Fixing (or trying to) a really sad Hay Budden

[C-1ToolSteel]

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

My advise is to use it with great vigor!  If it fails then you can try a better method.  More likely it will laugh at you and tell you to "bring it on!"

I second that. Hope it works. More power to ya!

[haddockkl]

Thomas, that is the plan.

 

At home on a concrete surface I am getting between 3-4in of bounce from a 10in drop of the hammer. Can't say how much of that is the result of my welding prowess, or because I have a 1.6in homogenous plate on top of a wrought iron body. Ring and rebound is pretty consistent over the entirety of the work surface welded to the body and distinctly flatter on the tail where it is not welded.

[C-1ToolSteel]

Testing rebound with a hammer is a lot different than using a ball bearing. 3-4" sounds pretty good to me.

[arkie]

23 hours ago, haddockkl said:

Yeah, a professional welder I am not. I was running 160 amps for the interior welds between the plate and body about 110 amps for the exterior welds. I swirled my bead to try taking up more of the 1/2in gap that had to be filled. If I had it to do over I would reduce the gap to 3/8. The next phase is to grind everything even and pretty it up. If the face pops off I would be suprised, but it will probably hold me over until I find a better anvil now, it isn't officially a door-stop yet. 

Your anvil build is probably gonna work OK for your work, have fun with it.  One of our members makes anvils by welding 4 or 5 tines stacked together horizontally.  They work for him; he even sells a few.

Not picking on you here, but If you do this again, I suggest that if you're welding with 1/8" 7018 rods turn your amps down.  Without preheat, 1/8" 7018 rods normally are run around 125-135 amps.  Preheat allows you slightly better penetration and less temperature-related stress cracking at those levels.  Running 160 amps for 1/8" is way too hot, particularly with preheat.  You get lots of spatter, slag inclusion and porosity.  Instead of "swirling" your rods, which promotes slag inclusions, either run straight, overlapping beads or do a weave with the 1/2" or 3/8" gap.

[haddockkl]

3 minutes ago, arkie said:

 

Not picking on you here, but If you do this again, I suggest that if you're welding with 1/8" 7018 rods turn your amps down.  Without preheat, 1/8" 7018 rods normally are run around 125-135 amps.  Preheat allows you slightly better penetration and less temperature-related stress cracking at those levels.  Running 160 amps for 1/8" is way too hot, particularly with preheat.  You get lots of spatter, slag inclusion and porosity.  Instead of "swirling" your rods, which promotes slag inclusions, either run straight, overlapping beads or do a weave with the 1/2" or 3/8" gap.

If I ever attempt this again I'll try a smaller gap between face and body, and a bigger electrode, and +1 on running a straight bead. 

[arkie]

3 minutes ago, haddockkl said:

If I ever attempt this again I'll try a smaller gap between face and body, and a bigger electrode, and +1 on running a straight bead. 

Just keep in mind that running a bead in a narrow, deep gap...the slag behind the puddle has to have somewhere to go.  Don't back yourself into a corner and get slag inclusions.  I went back and re-read one of your other posts, and you mentioned welding in what I think was the flat position, not vertical.  That's best (flat).