Welding Tips and Tricks.

[motorheadmike]

So if when I weld, my biggest fear is blowing through, I'm legit right?

 

[Bonnewagon]

I just did a repair on a Jeep exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe flange was still bolted and rusted solidly to the head pipe flange. I did not want to mess with that. The exhaust pipe could be slid in and out of the flange because the weld had failed all around the circumference. This is where the http://www.messerwelding.com/Product PDFs/by part/MG easy strike.pdf [Easy Strike] 1/16" flux coated rods come in handy. First I used a big woodworking adjustable screw clamp to pull the exhaust pipe back into the flange good and tight. I have a cheapola HF 110/220 stick welder. I only use 110 and I turned it down to the lowest setting which is 40 amps. The tiny rods are perfect for getting into a tight space and not blowing through the thin pipes. I spot welded in a few spots to secure the pipe then removed the clamp so I could work all around the flange. Then I filled in the rest of the way 360° around. These thin rods work great with low amps and let you linger so you get good penetration without blowing through. There was not enough room to grind the entire area down to bare metal. By being able to linger you can melt away the rust and get a good weld. When I was done I could not hear any pinhole leaks but I schmeared some muffler weld paste all over the area just to be sure.