I TIG welded a nut!

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Welded this nut to this tubing.I'm sure theres plenty of problems with it, it seems very undercut from my point of view but at least it looks pretty. Not ashamed to tell someone I did it.Like my third time touching a TIG machine so im happy about it. I don't know if the way I did it was correct. I just did one side at a time, there is 0 chance I have the skill to do it in one continuous attempt let alone two sides. I wasn't really sure how to determine the required amps for this. Its 3/16 tubing so I just maxed out what the machine will do on 110v (140 amps) I didn't think i would need to set up 220v for a non load bearing nut welded fully around. Its going to be used to clamp a post to a base in the vertical position. I didn't dip the electrode but I think it was just luck. I feel like i have trouble visualizing the electrode glowing vs the puddle. Am I just holding it too close? To fix the undercut, I assume I need more filler? I am only using 1/16" filler its all I have on hand. Not sure if I needed 3/32 or to just dip more.3/32 1.5% lanthanated tungston needle sharp. 140 amps, 25 CFH argon.Attachment 923381Attachment 923391Attachment 923401Attachment 923411Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 12-02-2014 at 11:32 AM.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:nothin wrong with that weld. good job. now try replicating what you did there.
Reply:Nice, I like doing a small tight weld like that for the receiver tube lock down screw. Tig is great for small clean welds.
Reply:Nice!More filler and angle the electrode more towards the undercut helps.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:other than maybe the tiniest crater where you terminated the weld, I would say it looks perfect to me. Good job.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:God knows I can't cleanly mig something that small.I noticed that crater too. Just did extra at the end to fix that?Should I be lightly dipping the filler or pushing to an extent into the puddle? Would bigger filler rod help?Also how do I gauge the amps needed for something like this if strength truly mattered?As far as the undercut, I was trying to focus on the tubing angle wise I was worried I would blow out the wall of the nut somehow.Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 12-02-2014 at 12:18 PM.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:Just dip the filler slightly. Unless you are filling a huge gap no need to shove it there.Looks great.Always use more amps than needed and just use enough to melt it. Kind of hard to explain. It's more of a look and feel.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:U know u got enough amps when u got a good size puddle. Get some cheater glasses and practice more and more. Try different things. You are doing good. 140 amps  is pry to much.
Reply:I'd say you did quite well. 1/16" covers a lot of territory so you are good there. Issue with jumping up to say 3/32" rod is you need a bigger puddle to melt the filler. Remember you melt the filler with the puddle NOT the arc.  You need to be doing some big fills to easily melt 3/32" filler on average. It has it's uses, and I keep 1 or 2 lbs on hand, but seldom use it in general. 1/16" covers what needs to get done most times unless I need to go smaller in filler.If you are having trouble seeing the puddle and differentiating it from the tungsten, my 1st suggestion would be to go darker on your shade. I can clearly see the tip of the tungsten and the puddle as separate entities. 3/16" off the material is a good arc length, 1/4" if you are new and dipping a bit much. with alum you'll need a bit more distance since alum the puddle tends to rise up to want to meet the tungsten more than steel does. Another thing that can help is to make sure your tungsten is out far enough so it's easy to see when you 1st start out. I know a lot of guys are super worried about loosing the gas shielding. I'd rather they have a bit of a shielding issue ( in reality they almost never will unless they are out stupid far or have a micro sized cup on. ) and can see the tungsten. Gas lenses are great to help them see the tungsten better..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I think u need to be closer when welding aluminum especially when u got a transformer. Then when u dip raise the torch up a little bit. I heard you wanna have the arc length about the same diameter as ur tungsten. Just have like 5 tungstens sharp and ready. If u put the half back cap on ur torch u can cut them in half and have twice as many.
Reply:Next week we'll get you on Crayola's......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313 I heard you wanna have the arc length about the same diameter as ur tungsten.
Reply:I don't like to grind both ends either bc when u touch the puddle you are not going to be able to get it in the torch anyway. I found the most helpful thing is some cheater glasses and playing with how much filler to put in. And propping next to the weld. For his third time tiging that's dam good. But maybe post somthing more useful then a nut. He deserves a cookie for that
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313I don't like to grind both ends either bc when u touch the puddle you are not going to be able to get it in the torch anyway. I found the most helpful thing is some cheater glasses and playing with how much filler to put in. And propping next to the weld. For his third time tiging that's dam good. But maybe post somthing more useful then a nut. He deserves a cookie for that
Reply:It was probley a small piece and got hot. Steel welds like **** when u get it to hot. Try v grooving it out and aluminum back or copper back it. Helps alot
Reply:Looks good.  I was doing the same thing last night haha.  1/4" plate, 3/4" nuts, 3/32" thoriated tungsten, #7 cup, 1/16" filler, Sync 250 set at 200A.  Stripped the coating off with HCL acid.
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313It was probley a small piece and got hot. Steel welds like **** when u get it to hot. Try v grooving it out and aluminum back or copper back it. Helps alot
Reply:If I didn't go hotter like I did, the filler wouldn't melt it was sticking to the steel.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:It helps mike
Reply:It just takes seat time man. Keep practicing.
Reply:Originally Posted by kazlxLooks good.  I was doing the same thing last night haha.  1/4" plate, 3/4" nuts, 3/32" thoriated tungsten, #7 cup, 1/16" filler, Sync 250 set at 200A.  Stripped the coating off with HCL acid.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestIf I didn't go hotter like I did, the filler wouldn't melt it was sticking to the steel.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestWelded this nut to this tubing.To fix the undercut, I assume I need more filler? I am only using 1/16" filler its all I have on hand. Not sure if I needed 3/32 or to just dip more.
Reply:Originally Posted by motolife313Why does everyone one up other poeple around here? Not enough filler, bunch of under cut and way to many ampsTry again.
Reply:Don't read my postwanna know what to do?get rid of that damn cheap piece of junk alphatig and buy a miller/lincoln/esab JOKING of course! nice job. looks good!AHP alphatig 200xclarke 130en MIG (first welder i ever bought)NT Plasma 375craftsman 240/180 ac/dc ARCcustom 60x30x30 powder coating ovenhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Rossi...18853401526643
Reply:If you get the chance run a tap or sacrificial bolt through that nut. After welding they slightly shrink in size.
Reply:Originally Posted by turismolover22If you get the chance run a tap or sacrificial bolt through that nut. After welding they slightly shrink in size.
Reply:Originally Posted by turismolover22If you get the chance run a tap or sacrificial bolt through that nut. After welding they slightly shrink in size.
Reply:So I tried recreating what I did, no cigar. I got the job done but it doesn't look anything like the one i posted.Granted the one I did above, I did on my able with comfortable positioning. The other 6 I did this morning were all done out of position on a vertical piece of tubing. I never really MIG out of position let alone TIG sideways and upside down. They still came out acceptable for what I am doing but I wish I could recreate my beginners luck.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:Did you clean the nut aswell with a 80 grit or so flap wheel then acetone? Tig likes everything super clean! Lets see a pic of what you did
Reply:I have w bunch of nuts I cleaned in muriatic acid to strip the zinc off of I just use them.I don't have it at home right now I'm pretty livid though. 3 of the 6 I welded, the bolt snapped when I tried to remove it and the only way to fix it is gonna be to cut off the nut and replace it. I don't know what I did different on the other 5 that it was no problem.I guess I over heated it but if I don't go hotter the filler metal won't melt (1/16)Last edited by BrooklynBravest; 12-03-2014 at 02:20 PM.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrooklynBravestI have w bunch of nuts I cleaned in muriatic acid to strip the zinc off of I just use them.I don't have it at home right now I'm pretty livid though. 3 of the 6 I welded, the bolt snapped when I tried to remove it and the only way to fix it is gonna be to cut off the nut and replace it. I don't know what I did different on the other 5 that it was no problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by dbstooAs someone said, the nut expands and then shrinks a little when heated and cooled.   If you have a screw in there it can be trapped.  Instead of leaving a bolt in the nut while welding I would suggest using a plug tap to chase (clean up)  the threads after you finish welding.Instead of cutting off the existing nut you could simply weld another on top of it.   Dan
Reply:Maybe by some miracle I can carefully drill it enough to be able to get the bolt to collapse in and run a tap through it.www.FirehouseFabricators.comZachLincoln 210mpLincoln SW200Hypertherm Powermax 45xp2x4 CNC Plasma Table.
Reply:Well, since you might have to grind it off anyway...A common trick is to clean the end of the bolt (dremel??) and then place a  nut on top of the broken stud so you can weld the nut to the stud.    The heat can cause the stud to come free and the nut lets you use a wrench to remove it.I've heard of MIG and TIG being used for this.Dan----------------------------Measure twice.  Weld once.  Grind to size.MIG:  Lincoln SP100 TIG/STICK:  AHP Alphatig 200X
Reply:How deep did it break off?I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by dbstooWell, since you might have to grind it off anyway...A common trick is to clean the end of the bolt (dremel??) and then place a  nut on top of the broken stud so you can weld the nut to the stud.    The heat can cause the stud to come free and the nut lets you use a wrench to remove it.I've heard of MIG and TIG being used for this.Dan
Reply:In a pinch, if you do a lot of these a "poor mans" quick tap can be made with a dremel and a sacrificial bolt. Simply cut a slot vertically down the threads, and possibly chamfer the bolt end to allow it to fit if the shrinking was "that bad" Its not ths most ideal set up but will get you by if its necessary. Also a good way to quickly clean up rusty or painted threads.
Reply:drill it out with a left hand drill.
Reply:Looks good but, 25cfh is excessively high, you're just wasting money. Set it to 15cfh, 20 tops.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:Originally Posted by turismolover22If you get the chance run a tap or sacrificial bolt through that nut. After welding they slightly shrink in size.
Reply:ok.........  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Nice Job BB.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:rookie mistake. you should not be welding to the average zinc plated nut in the first place. There are nuts made for welding at your local bolt supply company. Even at that, I never weld with a bolt threaded into the nut. It is bad practice no matter the bolt. The reason is exactly what happened to you; binding and breaking the bolt off. People who suggest running a bolt into a bolt before welding to keep the nut from deflecting are inexperienced and should get off the internet. To get good alignment over the hole, I will run a bolt through the nut and bolt it on the back side to guarantee alignment over the hole. Tac it and remove bolt before fully welding the nut. I still chase all my threads to make sure there is not warping or powder coating in my threads for my clients to deal with. Here is a photo of a heavy hex nut (plain steel) compared to the standard grade8 bolt. 1/2-13 size for each.
Reply:I weld with the bolt in the nut. He probley just had it misaligned like you were saying and the bolt didn't get warped the bolt was probley hitting the base metal. I have done that. If your welding to a round pipe you will want to tack it and weld a little bit at a time in different spots all the way around the nut so it won't walk over if you just start welding the whole thing at once it will walk over especially on pipe where there is a big gap
Reply:You can weld any galvanized nut, just put it in muriatic acid for 30 seconds first.you can usually even weld it with a bolt threaded in, (but it's best to just tack it solid or only weld 2 sides first), just make sure you remove the nut while it's all still warm, and run a tap or thread chaser through the nut after everything has cooled down.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:When I first saw this thread, I thought the worst and it must have really hurt. Heard of a guy at school O/A welding and when he went to rest the rod on his stool to move his hand up on the rod pierced one of his nuts with the hot rod. For welding nuts on, you usually don't need to weld completely around the nut. every second flat is sufficient. Less heat and less shrinking.