RCCrawler Forums

STANG KILLA SS · 07-06-2011, 07:58 PM

i need to tack a 1/16" steel tab to a brake line for a mount on a tuber. just a tack is all i need. i will braise it later once its held in proper placement with the tack.

ive got this old 120V 100A arc welder. but no rods.
what rods do i need to buy? i will admit i know virtually nothing about welding. are there different diameters and materials?
what should i buy?

4u2nv · 07-06-2011, 08:31 PM

Well I'm no pro welder but a stick welder and brake line aren't going to get along to well... if its the only way you have then get the smallest diameter rods you can find and turn your heat way down. One more thing, try it on scraps first. You are better off finding at least a mig welder from someone.

BLKXJ 96 · 07-06-2011, 08:32 PM

To me that sounds like some pretty small stuff to try to weld with a stick welder. You may be better off to try to find someone local with a MIG just to tack it for you.

Duuuuuuuude · 07-06-2011, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLKXJ 96

To me that sounds like some pretty small stuff to try to weld with a stick welder. You may be better off to try to find someone local with a MIG just to tack it for you.

X2. You'll burn right through it with an arc.

crunky · 07-06-2011, 08:43 PM

what they said.

time to get out some wire or magnets.

greencrawler · 07-06-2011, 09:49 PM

You can get a 6011 or 6013 in 1/16" dia which are both ac rods, just turn the current way down. Best thing would be TIG if you know someone with a good ac/dc with current control

DwaneO · 07-06-2011, 09:57 PM

If your going to braize it on anyway , why not just tack it with braize. You know where you want the part right. Put some braize in that spot , on the tubing. Hold the tab with some pliers , just in the right spot , and touch the torch to it. The braize will "tack" the tab down. When its in the perfect spot , finish braizing it on.

chole · 07-06-2011, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwaneO

If your going to braize it on anyway , why not just tack it with braize. You know where you want the part right. Put some braize in that spot , on the tubing. Hold the tab with some pliers , just in the right spot , and touch the torch to it. The braize will "tack" the tab down. When its in the perfect spot , finish braizing it on.

Won't you just melt the braze when you get it hot enough to braze again and watch it fall off?

DwaneO · 07-07-2011, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chole

Won't you just melt the braze when you get it hot enough to braze again and watch it fall off?

Well , if you have never braized anything......then it probably will because you got the whole thing too hot. There is a bit of skill to braizing , you do one side then the other.

hellbentrodder · 07-07-2011, 05:50 AM

Do what DwaneO said. You could tack it with a stick welder but being you said you know nothing about welding you are gonna have a hell of a time. I have seen Harbor Freight sell their 110 flux-cored mig machines for as little as $80, They are by no means great machines but really good for the occasional tack here and there.

STANG KILLA SS · 07-07-2011, 11:38 AM

this is fkn bullshit and frustrating!
went to lowes they actually had the 1/16" rods in stock
i was so excited i decided to head home on my lunch break and try them.
ive spent the last half hour just making a spark and the rod sticking to the metal. arg!
i would bump it or swipe it like a match stick, but then you cant pull it away to start the arc, it just imidiatly sticks
twice i was actually able to get a 2 second weld going and melted a little metal. both times the amps were bumped up to 80.
but it must not be strong, cause when i would go to do the other side and the weld had to move a hair, it would imidiatly break.
this is so frustrating and impossible!
im gonna give it a go again tonight :(

hellbentrodder · 07-07-2011, 12:43 PM

What it sounds like is you are just melting the flux, that is why it is breaking. If it is just sticking you are probably not hot enough. Like I said before I think you are going to have a hell of a time trying to stick weld it. Good luck.

JohnRobHolmes · 07-07-2011, 12:48 PM

Welcome to stick welding! Striking that arc takes a lot of practice.

Mig, tig, or braze it. Stick will be the toughest thing on the planet.

STANG KILLA SS · 07-07-2011, 01:00 PM

in this particular situation braise is out. (i braised all the other tube to tube joints though)
im going to give it another go tonight.

Cave Dave · 07-07-2011, 01:26 PM

Just gas weld it,you know with Oxygen and acetelne like you use to braze.It is the easyist way to weld thin metal I've ever tried,even easyer than Tig welding in my opinon.

DwaneO · 07-07-2011, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STANG KILLA SS

in this particular situation braise is out. (i braised all the other tube to tube joints though)
im going to give it another go tonight.

Why is braizing out ? Tell us more...

STANG KILLA SS · 07-07-2011, 02:04 PM

i need something not gonna melt when i take it appart to final braise it

ok the tube must meet the tab at an exact location like perfect, less than .5mm tollerance. ive got that all lined up and ready but when i tried to braise it, because its bolted to an aluminum chassis the chassis absorbs all the heat and will never take a braise.
so i wanted to take it in place, then remove the tubework/tabs from the chassis, then final braise it.

ecoli · 07-07-2011, 02:15 PM

Ziptie it

With brazing, you need to account for the differences in material density. In other words, heat the chassis up before starting to heat up the tab. It's tricky, but it does work. Or if it doesn't, back to zipties

sloppy · 07-07-2011, 02:52 PM

what kind of rod did you get?

you need to learn how to strike a arc on something with a little more thickness you need to know what it feels like... Honestly I think you will still find this impossible at the end of the day..

STANG KILLA SS · 07-07-2011, 03:16 PM

i bought these. the smallest they sold
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?...llow&cId=PDIO1

i wonder how jb weld holds up to mapp gas torch? ie a little dab to hold it in place, then un bolt and braise. thats alot of heat, but i guess its steel based?

07-06-2011, 07:58 PM	#1
STANG KILLA SS ~THE SCALE SHOP~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: KILLEEN TX Posts: 10,056	welders: need help i need to tack a 1/16" steel tab to a brake line for a mount on a tuber. just a tack is all i need. i will braise it later once its held in proper placement with the tack. ive got this old 120V 100A arc welder. but no rods. what rods do i need to buy? i will admit i know virtually nothing about welding. are there different diameters and materials? what should i buy?

07-06-2011, 08:31 PM	#2
4u2nv RCC Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,516	Well I'm no pro welder but a stick welder and brake line aren't going to get along to well... if its the only way you have then get the smallest diameter rods you can find and turn your heat way down. One more thing, try it on scraps first. You are better off finding at least a mig welder from someone.

07-06-2011, 08:32 PM	#3
BLKXJ 96 Rock Crawler Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 895	To me that sounds like some pretty small stuff to try to weld with a stick welder. You may be better off to try to find someone local with a MIG just to tack it for you.

07-06-2011, 08:43 PM	#5
crunky I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: cape crud... will you be my friend Posts: 2,102	what they said. time to get out some wire or magnets.

07-06-2011, 09:49 PM	#6
greencrawler Rock Crawler Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Etowah Posts: 668	You can get a 6011 or 6013 in 1/16" dia which are both ac rods, just turn the current way down. Best thing would be TIG if you know someone with a good ac/dc with current control

07-06-2011, 09:57 PM	#7
DwaneO Oliver Custom Knives Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bloomfield NM , not something stupid Posts: 1,047	If your going to braize it on anyway , why not just tack it with braize. You know where you want the part right. Put some braize in that spot , on the tubing. Hold the tab with some pliers , just in the right spot , and touch the torch to it. The braize will "tack" the tab down. When its in the perfect spot , finish braizing it on.

07-07-2011, 05:50 AM	#10
hellbentrodder Rock Crawler Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Cotati Posts: 704	Do what DwaneO said. You could tack it with a stick welder but being you said you know nothing about welding you are gonna have a hell of a time. I have seen Harbor Freight sell their 110 flux-cored mig machines for as little as $80, They are by no means great machines but really good for the occasional tack here and there.

07-07-2011, 11:38 AM	#11
STANG KILLA SS ~THE SCALE SHOP~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: KILLEEN TX Posts: 10,056	this is fkn bullshit and frustrating! went to lowes they actually had the 1/16" rods in stock i was so excited i decided to head home on my lunch break and try them. ive spent the last half hour just making a spark and the rod sticking to the metal. arg! i would bump it or swipe it like a match stick, but then you cant pull it away to start the arc, it just imidiatly sticks twice i was actually able to get a 2 second weld going and melted a little metal. both times the amps were bumped up to 80. but it must not be strong, cause when i would go to do the other side and the weld had to move a hair, it would imidiatly break. this is so frustrating and impossible! im gonna give it a go again tonight :(

07-07-2011, 12:43 PM	#12
hellbentrodder Rock Crawler Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Cotati Posts: 704	What it sounds like is you are just melting the flux, that is why it is breaking. If it is just sticking you are probably not hot enough. Like I said before I think you are going to have a hell of a time trying to stick weld it. Good luck.

07-07-2011, 12:48 PM	#13
JohnRobHolmes owner, Holmes Hobbies LLC Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Volt up! Gear down! Posts: 20,290	Welcome to stick welding! Striking that arc takes a lot of practice. Mig, tig, or braze it. Stick will be the toughest thing on the planet.

07-07-2011, 01:00 PM	#14
STANG KILLA SS ~THE SCALE SHOP~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: KILLEEN TX Posts: 10,056	in this particular situation braise is out. (i braised all the other tube to tube joints though) im going to give it another go tonight.

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07-07-2011, 01:26 PM	#15
Cave Dave RCC Addict Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kennewick, Washington Posts: 1,382	Just gas weld it,you know with Oxygen and acetelne like you use to braze.It is the easyist way to weld thin metal I've ever tried,even easyer than Tig welding in my opinon.

07-07-2011, 02:04 PM	#17
STANG KILLA SS ~THE SCALE SHOP~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: KILLEEN TX Posts: 10,056	i need something not gonna melt when i take it appart to final braise it ok the tube must meet the tab at an exact location like perfect, less than .5mm tollerance. ive got that all lined up and ready but when i tried to braise it, because its bolted to an aluminum chassis the chassis absorbs all the heat and will never take a braise. so i wanted to take it in place, then remove the tubework/tabs from the chassis, then final braise it.

07-07-2011, 02:15 PM	#18
ecoli I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Canada, eh. Posts: 2,919	Ziptie it With brazing, you need to account for the differences in material density. In other words, heat the chassis up before starting to heat up the tab. It's tricky, but it does work. Or if it doesn't, back to zipties

07-07-2011, 02:52 PM	#19
sloppy I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2006 Location: akron Posts: 4,054	what kind of rod did you get? you need to learn how to strike a arc on something with a little more thickness you need to know what it feels like... Honestly I think you will still find this impossible at the end of the day..

07-07-2011, 03:16 PM	#20
STANG KILLA SS ~THE SCALE SHOP~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: KILLEEN TX Posts: 10,056	i bought these. the smallest they sold http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?...llow&cId=PDIO1 i wonder how jb weld holds up to mapp gas torch? ie a little dab to hold it in place, then un bolt and braise. thats alot of heat, but i guess its steel based?

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