Log Splitter Wedge ripped off.

[Shield Arc]

I'm fairly new to welding my self, I'd use the 6011 for the root / first pass, and 7018 for everything else.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Shield Arc - that works for me since I now have both. Just so I better understand, why is it best to use 6011 for the root pass and then the 7018?

 

[Shield Arc]

You know here is something that may be of help to you also.

Miller - Stick Welding Calculator

 

[Shield Arc]

Just so I better understand, why is best to use 601 for the root pass and then the 7018?

6010, and 6011 are deeper penetrating rods than 7018.

 

[Oliver1655]

Scotty, I did all my welding on my splitter with 6011 at 125 amps using an old Hammond (WWII era) ac welder. As Sheild arc stated, "deeper penetrating". I am content with appearance of welds made using the 6011 rods. If I was worried about real pretty welds I could top cover it using my MIG welder.

 

[Shield Arc]

There is nothing in the world wrong with 6011. I just come from a 7018 world. But I did a little testing with 6011. Open root pipe bend test.

 

[ruffdog]

7018 has much more metal in its flux and that is why the rod is larger and why it takes more amps to burn. If you bevel out where you are welding, 7018 will fill the beveled area before it penetrates the root, then you have a void in the bottom and a weak weld. 6011 is a digging rod that allows you to penetrate the root. I have done many open root tests using 6010/6011 for all the root passes and 7018 as the finish cover pass. 6011 works good using the stitch welding technique. 7018 works great as a cover rod because it lays down lots of iron and flows out nice.

 

[Shield Arc]

You can always use 7018 for open root too.

 

[CJONE]

You can always use 7018 for open root too.

Only if you are GOOD!! CJ

 

[Shield Arc]

Only if you are GOOD!! CJ

Thanks! I guess I don't do to bad for a hobbyist.

 

[zglozman]

Ruffdog has the right idea, only istead of 6011 i would use 7018 a way better rod for this application. Also cut out the bolt out of the back and weld in something that would support from pretty much the highest point. it will be as good or maybe better than new

 

[Scotty Dive]

Thanks for everyone's help. I welded it back together and keeping in tradition, I did an awful job but grinded it a lot to at least make it smooth. The 7018 was difficult for me to use but I did make a pass with it, but used the 6011 for the most part as was easier for me to lay a bead - if you want to call it that. I did add a second brace to help and so far it seems to work. the first piece of wood I ran through it was the gnarled one that broke it and it was not a problem. I ran about half a cord with it as a test and so far so good. Now on to the engine...I have no idea how it happened but the carb bowl was filled with rust (I run the carb dry after every use) and although its a nice old HH100 Tecumseh engine the carb parts are very hard to come by. I have a spare engine from a snow blower that includes output voltage for lights which would be great when I split after work at night that I might swap in over this winter. There always seems to be another project to add to the list.

 

[Arc weld]

I think sometimes you have to realize your limitations and get someone with more experience to help you.

 

[Marveltone]

I think sometimes you have to realize your limitations and get someone with more experience to help you.

Shoot! If I did that, I'd never get anything done! I commend Scotty for his willingness to expand his skills and knowledge base, even if it's from going over his head. That's kinda how I do it on occasion, much to the fascination of some of my neighbors. To Scotty's credit, he did ask for advice and is willing to learn, even if it means doing it over again. I don't think this should be discouraged, as experience is often a better learning tool than any book, and after all, don't most of us log into this site to learn something?

Keep it up, Scotty!

Joe

 

[Arc weld]

He did ask for advice but unfortunately wasn't experienced enough to be able to utilize it. Never hurts to ask questions. You might not always like the answer though.

 

[Scotty Dive]

I think sometimes you have to realize your limitations and get someone with more experience to help you.

To quote Dirty Harry " A man's got to know his limitations".

However - I can read, I can ask questions and I can watch. But I have always learned the best by doing. I read and I asked questions and I watched lots of videos on line and decided to give it my best. Did I fail - nope. even if my weld fails I certainly did not. So having said that - this is a non critical repair that I learned from and will be better from. Watching it being repaired or a worse situation would have been if I dropped it off and had it done. I learned nothing.

Now if this was something more critical - I would have run to momma (my local welding shop) and asked for help and thrown a few Ben Franklins down.

So...I thank you all very much for your input and hope that it holds!

 

[Shield Arc]

Speaking of bad welds! I was working down river of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. We had to build a work trestle the size of a football field. I was out in the river over seeing the rig up of the derrick. Another crew was on the beach splicing and driving 24-inch pipe pile for the approach to the trestle. One of the certified weldors was having trouble with his wire feeder. The other superintendent over seeing this operation radioed me and ask if I would come to beach and help this kid. When I walked up to the pipe I could see the kid had no idea how to set his welder. I dialed it in for him. I walked up to the other superintendent and ask how hard the pile was driving. He said it was going out of sight. I told him the weld should be cut out and done over, but he didn't want to take the time to do it right! I went back out to the derrick, when the land crane swung over to drive this very badly welded pipe I walked over to the side of the barge to watch. The hammer hit 2 or 3 times before the weld broke. **** hit the fan, guys ran every direction trying to get out of the way! I was shocked the boom of the crane didn't come down:shocked:! The pile driving hammer landed on the hood of my company pickup who someone had parked too close to the work. The hammer drove the engine of the pickup right into the mud!:laughing: The weldor got fired on the spot! Thank God no one got killed.

 

[Jasonc87]

Speaking of bad welds! I was working down river of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. We had to build a work trestle the size of a football field. I was out in the river over seeing the rig up of the derrick. Another crew was on the beach splicing and driving 24-inch pipe pile for the approach to the trestle. One of the certified weldors was having trouble with his wire feeder. The other superintendent over seeing this operation radioed me and ask if I would come to beach and help this kid. When I walked up to the pipe I could see the kid had no idea how to set his welder. I dialed it in for him. I walked up to the other superintendent and ask how hard the pile was driving. He said it was going out of sight. I told him the weld should be cut out and done over, but he didn't want to take the time to do it right! I went back out to the derrick, when the land crane swung over to drive this very badly welded pipe I walked over to the side of the barge to watch. The hammer hit 2 or 3 times before the weld broke. **** hit the fan, guys ran every direction trying to get out of the way! I was shocked the boom of the crane didn't come down:shocked:! The pile driving hammer landed on the hood of my company pickup who someone had parked too close to the work. The hammer drove the engine of the pickup right into the mud!:laughing: The weldor got fired on the spot! Thank God no one got killed.

Makes ya' wonder why he got chosen in the first place for the position, and grateful nothing more serious happened...

To Scotty this is a good project to learn on if you ask me... The things I've never done but willing to at least try make me feel accomplished whether I win or loose at the end. That particular repair isn't like the frame of the truck where failure is sure to send you ditch hunting lol.

If you have some more scrap laying around get something halfass flat grind a few 'lines' just so the metal is halfway clean and burn about 15 of those 7018 rods. Just run flat out beads. Once you get a flat bead to look decent then try actually joining some pieces... I find inside corners easiest to practice on..:dance1::cool2::drink:

 

[Shield Arc]

Makes ya' wonder why he got chosen in the first place for the position

When you work for a union contractor, you call the union hall for x-amount of people to do the job. One would assume when you call the union hall for certified weldors, that they can weld / pass a test / know how to set a welding machine. Well we all know about the word A $ $ U ME!

This job down town Seattle I fired 12-weldors on this project. Every weld was 100% UT'ed. I had guys walk away from a weld with holes the size of your little finger nail:shocked:. I walked by one guy, just by the sound of his weld I could tell he was on the wrong polarity! When he stopped welding, I told him he needed to change the polarity. He stood up and informed me polarity has nothing to do with anything, it is just a wife's tale!:shocked: I fired him on the spot! Certified weldor my A $ $!

 

[2458n]

Everyone runs some pretty ugly welds when starting. Thats after you have stuck a couple of rods while trying to strike a arc. The only part I do not like is the position of the horizontal wedge. like it is; the wood is being pushed into and down under the wedge into the top of the beam. This squeeze play is a waste, and tries to tear the wedge off the vertical on every split. The horizontal should have the bevel on the top side only- or be much thinner.