I have a very nice 5x10x3/4" steel plate, out of which I am making an industrial welding table. The only problem, is that there are two holes in the table appx 2x2 inches. I would like to fill them with weld material and grind flush, so thatr the holes would "disappear".
My idea was to take a graphite plate and use it as a backing bar, and fill with MIG. The graphite would be something like a 1" plate. Would that work, or would the plate crack from thermal stress?
Ignoramus28701 fired this volley in news:nMadnR9hRZXupsrPnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
Ig, that's just crazy. Cut some rough pieces slightly thicker or the same thickness as the plate that reduce the amount of weldment you must do. If the pieces are exactly the same thickness, shim them up a little (just a few thou) from the 'bottom', so they stand proud enough to grind flush.
Don't waste your good graphite block on that. A thick piece of aluminum behind the weld will resist bonding of the weldment.
But DON'T waste all that wire! Frag off a piece of scrap, and fill up the holes, sans just a scant 1/16" of clearance all-around.
Clamp the 'slugs' until they're tacked down on four opposing places. If you cannot clamp them, then LIGHTLY tack one side, beat the piece down flush, then lightly tack the other. Repeat at 90-degrees to the first two. Then tack a bit more heavily before really burning in on a full weld.
As sone one else said,"why bother" holes in a work table are an asset. For clamping, putting a part in the hole so you can lay the other part flat, etc. etc. CP
Think of the holes as holding assists - make tools that fit like a anvil hardy hole. Something you work on might need an elevated hold and the holes might lock into square to the plate a bar with another holding plate.
Use the hole as an clamp arm reach through.
Makes a small smaller sheet out of a larger sheet.
Thats going to take a LOT of wire to fill. You would be better off cutting a couple plugs, beveling top and bottom well..and welding them in, then grinding them flat. In either case...both will be visible under some definition of "visible".
Gunner
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Not as heavy as the fixture table a buddy of mine has - was made to assemble Lotus 7 chassis, and has built quite a few aircraft fuselages as well. Nothing you clamp to it and weld is going to move, OR warp the rable. I think it is 2 inches thick, with an axtra inch around the peripheral 2 inches.
acutally pretty wimpy compared to what my son got. He seen them at his welding for a living job. They are called an Acorn welding table. about 3" thick with a honey comb of holes for clamping
I agree with the other guys about cutting a plug for each hole, and beveling the edges for a v-groove around the perimeter. My main problem with it is you are going to cup your plate with all that weld heat, which would defeat the purpose of a big flat weld table.
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