Ask your WELDING questions here.

I've been following this post for a while, and I've also been teaching myself TIG for the last 6 months or so.

What is the best to weld a nut to some mild sheet steel? I'd like to be able to weld these on so that I can bolt a part on what would otherwise be difficult to access the rear of. Do you use a bolt to hold the nut in place as you weld (this didn't work real well for me)? What are some tricks?

Thanks in advance!

If you cant use riv-nuts, then try TIG brazing the nuts in place with phosphor or aluminum bronze filler rod. As brazing needs a lot less heat you will be fine holding nuts in place using bolts.

use a bolt to hold the nut in place,
put 2 small tack welds on opposite sides of the nut,
take the bolt out,
put a couple more small tack welds elsewhere on the nut
then weld

Tig-brazing?? That sounds waay more complicated than just a tack. How difficult is it to learn the basics I would need for a little brazing like this? Brazing has always seemed interesting, but one step at a time, right now TIG alone is keeping me busy.

I'm going to try airborne dad's suggestion. I think my first attempt I got a little excited with the tack, and subsequently too much heat was applied. Back to the welding table.

Thanks so far. Any other tips?

And a little welding porn for the afternoon... If you're not following these guys, you should consider it. They post almost daily with something along these lines.

TIG brazing is much easier than TIG welding, travel speed is faster, and its something that can be used to repair cast iron if required.

For captive nuts in sheet metal though, its very hard to beat Riv-Nuts, which can be fitted very easily from the front of the sheet metal panel.

Thanks. Believe me i know the consecuences of a bad head repair, ive seen it more than once. As i said this is more of a long term project im planning in the long run, maybe for next year and use this year to get info, buy the necessary equipment (which isnt cheap at all), do some courses and practice a lot. But my ultimate goal is alu head repairs.

350 or 700 Miller Dynasty, combine that with a HiAmp Speedway torch setup and you are good to go...(well with lots of practice).

700 Dynasty
3" od x 3/8" wall 6061 top machined part is semi sold (has a counterbore at the interface, 1/2" walls)..so total wall is 7/8"
Straight Argon, Start temp 100 degrees F.

ANTISEEZ on the bolt and yes bolt the nut to the plate or sheet. Weld in place, remove bolt while still hot. Most regular nuts and bolts are zinc coated. It burns off when you weld. Don't Breathe The White Smoke ! Non coated nuts are better but difficult to find.

David

If you have a 3phase supply you should be able to get an old transformer Miller or Lincoln set for reasonable money, which will be perfectly ok for this type of work. I would also suggest some form of crack detecting equipment is a very good idea, as is a bead blast cabinet if you dont have one already.

In terms of cost though you could probably set up to repair cast iron heads for less than alloy, but gas welding cast iron is far more of a skilled process than TIG, which most can pick up in less than 30 minutes if they can gas weld already.

Cast iron repair is likely to be much more profitable than alloy, as very few people are able to do this, and if you have a TIG for alloy, you would also be able to repair parts like exhaust manifolds using TIG brazing.

Also, make sure you don't have a high tensile nut. The more similar the steels the better the weld will be. Of course the low tensile nuts are the ones that usually come galv or plated while the HT ones are plain...

Cheers
Clint

that is GD sexy! was that welded out on a rotator rig or is there a start/stop hidden somewhere in all that bad assness?

I just kicked my dog

Nice work fido!!!

Yep, turn table, and pulse...My trucks all have AM/FM/CD/Radio's, Electric Windows and A/C too....

I still go back and run my 1970's P&H Chemtron to remember the handcranks and 2/65 air, just for fun.

Well if you could tell me were to buy the "lots of practice" part im all set Great work, some day ill have something worth sharing.

Since ill be adding to my dads business 90% of his work comes in form of aluminium heads. However i could ask around to see how much demand is there to weld cast iron heads over here, thanks for the idea.

TIG welding isnt really that difficult once you have the basics, and for welding heads a 300A transformer set with watercooled torch will be just fine, so you dont need to spend that much money on equipment.

Here in the UK very few people are able to repair cast iron parts, and in some cases the cost of replacement is very high, so setting up for these with gas and powder welding, and some form of furnace for pre-heat, post-cool, might be well worth looking at?

NitroAcres , that is some beautiful work.

Do you play a musical instrument?

I guess I am more of a meat and potatoes welder.

David
edited to give proper credit.

Sick. And sickening that that's gonna get used for motorsports as opposed to being displayed in a museum.

Worse, it is actually part of a Mobile Satcom Dish Support...not even a race part...

It would take me 100 years to learn welding aluminium like that, and even after 100 years I probably could not do it THAT nice!

About the nut welding: I put a little copper grease on the bolt (if I don't forget), tighten down the bolt so the nut stays where it is supposed to be, and use two tacks (on opposite sides). Since the welds only have to keep the nut in it's location a single tack would do, but two keeps things flatter/straighter and prevents the nut from bending inwards during a ham-fisted bolt install.

Advantage of two tacks only: little to no distortion, and quick.