what arc electrode to use for anchors.

Hello, we are going to be making boat anchors out of mild steel in a new manufacturing facility. It is a new anchor design. the smallest anchors will be made of 1/8 inch mild steel. the bigger ones out of

3/16" mild steel. All kinds of welds, fillet welds etc.. Finnished anchors will be hot dip galvanized. But I am curisious was good electrodes to choose? Its all DC welding but AC is availabl.e I can get Hobart 6011 very cheap in bulk, also 6013 or 7014. No rod oven so 7018 not good choice. I woold like to use 6013 but anchors must have good welds. since they will be used to hold boats in a bad storm, Hate to have a boat break lose and jeapardize lifes due to bad welding. Thank u for your advice, Hans the Anchor man.
Reply to
Hans Harken
Loading thread data ...

Unless you are using a low alloy steel for your parts such as Cor-ten, E

6013 would be ideal. To ensure strength use the appropriately sized fillet welds. E 6013 is a good choice. It produces a smooth bead and the flux is easy to remove. Any trace bit of flux or spatter could be trapped under the galvanising and fall off later creating a point for corrosion to start. The price of your electrode is the least of your costs. Don't think you are saving money going cheap on your consumables. the extra time spent cleaning a 6011 weld will quickly eat up any money you thought you saved. I have seen people choose the wrong weld procedure thinking they are saving money only to waste time on cleaning and preparation. Randy 3/16" mild steel. All kinds of welds, fillet welds etc.. Finnished anchors will be hot dip galvanized. But I am curisious was good electrodes to choose? Its all DC welding but AC is availabl.e I can get Hobart 6011 very cheap in bulk, also 6013 or 7014. No rod oven so 7018 not good choice. I woold like to use 6013 but anchors must have good welds. since they will be used to hold boats in a bad storm, Hate to have a boat break lose and jeapardize lifes due to bad welding. Thank u for your advice, Hans the Anchor man.
Reply to
R. Zimmerman

I'm thinking that if you have to ask about what electrode to use, you shouldn't be welding anchors that lives could depend upon. Get yourself a certified weldor and he'll know what to use.

My $.02, Bob

Reply to
Bob Engelhardt

Your right I have no business welding.I am not doing any welding, I dont know how. I am hiring certified welders but I dont want them welding any way they want. I am the one who utimately gets sued if theres a problem.

Reply to
Hans Harken

Most brand name and no name spinoff boat anchors are made in china including danforths, you think those welders are certified? they hire a guy off the street, give him one day training with a wire feed gun, if he cant cut it by the end of the day they cut him lose and hire another pathetic soul or used forced prison labor. i have such faith in stuff welded in china.

Reply to
Hans Harken

Why not wire feed? Wouldn't you get cleaner, faster welds?

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Yeah and cheaper too!

Reply to
Diamond Jim

Ya that sounds like a better idea. I need hire a certified welder let him decide .. What about galvanizing whats it cost? can i do it myself? hahahaha

Reply to
Hans Harken

You might try this site for information on how it is done.

formatting link
is not for a small operator. The main thing is to seal weld your anchors. All joints must be welded completely around or the joint will bleed rust later. Hollow sections must have drain holes in several places. This is to drain out the molten zinc since you don't want a slug of zinc stuck in an end. The other reason is that the closed section could burst sending a shower of molten zinc out of the tank and onto the workers. Randy

Hans Harken wrote:

Reply to
Randy Zimmerman

Reply to
Hans Harken

I have a guy who says he has foundry experience, He is going to make a zinc galvanzing "foundry" out of a 55 gallon drum. weld up a steel pan for dipping into. chain hoist set up above.. foundry cement lining. I dont know if it will work but googling around I see similar set ups that seem to work ok. It will be fired with propane gas. Thers no way I can get away with all the chemical treatments the large galvanizers use. with enviro regs. and disposal problems. Just can blast clean the anchors in a cabinet, then hot dip. I hope my idea is a sound one? This should give you an idea of how mom and pop this business will be. It is very small operation.

Reply to
Hans Harken

I am convinced that i will either blow myself up or somebody else before this is thru.

Reply to
Hans Harken

When I (and the SBay Metal working club) was at Stanford U. for a Bronze pour - I believe the size of the unit was about that size. It was half height - and used a very thick top that was moved by a foot. Press down and it moves up and pivots. Can't recall if it moved much or required a push.

The vessel used inside was a big one - required two people on a dip down in type clamps that then two pulled it out and placed it in the center (and on a heat plate) of a two man pouring unit. One man was a pivot and the other turned the Blazing hot pot pouring beautiful bronze. Both men were in Al suits and hoods.

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Hans Harken wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Wow it seems like it can get awfully complicated and expensive! We abandoned our original plan and are making a zinc tank from scratch. It will be a outer "foundry" welded up square box,with gas burner, with a inner box for the molten zinc. I fiqured the cost of zinc ingots very expensive to fill a zinc tank so we are making the tank dimensions a little bit bigger than the largest anchor we make and sort of triangular shaped. this way hopefully we dont need to melt as much zinc at first to save cost. THis is not a large budget to spare to buy over

600 dollars in zinc at first will hurt.

My welder I hired bought us a used miller dmx or xmt? 300 cc/cv interverter welder for $800. It is the bare machine only. Now I have to fiqure out how to set it up for mig welding low cost. I priced the wire feeders from miller and almost passed out on the floor. I am thinking maybe a spool gun. but it will be used for mig welding 1018 or maybe

4130 steel only. will this work ok? We cannot afford a wire feeder even used. alternative is to just arc weld at first. leads are not expensive obviously. I like that it can mig , stick , and tig weld , choices are good! now I need advice on what method to choose?
Reply to
Hans

For a project like this I would use stick. Mig would be a little faster, but your welding time is minimal. Most time will be cutting and fitting parts. A stick torch and 30 pounds of rod should not put you back more than $50.

Reply to
Mike Swift

I think maybe your right Arc welding but what about a ready welder? the miller xmt 300 is a cc/cv machine. would a ready welder work? or maybe it would be better to get a real spool gun?

Reply to
hans

you kill anyone yet Hans in that anchor making gig your doing? I heard you hired a homeless guy to train on a mig gun.

Reply to
bob

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.