Welding Frame Cracks

Like Steve said. I welded some cracks in my brothers M38a1 in the same area. I welded it with my Millermatic 135 two year ago and it hasn't recracked yet.

 

Mike if you want to keep the weld and metal from cracking in this area again, when you are done welding, take a small hand held propane torch and heat the area up to a dull red slowly and gradually over a period of 3-4 minutes and then let it cool down the same way by gradually removing the heat, it will anneal the weld. then you can grind the weld clean if you like or at least clean most of it up. Mike drill a hole in the end of the crack but don't open the crack itself all the way up, put you a nice "v" in it on both sides and then fill the "v" with weld, then do the anneal part listed above!!

 

If the shackles are angled, perhaps a highlift jack between them would keep them straight while you welded. As you know, they can be used to clamp or spread. I'm not sure if the *standard* highlift is long enough, but it might be worth a shot.

 

Steve, what welder are you using? Just curious. I'm on this big welding thing right now.

 

I haven't welded in a long time, but I think you'll use up those little cylinders on that plumbing setup about 1/3 into the job. Can you generate enough heat to make a puddle? Probably, but it might be slow going. BTW, if it's Oxy-Propane, I don't think those are hot enough.

A fillet is filling an interior corner so that it is rounded, like bathtub caulk between the tub and surround.

If it were mine, I'd add some new metal behind the cracks and make the puddle go into the new metal. I'd also get some help for frame work if I hadn't welded a lot.

JMDO.

 

You can handle it Mike.

To make a fillet weld, keep your wire right in the middle (bottom of the crack) and move forward slightly, then back up slightly, then forward again, and re-trace again. Basically, you're going over it twice, but in the same pass. This will generate that "V" look in the weld. Stitch welding is moving from side to side and you progess forward.

The plumbers torch should be sufficient for heating the weld, since you only need a dull red color, and you need to heat it up slowly anyway.

 

The little plumbers torch is exactly what I was talking about.

Tim , you really need to see my propane burner to appreciate what propane can do, if I break an engine block into pieces about 4" cubed I can melt them down to liquid form in about 20-25 minutes, I can melt 8lbs of aluminum in less than 15 minutes and pour it into a sand mold.
If you want to see what they look like Google (Ron Reil)

 

Mike - I misunderstood Mike B. and thought he was going to gas weld the cracks. My info came from the J&S Enterprises site which sells the Henrob torch (anybody use the Henrob/Dillon torch?). They say that their torch will cut with propane (less efficiently) but won't weld. I looked at Ron Reil's forge page... I don't doubt that you can melt iron with enough propane. I do wonder if you can flow enough propane through a standard welding tip to weld. Looks like the difference is the number of BTUs per cubic foot of gas. Praxair's web site says that acetylene make a hotter flame and propane has lower BTUs.

 

A can of MAP gas can be used for the plumbers torch as well. This burns hotter and might be a little better for the annealing.