I've never seen a weld like this, but I'm going to try and repair it, need help.

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Last week with the hurricane coming everyone was taking stuff down so it wouldn't get destroyed. My coworker was at his mother in laws house helping when this piece broke off of the picnic table.It's aluminum, the piece that broke off looks cast, but I have never seen a weld like this before. I know I have to get rid of the old weld and paint, but do I preheat?  I don't have all the machines/mills etc to mill out a new piece, but I'm sure I can weld some pieces of 1/8" sheet together to duplicate that if I have to.www.thefusionsolution.com
Reply:Clean it up, grind off the old weld and weld it back together, a little heat cant hurt but it shouldnt need much. Use 4043 and keep your frequency down between 60-70hz, seems to work better on getting the puddle going on cast for some reason.
Reply:I have a diversion 165, no frequency adjustment.www.thefusionsolution.com
Reply:While you have it , look at the other welds like it and see if they may need your attention too. If that one broke there may be more about to break. It looks like there just wasn't enough heat to properly fuse with the cast part to begin with. With the predrilled holes in it, bolting it together is an option if you can't get your weld to stick any better than the original.
Reply:The bolt holes actually accept a brace that ties all the legs together. so I can't use them. unless I get longer bolts, but I want to do it the right way and not half *** it..www.thefusionsolution.com
Reply:Looks like the original weld had tons of contamination. Foamy sponge weld.  Looks like it may have been welded without gas and without any cleaning.If you don't remove all the spongy stuff it'll probably just keep foaming as you try to reweld it.  It could also be the casting is mystery metal that's going to foam up on it's own.  Try and see!Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:dont forget to put some nuts in those holes before welding it togetherTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Grind out the old 'foamy' porous welds to clean metal and have at it.Hey, it's already broken.  What can happen that's worse, it doesn't weld up and it's still broken.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawdont forget to put some nuts in those holes before welding it together
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseGrind out the old 'foamy' porous welds to clean metal and have at it.Hey, it's already broken.  What can happen that's worse, it doesn't weld up and it's still broken.
Reply:Now that's a great pic of a really bad weld...And you pay good money for this crap......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 speedfreak87The holes are tapped, as far as I know, there where no nuts.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterNow that's a great pic of a really bad weld...And you pay good money for this crap......zap!
Reply:You could sit a block of steel on top of it to work as a heat sink and another underneath so that it heats up slower than if you were doing it open air.  I do this with some of the thin 01-cs and HSLA and HSS sheet metal that I put together at work.  It helps to reduce the risk of blow through specially if I'm having to welding a bevel on the inside of a koman.Welding Supervisor Department of Corrections.
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Reply:i guess most here are like me..walk through any store and find yer lookinat the welds that are for sale..90% of what i see just sucks asssss.
Reply:I was able to fix it, but that mystery material SUCKED!  it wasn't pretty, but it should hold. if I had a mill and a chunk of aluminum, I would have made a new piece, but eh. it's on there I didn't get pics because I saw my buddy before I even got home to take pic.www.thefusionsolution.com