Welding Tips and Tricks

I seem to be getting more and more buckets in for repairs. Here's a 5 foot ditching bucket I put a new bottom in along with the wear bars.
I don't know if anyone else has experienced the same problem as I have with dirt between the layers that makes it impossible to weld, and didn't know if there was some solution or trick to help weld through the dirt. Not so much on this bucket but had a repair right after this bucket building up welds on the wear bars where they were cracked, or worn through. I cleaned everything I could get at but when I started welding (mig) I'd burn through the thin metal, hit dirt and made slag. I got it done after a while but looking for ideas that might make the next one go easier. THANKS Jack

My suggestion would be to drag that first pass through the dirt with either 6010/11 stick rod, or dual-shield flux core wire. Either will do wonders for separating the dirt from the metal. The dual-shield can be done "all the way out", where the 60xx would be a root only since you're going to want harder steel than 60XX. If you're on Instagram, check out @moserfab. He does these dirty repairs constantly.

Steve S

3000 psi power washer and an extra $100 charge.

Otto Nobedder wrote:My suggestion would be to drag that first pass through the dirt with either 6010/11 stick rod, or dual-shield flux core wire. Either will do wonders for separating the dirt from the metal. The dual-shield can be done "all the way out", where the 60xx would be a root only since you're going to want harder steel than 60XX. If you're on Instagram, check out @moserfab. He does these dirty repairs constantly.

Steve S

And if you are on instagram-moserfab will answer questions via DM. I've asked him a number of questions and he is very easy to talk to as well.

Thanks guys. Next time I'll try the 6011 and see how that works.

Oh...
From the post title I thought maybe this was a bucket list of things to weld before you die

I deal with this crap all the time in the mines, best thing I found to do short of cutting the plate off and cleaning everything out behind it is run it hot if I'm using the self shielded wire, it will make bubbles of slag. Beat the crap out of those bubbles and then clean with a grinder and wire wheel, might have to repeat this cycle a few times, once you get some metal in there you can work a good root in using a weave and a lot of patience. If your stick welding do the same thing with a 6011 til you can get a root in, then run a good hot pass with 7018 and add as many passes as you need.

If the plate is busted loose that you have to dog it back down I cut it off and start over with it if I'm gonna use the wear plate again, with the dirt behind it you wont get it dog down right and the dirt will keep messing with you, as usually in my work its vertical or overhead.

I used to do a lot of bucket repairs. First I'd use a pressure washer then an air hammer to beat the crap out of the area and a lot of the dirt would fall out from between layers. Then a nice hot root with 6011 and weld it the rest of the way with 8018.
I used NR-211 a few times when at the shop but I was usually in the field. On my service truck I had the first Lincoln Commander 400 sold in Utah. (Thanks Deke)
Just my $0.02 but it seemed like the stick welds were stronger than the innershield.
Cheers.
-E


P.S. a good air-arc is essential. Getting the cracks vee'd out all the way is crucial.

NR 211 is good wire for sure but NR 233 or 232 seems to work a lot better, got more tensile stenth and elongation to it from the paperwork they sent me for the different wires, and its what Lincoln recommended. 211 isn't recommended to be used over 3/8 or 1/2 inch thickness (I forget which) in most applications even if you gouge it out deep. I recently welded a split lip on a 14 yard trakhoe bucket 4 inches thick and about 2 1/2 foot long, gouged it out about 3/4 way from one side and welded it about 1/2 way out so that I had maybe about an inch to fill yet, then gouged out the other side and weklded it to about an inch away like the first side. then I just jumped back and forth 3 passes here 3 passes there til it was done filled in. Had the bucket on it side as there was work to be done on the back of the bucket and they were workin on the motor in the shovel, and rebuilding one of the hydraulic cylinders, so we could pretty much do what ever we wanted to with the bucket. This was in October, they are still runnin it wide open digging some very hard jackstone and the lip and all else is still good...so I guess we did somethin right. We were outside when we did this and it worked ok, unless it rained , then we put up tarps and umbrellas and had torpedo heaters and lotsa coffee

Yeah jet arc is the way to go for gouging, another good thing is to preheat this stuff like crazy, we heat it up so that spit will sizzle on it.

Could you weld new wear bars to the worn through wear bars?

If the old bar is wore too thin what will happen in most cases is the old bar will peel off the bucket from the heat when welding it. I generally cut the old ones off if they are worn down to less than half the thickness of the new stuff, especially if the pieces are wrapped around the bucket, wrapping then sets up a lot of stresses in that stuff, especially if its AR plate like we use out on the mountain , you gotts heat it up red and beat the crap out of it with dogs and wedges, pull it back with a comalong and just generally abuse the crap out of it til you get in place...then hope it all stays put while you weld it.

I love doing Buckets lol I've found that shop air and lots of pounding on the plates with a good Hammer helps but it needs to be dry If not it just makes more mud. in the wet case I will usually warm up the repair area first with the old Rosebud then the air and BFH ( BIG FAT HAMMER ) Hope it helps

DrDogwood wrote:I love doing Buckets lol I've found that shop air and lots of pounding on the plates with a good Hammer helps but it needs to be dry If not it just makes more mud. in the wet case I will usually warm up the repair area first with the old Rosebud then the air and BFH ( BIG FAT HAMMER ) Hope it helps

BFH check.

Cheers
-EB