How do I fix/remove these pathetic welds?

[TJS]

Make a new one. As others have stated.

[12345678910]

carbide burr will get into the corner

[JD1]

Crank up the volts and burn a good new weld right next to them. Or use a chamfer electrode or cutting torch laid at an angle. Pretty basic stuff.

I wasn't familiar with the chamfer electrode so I looked it up. Pretty slick, no need for air/arc equipment. None of the LWS stores here carry them, I have to get them online. Either Grainger or McMaster-Carr because they sell 1 lb tubes. Everyone else is 5 lb or 10 lb.

I don't care much about the first two welds, ugly but can be easily worked around. My main bother is the last one and a few more like it because they're in the way of what i want to do. I think your chamfer electrode should work. I looked up all the YouTubes I could find and it looks like a perfect process for this problem. Way faster than a burr, and cheaper.

I'll have to experiment first, it may be a little touchy so as not to blow a hole in the side wall of the angle when I gouge out the weld.

Thanks for the info. I love learning new stuff.

[Kelvin]

Good Lord, chamfer electrodes, plasma cutters, gouging IMHO, you're making this a thousand times more complicated than it needs to be.

You could have fixed it forever in less time than it took to write the OP, with nothing more than one or two sticks of 1/8" 6010.

[JD1]

Good Lord, chamfer electrodes, plasma cutters, gouging IMHO, you're making this a thousand times more complicated than it needs to be.

You could have fixed it forever in less time than it took to write the OP, with nothing more than one or two sticks of 1/8" 6010.

So I guess I'm missing something....how would I remove the weld in picture 3 with 1/8" 6010? Per my comment in post 28, thats my issue.

[Kelvin]

You wouldn't remove it. You would just go over it, perhaps long-arcing it a bit to melt it all together. We're not making a nuclear pressure vessel.

The resulting weld would be sufficiently strong to plop a locomotive on top of the stand. I suspect your inerter weighs less.

[M J D]

You wouldn't remove it. You would just go over it, perhaps long-arcing it a bit to melt it all together. We're not making a nuclear pressure vessel.

The resulting weld would be sufficiently strong to plop a locomotive on top of the stand. I suspect your inerter weighs less.

Your missing the point, the op wants to know how to remove a weld not half asz it back together. It's not an issue of strength it's appearance. Globbing more metal on top of crap isn't what the guy is looking to do.

[JD1]

To clarify a point or two that some are appearing to miss.

1) Welds in the first two are not a problem. Can be fixed.

2) Weld in #3 needs to be removed, it's in the way of something i'm going to do. No need to weld over it, that makes the problem worse.

3) i do not have a plasma or cutting torch

4) Leaving chamfer electrodes or carbide burs to do the job

5) Chamfer electrodes are quicker and cheaper

6) They're something new to learn and may be useful later

[smithdoor]

The welds are cold 🥶
I would grind off the old weld then re-weld at higher temperature for welding.

Dave

I'm repairing/upgrading a welder stand that was given to me. Not my welds. Considering that these awful things are in/near corners, how do I remove them so I can put down good welds? The stock is 1/4" angle. Saving the stand for scrap and building a new one is not really an option right now.

I could weld the open areas in the top 2 but the bottom one needs to come out because I have to weld a piece of angle right where it is. There may be other welds that need to be fixed, I haven't checked thoroughly yet.

Only thing I can think of is some kind of tapered burr on my die grinder. If that's the answer, what burr?

Or is there a better way?

[Kelvin]

2) Weld in #3 needs to be removed, it's in the way of something i'm going to do. No need to weld over it, that makes the problem worse.

Well, gee, I dunno, how about a GRINDER with a CUTOFF WHEEL??? Or -- now I'm really going crazy -- a portaband??? Or -- now I'm really going off the reservation -- how bout a sawzall or hand hacksaw? (Cut the whole assembly apart if need be, so you can weld it back together and prep for the 24k gold plating).

Yeah, I know: You don't have a grinder or hacksaw or portaband. Better buy you a gouging machine, plasma cutter, and some chamfer electrodes and fast!

Better yet, let's debate it for the next 45 weeks.

Good luck

[JD1]

Thank you everyone for your help except for Kelvin. The rods are ordered from Grainger and will be here by Monday.

And Kelvin, I have 6 RA grinders, one die grinder, many cutoff wheels, flap wheels, a portaband, a sawzall, a hand hacksaw, a horizontal/vertical bandsaw, and many other useful items. And sorry to disappoint you but none of those will get back into that corner and we are done debating.

[Kelvin]

A 10-year-old kid with even the most rudimentary metalworking skillz -- and with no more equipment than a couple welding rods, an angle grinder, a cutoff wheel, a grinding wheel and about 15 minutes -- could make that joint look exactly as it was supposed to look if it had been welded properly.

Just because the OP can't do it, doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Oscar]

Simple. Buy a plasma cutter that can gouge. Eazy peazy.

[tapwelder]

Weld #
3. I would slice right down the open seam and cut the weld, then reweld it. The most legit looking weld look like the one with the easiest access. The other i would twist or hammer apart. Of course, since the welder is right there....slice through the metal and weld it back.

[Kelvin]

I think most beginners would be better served working on their welding, grinding and fabricating skillz -- rather than their shopping and equipment collecting skillz.

Shop skillz can get you past "lack of tools" far better than "lots of tools" can get you past "lack of shop skillz."

[Welder Dave]

OK, I think it's been established that appearance is the issue and not strength. As was mentioned by Tapwelder and should be evident, the frame wasn't put together right in the first place. Any self respecting craftsman would cope the angle iron or cut it on a 45 deg. so is flat and smooth around the inside and not overlapped sitting on top of each other. Don't say you want to improve it because of appearance. It could be tig welded by the best weldor on the planet but the angle iron overlapped like it was thrown together in a hurry is a much bigger eyesore than the poor welds! Cut it apart and it will be easy to grind the bad welds off. You can probably cut a bunch of the bad welds out if you put your thinking cap on.

[Oscar]

I think most beginners would be better served working on their welding, grinding and fabricating skillz -- rather than their shopping and equipment collecting skillz.

Shop skillz can get you past "lack of tools" far better than "lots of tools" can get you past "lack of shop skillz."

While that may be true, you have to admit if he had a plasma cutter he would have solved the problem right away, which is what he wanted to do. So in this case it's not about the "number of tools", it's about having a better, more efficienttool. So much better and efficient, that it would have relegated this post quite possibly unnecessary. So I rest my case.

[tapwelder]

While that may be true, you have to admit if he had a plasma cutter he would have solved the problem right away, which is what he wanted to do. So in this case it's not about the "number of tools", it's about having a better, more efficienttool. So much better and efficient, that it would have relegated this post quite possibly unnecessary. So I rest my case.

Still look like a hammer and wrench would have taken care of it faster than setting up a tool for this special occasion.

[Oscar]

Still look like a hammer and wrench would have taken care of it faster than setting up a tool for this special occasion.

Possibly. Mine is always setup and ready to go.

[tapwelder]

Possibly. Mine is always setup and ready to go.

My grinder and hammer are always closer than my plasma. My mind says just get it done. After 5 failed attempt, i might grab the plasma.

[SlowBlues]

fast and easy:



Band saw down the weld bead

gouge out remaining bead with plasma/oxy acet./cabon rod

CNC machine out 35 degree bevel on each side with a 1/16 land

sand blast

hot dip chemical wash

6011 root

grind and clean

7018 cap

aneal

grind down weld

finish surface grinding

heat treat

cnc logo

laser etch name, date, and all material batch info

powder coat

have a beverage of your choice, you're the king.

[SlowBlues]

on a serious note I would have:

used a 1/4inch grinding disc to get what I could (the smaller the diameter the better)

gotten the rest with a cut off wheel

You'll likely need to cut into the sidewall a bit - weld that too when done.

should be faster than setting up any other equipment

[Kelvin]

While that may be true, you have to admit if he had a plasma cutter he would have solved the problem right away, which is what he wanted to do. So in this case it's not about the "number of tools", it's about having a better, more efficienttool. So much better and efficient, that it would have relegated this post quite possibly unnecessary. So I rest my case.

Nah. If the OP couldn't figure out how to cut up joint #3 and put it back together perfectly with only a cutoff wheel, grinding disk and welder, then I'm quite sure that he would fare no better with the best plasma cutter on the planet. It'd be like trying to do particle physics when you couldn't handle algebra.

The Indian is more important than the arrow. BTDT back when I was a noob with a plasma cutter. All I did was make a mess faster.

[SweetMK]

fast and easy:



Band saw down the weld bead

gouge out remaining bead with plasma/oxy acet./cabon rod

CNC machine out 35 degree bevel on each side with a 1/16 land

sand blast

hot dip chemical wash

6011 root

grind and clean

7018 cap

aneal

grind down weld

finish surface grinding

heat treat

cnc logo

laser etch name, date, and all material batch info

powder coat

have a beverage of your choice, you're the king.

Seems the MOST important step would have been skipped,,,

MAKE A YouTube Video,,
collect royalties, and buy a plasma torch,,,

[JD1]

While that may be true, you have to admit if he had a plasma cutter he would have solved the problem right away, which is what he wanted to do. So in this case it's not about the "number of tools", it's about having a better, more efficienttool. So much better and efficient, that it would have relegated this post quite possibly unnecessary. So I rest my case.

I absolutely 100% agree with you. But the rods I'm getting will do similar and are way cheaper. A plasma is on my "to buy later" list.


Referencing other comments:
1) No, I'm not interested in cutting the whole stand apart, putting a 45 on the corners and putting it back together. I'd rather buy all new metal and start over if that was my only option..

2) The diameter of cutoff wheels will not let me get into the corner unless I cut clear through the wall of the angle then weld it back. Of course I can do that (duh) but nope, not interested.

3) The chamfer rods are very interesting and will give me an excuse to learn something new which may come in handy later.

4) No set up involved, clamp one in the stinger and go. Faster than any other method except plasma, based on what I've seen. Probably will take a little practice which I'm looking forward to.


5) I value constructive comments and ignore a$$h0le ones.