worst of the berries, then followed by a paint scraper. As an anti spatter guard, we use elcheapo detergent mixed with water in spray bottles. Afterwards the trailers are pressure cleaned with water, to remove the residue. The trailers are constructed with Duragal and galv sheets.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    34

    Default

    Back in the 70s as a kid growing up around my father's engineering business I remember there would always be a can of the old pure and simple baking spray near the MIG that was used as anti spatter

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ballarat
    Age
    65
    Posts
    3,103

    Default

    I bought the cheapest nastiest wood chisel I could find and now that the sharp end is rounded a bit it works a treat. It's about 25mm wide.

    Phil

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Thanks guys, some useful ideas there.

    Karl, at the moment I'm MIG welding mild steel using Argoshield Universal (16% CO2), but it's been more than a decade since I had a MIG welder so my technique and machine set up is less than optimum. As I get back into practice I am getting less spatter but I still get some.

    I like the idea of the brick bolster or large cold chisel. I've been using a small cold chisel and hammer but that is fiddly. I don't think the file idea would generate enough force in tight spaces, but I can see how that's a great idea for cleaning up the workbench surface. A trip to Bunnings is needed.

    Thanks again for the ideas.
    Graham.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    I've got a chunk of 75mm x 10mm flat bar that knocks off most bits without scratching or gouging.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Is the flat bar hard enough to withstand this use? Is it just mild steel?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldbikerider View Post
    Is the flat bar hard enough to withstand this use? Is it just mild steel?
    Just mild steel - the edge gets a bit beaten up from the odd stubborn ball that requires a bit of persuasion with a hammer on the other end, but it still works fine.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Frankston south
    Posts
    102

    Default

    For dingleberry removal I use the end of a sharpened file or a sharp cold chisel

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