How can a person brack old welds to replace materal?

Iv got a trailer that needs a new deck but there is three layers of sheet metal on it now i need to remove the old and put new on how can i brack the old welds? I have tryed sledge hammers, grinders, and hammer drilles is there somthing im missing?

Reply to
falcon1643106
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Brack? i.e. remove?

Reply to
Gerald Cooper

Patience.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

I assume you want to break the old welds. If they were done correctly, you probably wont.

Perhaps we all need a better description of what it is you have. You tell about 3 layers of sheet metal - how thick are the sheets? - like a real estate sign? or more like 1/8" or 1/4" plywood. Does the trailer have a wood deck with this sheet metal on top? I am guessing that the welds you are fighting are plug welds down through 3 layers of sheet metal with no wood decking, welded to the frame iron of the trailer. I can't imagine the trailer having been very usable unless some of this decking was at least1/8" steel. A sawzall or steel cutting blade in a circular saw could be used to cut away as much of the old sheeting as possible. This could also be done with a cutting torch or plasma torch but the multiple layers will give you fits. If the welds you are trying to cut are on the bottom of the sheeting where it is welded to the framing, they make weld cutting disks to fit small grinders. Once most of the sheeting is gone, you will be able to concentrate on the welds that remain. With enough labor and enough grinding you will be able to get back to native steel. Only you can decide whether the benefits warrant the effort.

What do you intend to do with the trailer? A wood deck may be more functional. You would still need to remove the sheet metal or most of it so that it didn't trap water and also for the weight. If you do use planks look into trapping the ends under angle irons rather than screwing or bolting, the planks will last much longer without the holes so close to the ends of the planks. ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net

Reply to
DanG

thanks the sugestions well help and to answer some of the questions you asked it verys in thinkness the thikest is an 1/8 and the welds are on the ends of the sheeting. I do plain on using wood for the new deck and i was going to re use some of the metal to atach it to the trailer. the trailer was originally a car hauler that was home made i would leave it original but it weighs to much.

Do you know where i can find the cuting blades for the grinder at?

Reply to
falcon1643106

Harbor Fright Any welding supply house A good commercial tool store

Make sure to wear gloves and goggles. These small wheels don't last long but can be quite effective. ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net

Reply to
DanG

I think he means 'break'. It took me a while to make sense of it.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Reply to
wayne mak

Make sure you also check out a dictionary once in a while, or at least use the handy-dandy spell check on your computer. You can get it to check emails automatically even!

Eide

Reply to
Eide

Yup....."If you can't turn it, burn it"

Rob

Reply to
RDF

Sounds like a job for "Arc-Air".

Uses consumable copper coated carbon electrode to establish arc and jet of high pressure air (80 - 120 psi) to blow away molten metal from puddle. Works for any metal. Needs a good sized welder (too big is just right) and lots of air.

Alternatively you can use an arc gouging electrode without air or use these arc gouging electrodes and a helper (with an arc welding helmet) and an air blow gun with a long air tube.

Alternatively you can use a gouging tip on an OA torch. These tips are much more expensive than standard cutting tips and use a LOT more OA. You can often use lower oxygen pressures than normal. A skilled torch hand may take a big, old, & worn cutting tip and modify the cutting throat with a small die grinder bit to make the oxy cutting throat very bell shaped. You are looking for lots of unfocused low pressure oxygen to burn & gouge out the old welds. Look at a new gouging tip and you will get the idea of the shape you are trying to create. OA gouging is SLOW and HOT and EXPENSIVE and can make a big mess and leaves lots of slag, burn through can be a problem. You will need to use a big acetylene bottle as it sucks the gas faster than most small bottles can deliver it.

Arc-Air is better than the alternatives and can be thought of a an 'unwelding' process. It is VERY noisy and does spray hot metal everywhere.

Reply to
Private

I have occasionally used 6010 electrode at the top amperage for the rod size to perform some cutting. This electrode has a very aggressive digging characteristic anyway. If the area of interest can be inclined, much of the molten material will flow out of the cut. It's not a precise cut but it does remove material. This is powered by an engine drive with 100% duty cycle, so I don't worry about the power source. It will however put a bunch of heat into the metal in the area.

Reply to
Thomas Kendrick

Somewhere I heard this works better if you wet the electrode (coating) first. Is this right? Ciao, David

Reply to
David Todtman

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