Project Fuggly - No Longer Fuggly And Splashed!!!!!!

[Pcolafisher]

Congrats on finishing with that nasty zinc! Good to hear the trailer is solid now. It seems like spatter can always find a way to skin! Cheers

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks for the comments guys. I think you could wear a space suit made out of asbestos and still get the hot potato welding galvanized! GA asbestos isn't good to breathe, but it is one hell of a fireproofing! And all around us, its amazing how much they made.....its still everywhere.

Tonight I filliped the perches on the axle and changed the centers. That was after I did a mock up of the old spring assemble and the new one. Since I am going from a slipper spring to a spring and shackle, that changes the ride height. Also the new axle has more drop.....long story short after all the math, the new axle hub center is actually 1-3/4" lower than the old one relative to the frame. So that means it will ride about that much higher. I want to keep the fenders about where they are, they make nice steps to access the boat at that height. The new tires are about 1-1/2" taller. but taking the new axle hub center into account, clearance isn't an issue. This took some brain damage, and assuming I did the math right it will work great!





Here is a shot of the old axle and the new one. I had to cut the perches off, flip them 180, change the centers to match the trailer and weld them back on. I had to think about that since we are dealing with a round axle.



I started by leveling my build table. It has adjustable jacks at all 4 corners and i can get it within a 1/16 or so. I then cut one perch off, flipped the axle over and clamped it down flat to the table



After that I put the other perch on, adjusted the center and leveled it. I put 4 tack welds on it for now, then cut off the other perch.



Since the hub offset was now down, I just clamped the axle in the vice. That allowed me to level it and keep it from rolling around. Then I just repeated the process and welded on the second perch.



Here is a shot of the two next to each other after the welding



Assuming I have power in the morning, I'm going to get started on welding the spring shackles and mocking up the axle.

 

[sphelps]

Good thinking on the axle rework keeping things strait ,, You should install some of those hydraulic's like the guys put on the low riders to make them jump up and down ..
I could see fuggly pulling up to the ramp with the music going lifting up and down jumping around like get out the way "Fuggs" in the house !!!
Ok. maybe not .. :facepalm:
Great work arch ! I should send my trailer for the WW over to ya for an extreme make over !

 

[archbuilder]

LOL I don't know if she would like being called Fuggs....you know how women are! I guess the hydraulics would be a good way to find out if you have her tied down good

No problem on the trailer make over, but if it is galvanized, you got to have it sandblasted! I wish I had done that before I started all this, of course I thought it was going to be just replacing the tongue......

 

[archbuilder]

Got the axle mocked uo this morning. Need grind and welding after lunch.

 

[Pcolafisher]

Great job on the axle! What did you use to cut the perch off without damage to the axle or the perch?

 

[mickyryan]

great work man my welding is week, I like to blame the old century welder but I think I just need practice

 

[sphelps]

I welded for the first time today ! It's tougher than it looks .. Sil was giving me pointers ... :facepalm:

 

[Pusher]

Haha, mine looked (past tense, one time deal) looked like birds had taken a $&-+ everywhere! Haha.


Good on you Arch.

 

[Patfromny]

I welded for the first time today ! It's tougher than it looks .. Sil was giving me pointers ... :facepalm:

I guess he's better at welding than digging trenches huh? Lol

 

[gm280]

Sam your first welds will look iffy. But the more you weld the better you get. I can now hear the weld and know instantly if it is a good weld or not. The sound will tell you as you weld more. If it is popping and splatting, it isn't a nice good weld and you will see that once you take off the helmet or the auto-darkening turns off. But if it sounds like a constant bacon frying sound, it is a good weld. You will see after awhile. And you will also know the proper distance and gas pressure and feed rates and current settings as well. Sounds like a lot of issues, but really not that much. I really like welding better then soldering now. And I was a NASA certified Micro-Miniature solder for over 40 years.

 

[archbuilder]

Pcola, I knocked down the bulk of the weld with 4-1/2" grinder. Then came back and finished cutting it with a die grinder. I did damage the axle a little, long story but the spindle caused a bad angle on the outside welds. No biggie, I just welded up the damage, which wasn't that bad.

Its the welder Mickey.....that is what I always tell myself when I gack one!

Sam / Pusher, it just takes practice. And you do get rusty when you don't do it, but it comes back pretty quick. Sam what kind of welding set up were you using? I think MIG is the easiest to pick up on, works on steel, stainless, and aluminum....but best on steel. I still suck with a stick and TIG, but I do want to learn TIG one of these years.

Speaking of welding, I did more grinding and did some more welding between the plate and channel where the spring brackets attached. Basically I wanted solid welds under the brackets. So I had to fill in between a few stitch welds. Then I tacked up the brackets, fitted up everything one last time, then started final welding. Got about 70% of the welding done, then ran out of shielding gas. Hopefully tomorrow I will finally have time to swap out the cylinder.

 

[sphelps]

I picked up just a Hobart 230v stick welder that was on clearance sale at TSS ..
Sil been using it on his trailer . Seems to be working good ..

 

[gm280]

I picked up just a Hobart 230v stick welder that was on clearance sale at TSS ..
Sil been using it on his trailer . Seems to be working good ..

I never used a stick welder. I would think it would be a lot different then a MIG because with a MIG, you use a constant steady position as you weld. But with a stick, the stick (welding rod) gets used up as you weld changing the distance from the electrode to the work piece. So that would take some getting use to in my opinion. I also hear but, certainly don't know, that you have to keep the rods in a sealed container so they don't absorb mositure. I don't know if that is true or not, but just something I heard over the years. I would think TIG would be the next easier welding technique to learn after MIG. JMHO :noidea:

 

[nurseman]

I also hear but, certainly don't know, that you have to keep the rods in a sealed container so they don't absorb mositure. I don't know if that is true or not, but just something I heard over the years.

That only applies to certain types of rods. Specifically the 7018 rod.(there may be more, that is the only one that I am familiar with:noidea. The technique is different than with a MIG, but since you are watching your arc anyway, you just keep the arc constant, and it really isn't too hard to master. (says the guy who puts lots of miles on his grinder when welding...:facepalm

 

[Pcolafisher]

I believe TIG is the most difficult, as least for me. After MIG and the related flux-core wire welding, I think gas welding is next easiest, then stick, followed up by TIG. TIG is like having to rub your belly, while patting your head and jumping up and down on one foot. Controlling current and distance from the base metal while moving the bead and feeding metal into the weld with the other hand. Once you've learned, you still have to practice it often to be good. The issue with damp welding rods is that the moisture can flash to steam and blow the flux coating off the rod, thus losing your shielding and "blowing bubbles into the milkshake!"

 

[archbuilder]

Glad everyone is tossing their ideas out there...welding is whole other world, lol! I would agree with tig being the hardest. My last stick welding adventure was on my boat dock, moving around in the wind.....so maybe I should give myself some credit...ugly, but they haven't broke.

I picked up the gas today (argon / CO2). I finished up welding the shackle brackets, didn't have time for anything else. I am down to welding on rear tie down points, front tie down points, fender and step brackets. So I see the light at the end of the tunnel finally.

 

[Pcolafisher]

Congrats on the progress. I used a gas mix for a while that also had 5 percent oxygen in it, which made no sense, but which resulted in smooth, clean welds. Cheers

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Tig is definitely the hardest to master for me, with MIG being easiest by far. As for arc welding electrodes, some store them in a small enclosure with a low wattage light bulb to keep them dry. I don't fool with that, but I do short 7018s for a few seconds to heat them up and draw the moisture out. These rods tend to stick more if they are not perfectly dry. 7018 is my go to rod for nearly everything. Once you get the hang of their temperament, you learn to love them, especially with an inverter welder. Smooth beads in nearly any position, with very little metal prep. Got paint? Burn through it baby!! Lol.

 

[gm280]

Arch, I usual take a year or so to use up my bottle of Argon/CO2 mixture. It usually depends on if a am building something that needs a lot of weld joints. When I was building my trailer, I went through a few bottles that year. Keep posting your progress. I am following with interest. :thumb: