Filling a hole in a plate with weld material

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?

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Reply to
Ignoramus28701
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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.

Lloyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

What Lloyd said. Can you imagine how much heat filling in a 2 by 2 by 3/4 hole would created.

Or leave the holes there and have that be a feature so one could use the holes to clamp things to the table.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

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

Reply to
Pilgrim

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.

Mart>

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

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

"The socialist movement takes great pains to circulate frequently new labels for its ideally constructed state. Each worn-out label is replaced by another which raises hopes of an ultimate solution of the insoluble basic problem of Socialism, until it becomes obvious that nothing has been changed but the name. The most recent slogan is "State Capitalism."[Fascism] It is not commonly realized that this covers nothing more than what used to be called Planned Economy and State Socialism, and that State Capitalism, Planned Economy, and State Socialism diverge only in non-essentials from the "classic" ideal of egalitarian Socialism. - Ludwig von Mises (1922)

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Martin's idea is sound, too. Call 'em an added feature and sell it for more.

Were it mine, I'd slice an inch off the end of the long side, cut some

2" long sticks, grind tapers on the hole and sticks, and then weld the sticks into the holes.

BTW, that's one heavy mutha of a table, isn't it?

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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.

Reply to
clare

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

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Reply to
Karl Townsend

VanNatta's shop is about 5 miles away from here, as the crow flies.

Reply to
PrecisionmachinisT

yep...

all that stuff sells for $1/lb

Reply to
Ignoramus8588

Nice tables!

I like his old Loadstar with HIAB crane, and his aerial lift. Babbit spoons? That guy does some -old- engine and machine work!

Get a load of this teensy weed whacker:

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Really fascinating site.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

I'd leave them to clamp through or make tools that sit through and register on the flats for orientation.

Consider the holes and uses in quality Anvils.

Mart>

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Martin Eastburn fired this volley in news:O0_

6u.7154$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-01.dc.easynews.com:

Just to be clear, Ig never said these were "regular" holes. They may need tuning to make them useful holes. "Just a hole" may work, but not always.

Lloyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

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