Stick welding roll cages

admin

How many people here have stick welded roll cages? I am finishing up a cage now and I sometimes wish I had a nice mig to weld the cage with. I had been using 6011 (because I cant get 7018-ac) to work properly. My welds I think are ok, but it looks ugly. I used a bit of 6013 and it looked "prettier". I had been having some trouble getting some porous gaps with the 6013 at times. Is that lack of heat/filler?  Here is one on a door bar with 6013.
Reply:The weld does not look so bad- I have seen much worse, so don't feel bad! No sanctioning bodies will accept a stick weld or (they say....) a mig weld on chromo. But on regular steel, I know they will accept mig. I have seen lots of stick weld repairs on cages in the desert, but not many fully built stick welded cages. I would have to say it should be fine with good planning and good welding- stick is a fine weld, just not the prettiest weld.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:The rule book only said arc welding so I think I should be ok. They arent the prettiest but they arent going to be seen really. Its not like a stick weld isnt as strong as a mig weld, but I think its easier to get a strong mig weld. I am pretty good with 6011, I think I am just going to finish the cage with that, Its a 2700 (ish) pound car with 10 cage mounting points, all 1.75" .120 DOM and a bit of .095.
Reply:Any welding tips too? I can get some nice 7018 welds but I have to turn up the heat to like 145 amps to strike an arc and then it almost blows through the tube.
Reply:Originally Posted by fordmanAny welding tips too? I can get some nice 7018 welds but I have to turn up the heat to like 145 amps to strike an arc and then it almost blows through the tube.
Reply:Let us see some more pics of your car / roll cage construction. What class of car and what sanctioning body are you going to run. DaveI am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:With these parametres wouldnt you want to do a root pass with maybe a 6013, and THEN the 7018 in a weave?  Im thinking 3/32 also.Best tip I've got (and its always applicable) is acetone it clean.  Clean, clean clean.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:All welds on rollcage tubing are single pass welds. The ONLY reason to do a multi-pass would be bad fit-up. If it doesn't fit correctly it goes in the drops pile and you try again...no multi pass welds !!That being said I also don't know of any sanctioning body that allows SMAW on cages.Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:This will be more of an open track car, but I am building everything to NASA spec. They say arc welding in the rule book. No where does it say SMAW is not allowed.
Reply:We built the car in my sig completely with a stick welder..But that was back in'79..'80Still passes tech anywhere we go..Just remember"Grinding of welds is prohibited"...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 zapsterWe built the car in my sig completely with a stick welder..But that was back in'79..'80Still passes tech anywhere we go..Just remember"Grinding of welds is prohibited"...zap!
Reply:Get it right the first time...Or grind it and do it over again so it dont look like its been ground and done again.. ...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:haha I guess I will see what I can do... I really need to find a decent mig welder, it would make my life much easier.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWe built the car in my sig completely with a stick welder...zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by olddadCareful Zap, never know, LaShure might be a member/lurker here...lol
Reply:The sanctioning bodies usually discourage or exclude stick welding because it is much easier to have inclusions and flaws in it.  When this came up I had to look in the NASA rulebook out of curiosity since I had just done a NASA cage myself last month and had spent a lot of time looking at the rules.  I did not remember the welding part, but here it is:15.6.15 WeldsAll welding must be of the highest quality with full penetration and shall conform to the American Welding Society D1.1, 1994 Edition, Structural Welding Code, Chapter 10, Tubular Structures and Standards for the material used. Arc welding should be used whenever possible. It is strongly recommended that the welder inspect all welds using Magnaflux™, x-ray, or other effective methods. All tubes must be welded 360-degrees around the circumference of the tube.I'm surprised they keep it so vague!Jason
Reply:The only thing I see is the ground is going through the steering box. Edit.....Is the pipe galvanized?  I see a lotta white stuff.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by David RThe only thing I see is the ground is going through the steering box. Edit.....Is the pipe galvanized?  I see a lotta white stuff.David
Reply:Originally Posted by TubularFabshall conform to the American Welding Society D1.1, 1994 Edition, Structural Welding Code, Chapter 10, Tubular Structures and Standards for the material used.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWe built the car in my sig completely with a stick welder..But that was back in'79..'80Still passes tech anywhere we go..Just remember"Grinding of welds is prohibited"...zap!
Reply:My opinion, stick welding won 2 world wars, it'll hold. BTW, my 2006 edition has no chapter 10. But, you're talking about tubular T, Y and K connections, I shouldn't wonder. Information concerning tubular T, Y and K connections is scattered throughout the current D1.1.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny