Welds breaking

Just welded a make shift axle onto some steels to move a hut.

Near disaster last night when 2 wheels came off.

Can I get a view on the issue here ? I had MIG on 3 High which is as high as it goes but it looks like it hasnt penetrated the axle which is just some cut off scaffolding tube. On another weld mind it looks broken.

Maybe I just didn't weld enough, or perhaps it wasn't quite straight....Will have to clean up and re-do as the hut is now on its backside on the flagstones (which it has cracked) right before Jubilee weekend when my good lady has invited folk around...

More of the same in true CLarkson style ?

Looks like you only did a series of blob welds rather than welding the full circumference. Also, different grades of steel have different melting temperatures, so the scaffold pole melted and the wheel hub didnt.

Col

Colthebrummie said:

Looks like you only did a series of blob welds rather than welding the full circumference. Also, different grades of steel have different melting temperatures, so the scaffold pole melted and the wheel hub didnt.

Col

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Thanks Col, I will re-do and complete the loop, I didnt clean enough paint off the steel wheel either.... I haven't welded for 5 years. The first 2 wheels are the ones which broke, the second 2 held ok so perhaps my re-skill took its toll as well.

I will let the tyres down as well I think to reduce the impact of the uneven surface..

Well you need to clean the steel properly with the grinder, and clean all the galv off the scaff tube.
Galv can really screw the welds up, even when cleaned off the remaining bits in the steel can still make a mess of it.
Do not breath the galv fumes as it has the potential to drop you on the spot.

lynall said:

Well you need to clean the steel properly with the grinder, and clean all the galv off the scaff tube.
Galv can really screw the welds up, even when cleaned off the remaining bits in the steel can still make a mess of it.
Do not breath the galv fumes as it has the potential to drop you on the spot.

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Ahh thats interesting and why I was feeling weird when grinding it off.... Glad I wasnt doing much. I have taken it off another inch so its well clear of the weld now. I have ground the old welds a bit and cleared the steel in between them for new welds.

You reckon I can re-weld in between the old ones and over-coat or is it really worth taking the steel wheel right back to original ? the welds seem attached fairly well to the steel in some places and I am figuring if I go all the way around that will be 70 percent more.

FYI none of this is going near a road, its just to drag along the garden as the coach wheels which it comes with eats into the garden terribly.

ER1C said:

Ahh thats interesting and why I was feeling weird when grinding it off.... Glad I wasnt doing much. I have taken it off another inch so its well clear of the weld now. I have ground the old welds a bit and cleared the steel in between them for new welds.

You reckon I can re-weld in between the old ones and over-coat or is it really worth taking the steel wheel right back to original ? the welds seem attached fairly well to the steel in some places and I am figuring if I go all the way around that will be 70 percent more.

FYI none of this is going near a road, its just to drag along the garden as the coach wheels which it comes with eats into the garden terribly.

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Yes weld it as best as you can where it touches, clean clean and clean again, and the welding will go much easier.
Aint got to look pretty, just has to hold.
It is the fumes from the galv as you weld which remelts the galv that is bad for you, an inch should be enough.

Too much heat, try your welder on 2, and slow your wire speed

lynall said:

Yes weld it as best as you can where it touches, clean clean and clean again, and the welding will go much easier.
Aint got to look pretty, just has to hold.
It is the fumes from the galv as you weld which remelts the galv that is bad for you, an inch should be enough.

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TY so much for the advice.... I am welding outside so will take extra care with the fumes.

lynall said:

Well you need to clean the steel properly with the grinder, and clean all the galv off the scaff tube.
Galv can really screw the welds up, even when cleaned off the remaining bits in the steel can still make a mess of it.
Do not breath the galv fumes as it has the potential to drop you on the spot.

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i remember watching a guy weld galv.. indoors.. i have to say it was almost magical, it was like being inside a snow globe

freelance said:

Too much heat, try your welder on 2, and slow your wire speed

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What makes you think that ? It hadn't penetrated the steel wheel much which is one of the reasons I pushed it up a notch. I had wire speed quite high and have since read it may be feeding too much into it and not melting enough so will slow that down.

As above, CLEAN the steel. Flap disk, grinder etc. Once you get good it's less important, as you can see when you've burned off the crud, but when starting out. CLEAN!

And be very careful with the galv fumes, they can do permanent damage (inhalers aren't a fun fashion accessory, trust me).

High power, slower wire, you want to see the weld pool running into the materials you are joining.

My first MIG work snapped like yours, the fish oil on the new steel was enough to conduct the current, but the welder didn't burn it off. That was the last time I seriously lost my temper, so frustrating.

lynall said:

Galv can really screw the welds up

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^^THIS.

also, Zinc oxide poisoning is great fun

Rich.

I would say you want good clean steel remove all the paint from the steel you are going to weld to. This is usually easy to see when thepaint is gone. Then remove all the galv. You must see prime steel. You need to see the grey steel from the whiter looking galv. If you try to weld on top of galv you will get porous welds which have no strength and are better ground off rather than trying to weld on top of.

Wear a mask if possible (I think they had pp3 masks at work). Remember that whilst you can remove the galv outside, it's very difficult to remove it from the inside so you are very likely to still have it inside, so lots of white fluffy smoke coming off. Remember to wear a mask when grinding and cutting as the dust this creates is also not good for the lungs!

Get a stick welder.

Bobsticle said:

Get a stick welder.

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Dying art that is.

lynall said:

Dying art that is.

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not where I work......

mma (dcen / dcep) is common in industry, I use mig in the workshop but stick on plant (steelworks)

Rich.

A far greater skill level in using stick - in my opinion anyway. The slag is so much harder to deal with due to it blocking the vision of the weld and its potential to contaminate the weld. I used to be able to do it, but I would not make that claim now. If you can stick weld, hats off to you!

Zed. said:

not where I work......

mma (dcen / dcep) is common in industry, I use mig in the workshop but stick on plant (steelworks)

Rich.

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Rare in our place (workshop) one guy late 20s was telling me he had his first go at mma the other day, the other younguns wont even know what it is.
Never had a mig when I started, it was all oxford oil cooled stand in puddles at your own peril welding, then we went posh and got a 2nd hand mig.

Dr Strangeglove said:

A far greater skill level in using stick - in my opinion anyway. The slag is so much harder to deal with due to it blocking the vision of the weld and its potential to contaminate the weld. I used to be able to do it, but I would not make that claim now. If you can stick weld, hats off to you!

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It was the cheaper rods, or”low hydrogen rods” that mixed slag in the weld, better quality rods were so much better, easier to use and stronger

The rods are a pain. I must have a couple of dozen different types for specific jobs. Still reach for the GP on most stuff but it’s a treat to use a good quality one. I’ve had most of them for years so have to sneak them in the oven when ur indoors ain’t lookin.
There are quite a few under the door gap I can’t get out but she hasn’t noticed