[TheForge] Arc wekding advice sought

[Ron Childers]

Larry is right; Did you "V" it, preheat and post heat? I would have thought DC reverse polarity with 7018 should work if you weave in hot then slowly cool. That's a pretty thick heat sink 

-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Larry Brown
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2015 5:00 AM
To: mspencer at tallships.ca; 'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Arc wekding advice sought

Maybe try pre-heating the bar to around 400 and let it cool slow. You could also try pre and post heating with the slow cool. After that you could try a dis-similar metals rod usually stainless with a high strength L Brown

-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Spencer
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2015 7:33 PM
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [TheForge] Arc wekding advice sought


Trying to make something from big-truck helper spring material.
That's the more or less Z- or chicane-shaped, maybe 2"x3" in the middle, tapering to maybe 3"x3/4" at the long end, close to 4' overall length. 

I can make a very nice looking weld with 7018, DC straight polarity (electrode negative).  But the base material under the weld seems to become exceptionally brittle, such that the whole weld bead can be easily broken off of the base metal, leaving a fine-grained, clean gray fracture.  What appears to be a thin layer of the base metal adheres to the broken-off weld bead.

   + Am I doing something wrong?

   + Is there a trick to welding this material?

   + Anybody know what this material is?  It cuts easily on my little
     bandsaw. 

   + Is welding to this kind of spring alloy known to be a problem or
     outright impossible without fancy industrial gear that I don't
     have?


- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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