Thread: Welding HSS

Originally Posted by simonl

I have made several internal keyways using this same technique. I concur that it is a laborious task if you have to make several but as a one-off it still works very well. I really need to make one of those lever setups.

Simon

You need a shaper, then just watch it cut while turning the ball handle, lol

Mill a slot in the end at the angle you want, then weld a cover plate on to make it a square hole.
If you don't have a mill put the bar in the toolpost at the right angle, and the milling cutter in the chuck.

Just to add I've mig welded HSS and had no problems.

Photos.....

20190803_193843.jpg 20190803_193858.jpg

Originally Posted by BobL

The temp of the HSS won't be affected by welding - that is if you can weld it but like CW says I have not seen it welded, brazed certainly.
HSS has to be held at red heat for a long time to substantially affect the hardness and even then it only changes by a few points on the hardness scale.
Annealing requires hours of heat.

I've welded HSS to A36 steel with reasonable success. You need a really good pre-heat followed by a slow cool. I had my son holding the oxy torch to keep everything hot while I ran the beads.

You won't affect the temper.

Good chance you'll get cracking in the heat affected zone.

Brazing is - IMO - a better process but sometimes - shrug - you do what you do. I was making a 75mm multi-tooth 60 deg dovetail cutter and the HSS blanks were welded into the body. It then went on the T&C grinder and did the job. I still have it floating about the shop just in case I ever need it again.

PDW

Originally Posted by Dave J

You need a shaper, then just watch it cut while turning the ball handle, lol

Ha. I got a Macson 18" shaper. That's another project on the side looking for attention. I'll get to it sometime.

Simon

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Ok cool....I think I've got enough info from you guys to whip something up.
I received a couple of 5mm x 100mm HSS blanks I ordered from ebay on Friday so I've got a more than one go at it if I muck it up.
I've also got some 16mm square steel I can turn down to make it and end up with a better fit in the tool post.
These gear blanks are 20mm thick so I'll turn to around 25mm long and should keep some rigidity.

See how I go and I'll post a photo of the finished tool.

[QUOTE What should I do after welding it ?[/QUOTE]

Stand by and listen to the weld crack .

I have tried with stainless steel rod, Magna 303 rod, and a nickel rod . Like PDW said cracking in the HAZ and its straight away too,no waiting!

Brazing is the way to go.The fitter and turners I worked with( 1970s and 80s) always brazed HSS.

Grahame

I have TIG welded HSS to other various steel to make woodturning chisels using 316 filler rods and have not experienced any cracking.
Rgds,
Crocy.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lathe-Bo...sAAOSwo4pYOTOm

Originally Posted by nadroj

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lathe-Bo...sAAOSwo4pYOTOm

That brings back memories
5-6 years ago we had a large market place that closed down (Moriset mega markets) where you could buy most things and it had 2 tool guys, one was an Indian guy and the other guy was Greek.
They both had similar gear over the years but the Indian guy had more lathe gear including small lathe chuck's etc, he used to sell these for around $10-$15 from memory and I bought a couple of different sizes among alot of if other things.

I just ducked down to the shed and glued some hss to some 1020.

In the past I used my pie warmer welder for this which is AC, now I have this little inverter DC welder, in this instance I used + earth but I think that these rods weld just as well either way.

I probably pick up the arc welder every 6 mths or so so I was off to a shaky start, actually while trying
to weld the welding rod reminded me of a dog scratching its ear with its hind leg

So the first was a piece of 1/4" hss welded to the end of the rod, 70amps was a bit low and combined with my
hand having an epileptic fit i got slag intrusion so I ran over it again.

Then I adjusted the amps to 100 and welded an old centre drill to the side of the rod, as you can see there is no
cracking and with a little practice perfect welds are the norm.

I have added some pics of another toolholder to cut keyways in the lathe, it is best to have another piece of toolsteel behind the one used to cut to reduce flex, other that this works fine.
It is best back the tool off the cut on the return.

cheers, shed

I needed to cut an internal thread that was a much smaller diameter than my insert setup would fit into, so I glued a piece of drill bit on the end of a steel rod of unknown composition with TIG using steel filler, as I didn't know any better.
Worked fine.

Finally got back to it.
I silver soldered the HSS cutter and it looks to have turned out ok. Certainly soldered strong enough anyway.
Having a lot of trouble making it work though. I've managed to cut some of the first keyway but it's very slow and seems to be making a tapered slot because it pushes away from the job (springs) . Can't see why. I thought the grind I put on it would be good.

keyway cutter.jpg
P1040034.jpg

You only want a couple of degrees clearance after the cutting edge. it serves the purpose of limiting the depth of cut and stops the cutter digging in.. Much like the clearance on a parting tool.