welding question

[madmitch]

I'll add my 2 cents now. I didn't see any mention of relieving trapped heated gas inside the shock tower. I usually drill a vent hole or 2 when welding tubing at both ends shut then spot the holes closed when finished. Although I still think the material is contaminated. Did you try preheating it with a torch first to burn out any contaminates?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Mitch, there is a vent hole stock about half way up the shock tower and one at the bottom of the tower also (see the picture below). I am laying the beam flat when necessary or upside down when I need to get at things from that direction. I have not welded the seams of the towers shut yet and there is plenty of breathing room there just add air to the vent hole and watch the rust dust fly out of the seams between the spot welds.

When I cut out the old material, other than surface rust on the other side and the material I cut out there was nothing else to be seen even with a flashlight shining down the hole being aimed by one of those small mirrors on an expandable handle. The metal did feel firm and good when pressed on by a screwdriver.

If the tape trick works then I will use it when I weld the seams shut as an aid to making less of a mess. If it doesn’t/won’t work then I will have to steady my hand better than I do now (old age setting in)



In this picture you can actually see both holes, one it the tube like drain hole (it is open and clear… now) and you can see the other one just above the upper trailing arm.



This is a photo of the area that was rusted out. I still don’t understand why only this bit was rusted while the rest of the tower was OK. The other side shock tower has no rust at all and neither did the beam. The only thing I can figure was the shock was on loose and it allowed moisture to get in there. This is also the original beam that came with the buggy which I bought in about ’93. It has been stored inside since. The guy I bought it from kept it inside also. The girl he got it from was a clown at birthday parties and drove it to them and it was kept inside also. Before that, I don’t know its history.

When I opened up the rust out spot in the under neat section of the area where the rubber grommet sits, things were cleaned out as good as I could get them I did put heat in there then blew out the area several more times. I did not put a lot of heat in because I wasn’t sure how thick of material I had until I did the last cuts to fit. This is the area that the weld looks to be thin in. I was going to apply some zinc weld through primer in after cleaning but I have had trouble with it before so I backed off. Most of the problem is just getting in at the right angle with the gun and still being able to see what you are doing.







This is how I mount the beam so I can rotate it to get good working angles… when possible.

Lee

[Devastator]

If the tape trick works then I will use it when I weld the seams shut as an aid to making less of a mess.

If you use tape, I'd suggest the adhesive backed aluminum stuff, used for ductwork. It is really aluminum and your welds won't stick to it.

Most of the problem is just getting in at the right angle with the gun and still being able to see what you are doing.

Know anyone with an electrode arc welder....?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I've have had a "stick" welder (if that is what you mean) for almost 20 years ($50 w/o power cord and leads) but after spending over $200 for a new 25' power cord and new leads, handle and ground clamp I only played with it once and that was a disaster. I could take it up to my favorite welder and have it done mit der TIG but then... I am not doing it.

The tape would only be there as a "burn" guide as the three spots total up to less than an inch and a half in length and maybe 1/4 long. I guess I will have to work on another way to do it w/o all the post fixing fuss.

Thanks Dev.

Lee

[Devastator]

I've have had a "stick" welder (if that is what you mean)

Yes, that's what I mean. You can surely reach in there with that. FWIW, you could also weld it with a torch and filler rod, just like a TIG, only hotter.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Another skill I don't have. I have a torch and for some reason it is beyond me but… maybe I can call a friend over that can do it. Never thought about gas welding; Hmmm!

It is too cold to do it right now. It is 26° out and we are now back in a freezing rain situation. We have only 6” so snow on the ground but the ice on the bare pavement is thick. It has been raining freezing rain off and on for 3 days now; when I went out to check things last night I almost took a header (backward?) on the (supposedly) clear concrete I had cleared an hour or two before. As the news is saying that over 90K people here in the PNW (NW OR to Canada. I think they saisd that Salem [on the 45° parallel] is 54° right now) are without electricity and with the freezing rain it is (traditionally) going to be more. It’s a good thing that this storm is from the Gulf of Alaska not coming down though the Frazier River Valley (aka, the Frazier River Freight Train) in BC Canada. The news sez: the CA people are calling us wimps again so we just smile remembering how they act when they get up here in this stuff.

Lee

Edit, the news just said the ice rain should be anywhere from 2/10ths to 4/10ths in depth. YOu can hear it tinkling on the windows. Lee

[Devastator]

I think they saisd that Salem [on the 45° parallel] is 54° right now)

I hope they can get Salem back to the 45th parallel soon.
It sounds like it sucks where you live Lee.
Outside my office, it is currently 60. A little chilly, but not bad.

[TimS]

My dad, a hobby pilot, would watch the weather non stop. Sometimes, when it snowed, he would tell us (the kids) NOT to clean the driveway for sometimes days at a time. We all thought he was nuts until the freezing rain came. Everyone's driveway was glare ice except for ours, we just shoveled off the snow underneath and the ice came with it.

I did the whole slow motion sliding thing to the bus stop today. Icey here, too.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Of which ‘Salem’ dost thou speak? Driving on I-5, the north end of Salem has a marker indicating the 45° parallel. Fun to look forward to if you have 'Ferriners' (to the area) riding with you; for some reason it is lost on most people though.

I just came in from the garage and the freezing rain has now turned into snow again and the temp went up 1° to 26°. All the local TV stations are on 24/7 live coverage and going through a lot of fuel doing it. Well; there go the profits from the political ads.

Lee

[CentralWAbaja]

Lee,
Just a thought...can you fit the MIG gun in there without the Gas Shield on? if so... could you get a small roll of flux core wire and go at it that way?

Oh yeah...The weather is lovely....the commute from Cle Elum to Bellevue and back is chewing up 5+hours a day

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Don't you have to change liners if you go flux core? I thought it was thicker wire. I think HF has a small MIG on sale for under $100 right now or is that over.

Just checked and the sale pater that ende 1/31/2012 says:
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mi ... 98871.html http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-flu ... 68887.html $99.99 as savins of $50

I think the news said Belly-view (as bad as it is) is not as bad as it is here by Lynnwood. We are still at 26° and it is still snowing. I'm going to have to go out in a while and shovel the drains again before it gets to be too much work for me when it is necessary, probably tomorrow afternoon (that is what they are saying now). I also hear Stevens Pass is closed for avalanche clearing on a regular basis which is not going to help your commute either.

The problem with them is they still have a nozzle on them. Can you remove it and weld with it that way? The top is about 1/4 or so if it is like my Hobart’s, the nozzle being something ike an 1" in diameter which is a lot of the problem.

Hay ( ), there is a dune buggy for sale somewhere by you now. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2806893106.html. A little high in price but let the dickering begin!

Lee

[Devastator]

Hay ( ), there is a dune buggy for sale somewhere by you now. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2806893106.html.

"New starter, battery and bearings".
Which bearings? Main, rod, wheel, steering wheel....?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Muffler bearings of course silly

[CentralWAbaja]

My welder came with a small roll of each wire but I never ran the flux core, so I do not know about the liner dealio. I have just seen some youtube vids showing that type of welding and they were not running the nozzle because it is not needed. I think it uses a different tip.

Again..... Was just a thought. Don't really know.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

When I can get out of here I will go up to the welding shop and see what they say. If I can do it with my welder and not use the shield over the tip that should make things a lot easier. Thanks for the tip (no pun intended)

Lee