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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4

    Default Welding Old Metal

    I have some sheet steel 1000 x 500 x 1 that has been painted and is quite rusted, I want to weld a barrier of 16mm RHS around the edges to for a barrier. I have ground all the rust and paint from the sheets. I tried a test and the weld does not seem to be sticking and seems to be in small balls along the join.

    I am using a CIG Arc Inverter 140 amp welder.

    Are my rods too old?
    Does the sheets need to be cleaned with something else?
    In short, what am I doing wrong?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    7,182

    Default

    Bunch of obvious questions.

    Can you strike / establish arc and run a bead on the angle, on the thin steel sheet? - are you sure it is steel?
    Are they Zn plated?

    What current setting are you using?
    Is your earth clamp making a good connection.
    Is the angle clean and showing bare metal?
    Are your rods old and or damp? - if the latter try putting then into a moderate oven for an hour or so to dry them out.

    Small balls along the joint suggest you are over heating
    1mm is pretty thin for stick welding - unless you know what you are doing chances are you will just burn holes in it it.

    Some steels are much trickier to weld than others. High tensile steel as used in old bed frames is really tricky, even the 2mm thick stuff splutters, bubblies and beads up unless everything is on sing.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Mackay North Qld
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    6,446

    Default

    Hi garryjc,
    A long belated welcome to you,

    A sort of welcome, anyway, since you joined in back in 2004 on the woodwork side.We are now a stand alone forum in our own right, but still related to the WWF.
    I notice you have n't worn out a keyboard posting to the forum/s since joining.

    As a long standing member perhaps it's a good idea to re-introduce yourself to the mob in our Welcome Wagon forum.

    At the moment we don't know you from a bar of soap and its a great way to break the ice.

    In addition, a good introduction can sometimes help ,those people answering a question have a idea of your background and experience or lack of ,if you are a novice. If members assisting can better understand what sort of metalworking you do, and the experience level you do it at, they can respond more appropriately and usually much quicker.

    Please tell us about yourself , what your metalwork interests are,and about the metalwork tools and equipment you have and the projects you have interest in.


    To navigate around our forums and also find the welcome wagon do ( it is sixth line down- see the directions below)

    goto the Home box (its up there in the top left hand corner of the page-rectangle with Home and a small white arrow in the rectangle box)

    Click on it.
    A drop down menu appears with a 5 line drop down list.

    Select Forum Home at the top of the drop down menu list. Scan down the titles to look at the sub forum and its help pages.

    Please make an effort to read the TOU'S -Terms of Use -our Rules - pretty standard for many forums these days.

    By joining the forum its automatic that they apply to you as a member. If there's any real problem ,not having read the the TOUs won't be of help you if posting rules are broken.

    By joining members are deemed to automatically accept those rules, so its good to read and understand them.

    Sometimes our soft ware works so you can't post pics or links until 10 posts are made ( or such links and pics are cleared by a mod)

    Its anti spam thing.

    There are all sorts of forums that might be parallel with your metalwork interests,to find them,follow as described above.

    For any other queries about how the forum works please PM me.
    Welcome back to the gang.

    Grahame

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by garryjc View Post
    I have some sheet steel 1000 x 500 x 1 that has been painted and is quite rusted, I want to weld a barrier of 16mm RHS around the edges to for a barrier. I have ground all the rust and paint from the sheets. I tried a test and the weld does not seem to be sticking and seems to be in small balls along the join.

    I am using a CIG Arc Inverter 140 amp welder.

    Are my rods too old?
    Does the sheets need to be cleaned with something else?
    In short, what am I doing wrong?

    Thanks
    Hi Garry,


    A lot of questions, back to you, but we don't know what you don't know.

    The environment that the sheet existed in before you came to weld on it may be important. OK paint and rust are ground off but it may still have residual pits that contain rust and /or paint. If previously covered in oil it would have soaked in.

    What is your experience? A novice or a now and again welder? If you are new to it, as a novice attempting thin wall welding doesn't usually have good results.
    Even with relatively experienced welders it can be very difficult until you understand the techniques needed

    Have you run a bead/s with the same electrode on other steel that you know is clean? Is the result,the same.

    What electrodes are being used?
    Brand, wire diameter, is the a 4 digit number embossed near the bared wire end. The electrode marking ideally would read 6012 .If marked 6010 or 6011 definitely not to be used.
    Its an inverter and some are made so electrode polarity can be swapped by changing to the negative side..
    For 6012 electrodes holder should be be connected to the - mark, the negative side.

    If you can take and post a photo it would be extremely helpful.

    If kept properly electrodes can last for years. Capped PVC plumbing pipes are god for this.If you keep the silica gel drier tabs that come with some medications place them in as well.I have usable electrodes over twenty years old.If left to the atmosphere electrodes can suck up moisture.No good for welding.

    If the electrode flux covering is beginning to spall off and the visible bared wire is rusted bin them.



    Grahame

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Age
    69
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Thanks for the advice.

    I found that even though I had removed the rust and old paint there was a layer of oils or something. I cleaned part of the area with Acertone and in that area the welds were good. When the welds ventured outside the area they not.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Hi Garry
    I am happy to hear your problem is fixed.

    Thanks very much for your feedback.

    Its good to provide feedback because your solution could be one that future or existing members may well find to be, just the very one that they need .

    This forum can be searched and often people find answers to questions in past posts.

    A few well chosen key words is often all it takes.

    To all that may read this post.

    Just be really carefully when using solvents, in particular, acetone. Acetone works well but needs to be allowed to flash off before welding.

    It gives off a flammable vapour even near freezing conditions.

    Thanks
    Grahame

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