Drawbar build

[snowcat]

Hi thought id put on some pics of an ongoing overhall job im doing for our local docks, have about 40 of these to do + its sister part the turntable, the drawbars are from the 50ton trailers used to haul timber and steel around the docks..

This is the abused drawbar all the chalked parts are for the scrap bin, eyes are replaced when needed this ones good so its staying. Note the bits of plate on it from the many patch up jobs from the onsite fitters.

I use 2 bits of 40mm solid bar for the back plate, I always arc big material from that school im afraid, note the nice peal from the slag good sign you have your heat and speed right, the T welds on on this back part will have a 4mm root followed by 2* 5mm passes.

2 new side rails are made, these are shaped with the plasma the cut out is to weld the eye in place, they are given a bit of heat then bent.

Building a good jig for multiple work makes life much more easy, the parts are simply banged into position and clamped, no more use of a tape or square is needed, all the remaining welds are then done with the mig.

Finished, note the added 1/2 inch centre brace, there is also a number welded on each one, a tab and a costing is kept for all kit on the docks.

Cheers for looking il dig out some more projects if there of intrest.

 

[Drains]

Another fine job. What harbour/docks you at snowcat?

 

[snowcat]

Thanks simon ,The yard i do work for is baltic distribution on the crouch, its one of the thames estuary,s. 10,000ton ships are about the bigest draft they can get in. handy jobs because there 2 mins from my workshop and 3 from my house dont think you could pick much more local work up.

 

[lorenzo]

Nice job......I like the slag pic..... what kind of wire are you runing? Gas mix, wire size, volts...... feed rate?

 

[MigTig]

Nice photos! Lorenzo has competition

Keep up the good work, interesting stuff!

 

[snowcat]

Thanks guys,
This job i was useing a 400amp philips power plant with wire feed unit, 40volt ocv, 1.2 standard boc wire, round 270 ipm wire speed, argoshield heavy 20% Co2, 2%air 78% argon. The stick was a 500amp kempi power source at around 220 amps, 50V, A/C jumpers set. standard 60 serries boc rods, made by lincoln i think. 4mm root put in at 175 amps A/C. sometimes would use a 70 serries for the roots but didnt think it was need in this job.

 

[MigTig]

Im getting the feeling that in order to get the slag to seperate cleanly from the weld, and lie ontop like that, you need some serious umph from the welder.. simple arc welders and hobby gassless welders using fluxed fillers will never do that

 

[Drains]

On a good day I can have the slag lifting like that on my little 140A machine, running under 100A. On a good day mind...
Actually it usually cracks across, so it doesn't lift up. But you can blow hard on it and it comes off.
With stainless rods it lifts off dead easy, every time. Lovely.

 

[Haze]

100 amps will get you a peel like that, seen it many times, but never achieved it myself, but then...i cannot drive a stick.

 

[rtbcomp]

Im getting the feeling that in order to get the slag to seperate cleanly from the weld, and lie ontop like that, you need some serious umph from the welder.. simple arc welders and hobby gassless welders using fluxed fillers will never do that

I got the slag to peel off like the pic using a "hobby" Mono welder (AC arc) ONCE!!! I used plenty of amps on 1/4 inch thick steel. So if I can do it then it is possible. Most of the time it chips off easily, sometimes it gets messy.

 

[Satsuma]

Cheers snowcat, very interesting

 

[Horrorking]

I have a 135A Mig and am getting a bit of practice welding. For fun I got the 90A stick out and had a go. Running flat out I managed 3 welds of a full stick each, and considering these sticks have been sitting in the shed with no drying agent for about 6 months, 2 of the 3 welds peeled absolutely beautifully and required no chipping. The other one, the first layed down, looked more like something mauled by a rabid aligator!

20 years ago I used to be a good stick welder, so apparently its like riding a bike - it does come back after you fall off a few times