Fixing a Bush Hog

[Lanse]

Hey guys!!

So, one of my friends managed to crack the rear wheel support on his old bushhog, and so we decided to fix it. He is learning to weld (bought my old tombstone when I got my stickmate, etc), and we each ran a side. It was kinda fun.

I picked up some 6013 for a really basic how-to series of welding videos on youtube since its a good rod to learn with, and he doesn't like running 7018, so we used the 6013 instead of the 3/32" 7018 that I would have usually used.

So, here is my side (his 3rd pass was better than the first two, but still not something he wanted me to post all over the internet). We ran about 110 amps on the good old stickmate, DCEN (for the most part), with Hobart 1/8" 6013. The metal was probably about 1/8" as well.

I hadn't ran any 6013 since school last fall, and it was a nice change of pace.

We still have to fix the actual crack, this is mostly just re-enforcing the bottom so that its hopefully less likely to crack again in the future. He flux cored it back together (sorta) and it seems to be holding, but only time will tell...

So, how'd I do?

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[Anonymous-0]

Your weld looks good but maybe you could have considered 7014? It's easy to burn and better than 6013. You won't have a problem though. For where the vertical crack is, grind out the old weld, put in a better weld with MIG or 7018, then grind it flat and put a fish plate over it. It shouldn't break again after that.

 

[Puddles]

Something to think about................ Instead of making such long welds, think about skip welding. :wink:

 

[Anonymous-0]

I sure hope Lanse can find a legimate shop to start an apprenticeship. I think he'll make an excellent welder... as long as he gets rid of the 6013.:wink: LoL

 

[Puddles]

If he could get around a really good fabricator for a couple years, then he'd have it made! :wink:

 

[Anonymous-0]

If he could get around a really good fabricator for a couple years, then he'd have it made! :wink:

Are you hiring??? He'd really have it made then! LoL

 

[Puddles]

I already told Lanse if he lived closer I'd give him a key to my shop!
I have 4-grandsons, all they want to do is play video games! :roll: But I seen a glimmer of hope yesterday! I went up to the youngest, (4 1/2) boy's house to drill some holes in their foundation to mount a ledger board for a new set of back steps. When I opened the box with the roto-hammer, and bits in it he said ohhhhhhhhh. Maybe just maybe I have a little partner in the making! :wink:

 

[Anonymous-0]

Might have to get him an auto darkening helmet. If he gets all excited when you strike an arc, could be a good sign...or pull out the air arc. If he thinks that's cool, could be a really good sign too. Just don't tell him the sparks can burn him when he least expects it.

 

[Inno]

(quoted from post at 15:44:36 06/14/11)
I already told Lanse if he lived closer I'd give him a key to my shop!
I have 4-grandsons, all they want to do is play video games! :roll: But I seen a glimmer of hope yesterday! I went up to the youngest, (4 1/2) boy's house to drill some holes in their foundation to mount a ledger board for a new set of back steps. When I opened the box with the roto-hammer, and bits in it he said ohhhhhhhhh. Maybe just maybe I have a little partner in the making! :wink:

Get him hands on ASAP! Start small. My son is 10 and has been using tools for quite a few years. I won't say he's great at it but for his age he does pretty well. He asked me the other day if I could show him how to use the chainsaw....it's a Stihl 044......I told him to wait a few more years, he has a hard enough time trying to split wood with a maul.

 

[Puddles]

According to my daughter, he is the only one who is slightly interested in toy trucks, and tractors. Don't need a toy tractor, papa has a real tractor! Had to laugh at him a couple times yesterday, every time I laid the screw gun down he'd grab it. When I needed more screws he wouldn't share them. I'm starting to have high hopes for the boy, now if I could just understand what he's saying! Whole lot of jiberious! :lol:

 

[Lanse]

"I'm starting to have high hopes for the boy, now if
I could just understand what he's saying! Whole lot
of jiberious! :lol: "

No worries Puddles, There are a few people here on
this forum that should be able to help you with that

 

[Lanse]

Hahaha, I appreciate the offer, but I dont think id
ever see the light of day again :-D

Dont worry, they might move past that... I know at
one point, thats all I wanted to do...

 

[Anonymous-0]

I took my nephew for a ride in the tractor in first gear when he pretty young. I made the mistake of showing him the throttle. I was putting along a little over idle and opened it for a couple seconds just to show him what that lever did. There was no keeping it around idle after that. He'd speed it up and I'd slow it down, then he'd speed it up again. It was quite funny.

 

[Puddles]

My oldest granddaughter is the stud of the group! She was driving the tractor all by herself at 7 years old. Her and I took down some huge trees together, clearing out for the horses. I'd rather work with her than my wife, I could tell the granddaughter when the tree starts to move take off and don't stop until the tree hits the ground, I'd walk off into the brush where she couldn't see me. I'd make the first two cuts, step around and make the last cut, soon as the tree started to move I'd see where she was pulling on it, never failed! Now the wife, she'd stop every time! :shock:

Off to the Tacoma dome, granddaughter graduates high school tonight! 8)

 

[trucker 40]

I guess if thats kind of practice then its alright.Anything that you want to stay together you should probably not use 6013 on.It will probably crack,but maybe you will get lucky.Also why not 7024?If he doesnt know how to weld very good,show him 7024 on something flat and he will feel like he is doing real good when he makes a good looking weld with it.Probably get him interested.6013 will probably make him mad.
Did you see where I put up about the jobs place there?You can probably get a job if you want one welding it looked like.Also,dont forget this guy that calls himself stick welder is from Canada.Very little of what he is telling you even pertains to anything you can find in Ohio.Its not easy to get a apprentice job unless you either know somebody or have some pull.There are always people lined up for those jobs,but this is the right time to try them,maybe a little too late.Welding school is probably your best bet.Maybe you can find a job that will send you to welding school.That would be good.
Also one last thing,some things need some give to them.If you weld something real solid when it needs to flex,it will break even easier than it did to start with.You can make things too stiff.So thats why they skip welded that part,or maybe it was just because they were trying to speed up production,I couldnt tell you for sure.I do know that something thats skip welded might hold better than something thats solid welded in certain situations.

 

[RodinNS]

Welds look good...
I never thought I'd say this... but I think that's one place I would have used a 6011 tho. The older I get the less ambition I have for trying to clean stuff like that up so I mostly just burn through it with the 6011... Hope it holds up for him with what you did but I can't say I ever had much luck with 6013's for that type of work.

Rod

 

[msb]

Pitch the 6013. Its only good for very thin metal. Not enough penetration. Use nothing less than 6011.

 

[Puddles]

All this negativity towards 6013! :?
Well I'm not a fan of it either, in fact if it was taken off the face of the earth this morning it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. But I know a guy that is on a few of the welding forums, he lives in Ireland. He says in Europe 6013 is used for high pressure pipe welding.
Here are some of his pipe welds I've saved. I think you'll agree he is an artiest with 6013! Best I've ever seen!

 

[RodinNS]

Indeed he is...
Granted, pretty welds are one thing a 6013 is good for...
That took skill to peel that slag like that tho.

Rod

 

[Inno]

Can you get a nice "finished" weld with 6011 or would you go over it with a 7018 or something else?
I bought some when I was working on my loader frame but I could not get it to look as nice as the 7018. It did penetrate nicely though!

 

[Puddles]

I think he told me they use a brand called Vodex, I searched on line but could not find it. I'd sure like to try that brand, all I can get here locally is Lincoln.

This is about as good as I can do, I'm nowhere near his league!

 

[Puddles]

Inno I don't think it's possible to get 6010 / 6011 to look like 7018. Here is about as good as I can do. I ran this 6010 just like I would 7018, but as you can see, big difference! :lol:

 

[Anonymous-0]

6010/6011 will always have a rougher looking bead appearance. That doesn't mean it can't still look good. You generally use a whipping technique and try to get nice even spaced ripples. It takes some practice though.

 

[Puddles]

That stack of dimes look does take some time to perfect................ I just hope I live long enough to come anywhere close. :lol:

 

[Anonymous-0]

You're not too far off Puddles. Looking at the slag of your 6013 vs his, looks like you just need to keep the rod always moving rather than pausing for a millisecond at the sides. Your slag and bead looks more like a series of steps side to side where his looks more like he was just going back and forth faster with no(or less) pausing at the sides. He may have been burning slighty hotter as well. Either technique is acceptable though. The same 2 or more techniques can be used with 7018. The step and pause technique is often done at a lower heat than the continuous side to side technique so the "steps" will freeze faster. I remember in school I was originally taught to use the step and pause technique but later another instructor did a demo saying to just keep the rod always moving when going side to side. When using all position flux-core a rep from Miller doing a demo said to weave like 7018 but don't pause at the edges. I tried it and it worked good. Maybe 7018/6013 with a touch more heat runs the same way? I did some wide verticals on the side of the ear on the backhoe and just kept moving. It's looks similar to your friends 6013 without the steps in it. It's not as consistant as his though but I'm thinking I'll grind everything smooth when I finally get it all fixed. If I ever decide to sell it, it would look better without the big weld on the ear. The welds on the top wont look bad though since they were there in the first place.

 

[Puddles]

You are correct I do go side to side with a pause at the sides. Once in a great while I'll play with a flat bottom U pattern.

He posted this picture of the pattern he uses, kind of a modified Texas weave.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I'm relieved! I was expecting a bunch of responses asking how I could tell from the slag. I think going to the edge of the weave and then changing direction acts like a short pause anyways. Never heard of a Texas weave before but I'm not up on my weaves. My sister owns a high end hair salon, she'd be up on weaves. LoL I would guess that his weave pattern goes side to side more times per inch of weld than your weave pattern. Your weave pattern is more like steps side to side and his is more like shelves going side to side. I bet if you adjusted your technique slightly, you'd have the same results. His weld is closer to doing horizontal welds on top of horizontal welds but I think he is travelling slightly faster when going side to side. I'd still take your welds though...cause I know you'd use 7018 on an actual job instead of 6013.:wink:

 

[Puddles]

I don't know how he gets such a tight spacing. Almost like he is running 3/32 or smaller! I just can't seem to do it!

I'm sorry, when I went to find the picture of the Texas weave, it's actually called a Texas lace! Way, way, way back in my Millwright days when I worked a lot of refineries a long side pipe weldors I remember seeing this style.