round hay bales . The highest stresses are on the round "spike" that pierces the bale . That's part of the failed structure , and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to use the TIG welder and some 309L to weld this to the framework . Everything is mild steel , and will be welded with either 6013 or 7018 . I noticed that (before the last damage occurred) the spike had been repaired before from metal fatigue breakage . This is why I wondered if a SS weld might hold up better in that location . A set of small triangular reinforcements will also be considered to spread the stress out over a larger area ... but I don't want to get into a situation of chasing stress breakages on this thing - I'm already beefing up the failed mount area by going from 3/8" to 1/2" plate ... The problem is that these hillbillies are always coming up with new ways to break shit . So us repair types gotta keep coming up with new ways to stop them !
- posted
6 years ago