Welding 1-1/2" Thick Steel

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Can I weld a 1-1/2" thick piece of steel to a 1-1/2" thick plate T-joint with my 240amp MIG? Spec sheet says 3/8" fillet weld all around. Just curious if I would still get penetration.John 3:16(2) Miller Pheonix 456(2) Millermertic 252Dynasty 210DXHobart 210MVPDoringer D350 SA Cold SawScotchman 350LT Cold SawWebb 10x50 MillWebb 15x40 LatheGeka Bendicrop Ironworker
Reply:You can. You have to think about what you ask it to do afterward.And most likely you would want a multi pass.
Reply:If 3/8 is the max thickness listed for your machine then that means that 3/8 is the max thickness you can weld in a single pass. You can run multiple passes to get more weld on heavy plate. For a joint like you describe I would cut a 1/2 inch bevel on each side of the l of the T and run multiple passes up to a 3/4 fillet weld. That may be more than needed in your application however.Last edited by MrLeadMan; 08-16-2014 at 10:19 PM.Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:Out of curiosity, whatcha building?Thermal arc 211iCk flex-loc 150 & 130Clamps, saws & grindersHarbor freight 80 amp inverter
Reply:Oh just kidding. Just double checked the drawing and it's 6061 aluminum, not steel. Definitely can't weld that! Not sure what it's for. It's got a 36" square plate, 1-1/2" thick, with a 12" solid rod, 12" long coming out of the middle with eight 1-1/2" thick gusset plates going around that. Drawing says it's a table. Pretty heavy duty table, weighs almost 400 lbs. If there's anyone around the North Chicago-land area that can weld this and wants to take it on, send me a PM and I'll bid on it for you.John 3:16(2) Miller Pheonix 456(2) Millermertic 252Dynasty 210DXHobart 210MVPDoringer D350 SA Cold SawScotchman 350LT Cold SawWebb 10x50 MillWebb 15x40 LatheGeka Bendicrop Ironworker
Reply:Big bevel, preheat, and remember your machine is prolly only 30% duty cycle. What are you making
Reply:A few points you should know about welding thick sections.  First is that you must preheat the material.  At thicknesses over one inch it is mandatory for most welding codes.  The reason is that the heat is needed to ensure that you fuse to the parent metal properly and that the weld does not cool down too quickly.  The preheat required on one inch mild steel plate would be around 200 to 300 F.  Any condensation on the plate evaporates off immediately at that temp.  You will need a large propane torch for the preheat.   For most processes you should not run weld beads larger than 3/8 in a single pass.  An exception would be submerged arc welding.  If you run fillet welds larger than 3/8 in a single pass you risk cracking on the face.  Again most welding codes prohibit single pass fillets larger than 3/8th.   If you have some scrap material of similar thickness run a  3/8th fillet about an inch long without any preheat.  Snap the weld and more than likely it will tear out of the parent metal on one side or the other.  The rapid cooling will create a very hard zone next to your weld bead and will possibly be the site of a future failure unless you preheat.  From the sounds of it you are just doing a seal weld if it is only 3/8th on such thick material.  Your machine will do the job but you must preheat.  Just noticed that you mentioned aluminum..... preheat aluminum also.
Reply:Originally Posted by EcondronOh just kidding. Just double checked the drawing and it's 6061 aluminum, not steel. Definitely can't weld that! Not sure what it's for. It's got a 36" square plate, 1-1/2" thick, with a 12" solid rod, 12" long coming out of the middle with eight 1-1/2" thick gusset plates going around that. Drawing says it's a table. Pretty heavy duty table, weighs almost 400 lbs. If there's anyone around the North Chicago-land area that can weld this and wants to take it on, send me a PM and I'll bid on it for you.
Reply:Throw some aluminum wire in there. That thing will output more than 240 amps for sure.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:So... You're saying I can weld 1-1/2" thick aluminum with my welder if I preheat it to 200-300F?John 3:16(2) Miller Pheonix 456(2) Millermertic 252Dynasty 210DXHobart 210MVPDoringer D350 SA Cold SawScotchman 350LT Cold SawWebb 10x50 MillWebb 15x40 LatheGeka Bendicrop Ironworker
Reply:Originally Posted by EcondronSo... You're saying I can weld 1-1/2" thick aluminum with my welder if I preheat it to 200-300F?
Reply:Well I found out what it's used for. It will be a table to test how products handle vibrations. So the table itself won't support much weight, but it's very important the table be very rigid, hence the thick materials. Even still, it's odd they are requesting 3/8" fillet welds. They are NOT seal welds.John 3:16(2) Miller Pheonix 456(2) Millermertic 252Dynasty 210DXHobart 210MVPDoringer D350 SA Cold SawScotchman 350LT Cold SawWebb 10x50 MillWebb 15x40 LatheGeka Bendicrop Ironworker
Reply:Mabe I'm wrong here but I wouldn't expect alluminum to be the first choice on something designed to take repeated abuse from vibrations! What sort of testing procedures will they use? Long wave vibrations, hi frequency vibrations, this all plays a part in the structural stability of the materials expecially the welds!Just thinking out loud...Real welders know how to penetrate!(Equipment)Whatever can be used to beat my opponent into submission!