All-thread handle for billets?

[Leon Husock]

I have a lot of trouble with my handles on billets coming off when I'm using anything other than a hydraulic press (part of it is my 110v flux-core welder, but this happens with better welders too). I saw a picture recently where it looked like someone welded a nut onto their billet and then screwed a piece of all-thread into it to use as a handle. Has anyone done this? Does it work better?

 

[Joshua Fisher]

I have a lot of trouble with my handles on billets coming off when I'm using anything other than a hydraulic press (part of it is my 110v flux-core welder, but this happens with better welders too). I saw a picture recently where it looked like someone welded a nut onto their billet and then screwed a piece of all-thread into it to use as a handle. Has anyone done this? Does it work better?

What size handle are you using for your billets? I’ve seen people put a slight chamfer on the end of the handle rod to fill with weld, I don’t know for sure but I would say if it’s a common issue between multiple welders perhaps it’s prep issue or if your trying to use a power hammer to draw out a billet and your not completely flat on your dies it’s putting more stress on your weld on the handle bar. If it was me I would try to find some 3/4” or bigger rod and make sure it’s setup well before doing heavy work. Perhaps someone else could give some better advise but that’s what I’m thinking.

 

[Leon Husock]

I'm mostly using 1/2" rebar, and I do usually chamfer the ends just because my welder is so weak. As far as drawing it out most of the time it's me or a friend using a sledgehammer. I wish I had a power hammer, hah.

 

[Jason Fry]

I'm with Josh. I use 1/2" rebar at a minimum, and chamfer the end. Even with a small welder, this should stick.

 

[Joshua Fisher]

I'm mostly using 1/2" rebar, and I do usually chamfer the ends just because my welder is so weak. As far as drawing it out most of the time it's me or a friend using a sledgehammer. I wish I had a power hammer, hah.

If your drawing by hand perhaps look at the way Japanese smiths do their laminated steel and forge welding tamahagane, they use a paddle, basically just a thick flat bar that the stock would lay on top of. I believe they normally forge weld a block of tamahagane to a mild steel bar then flatten the block out to become the paddle so the mild steel is not in the blade but you could easily use a thicker piece of high carbon steel for your paddle bar, so say you take 1/4” 1084 lay your pieces of steel on top of the thicker bar how ever many layers you want, tack weld it all then you have a solid high carbon handle and you can draw out however you wish. If you want to do any folds I would fold the thick bar onto itself, this also ensures you have the same material on your edge unless you start doing twists or other patterns.

 

[weo]

Without more info, video or pics, it's hard to say what's going on, but based on my reading and experience I'd say the problems you're having are due to: weak welds, which can be fixed with practice; and/or not having the handle in line with the stock while on the anvil, as Josh said, which also can be fixed with practice.

Never heard of using a nut and all thread,but I don't see why that wouldn't work. But if either of the above are contributing, you'll still have the problem.

If you were my son, I'd say, grab a piece out of the scrap pile, go on you-tube to learn the difference between good and bad welds and then spend an hour or so just laying beads in a straight line until you can consistently lay a solid weld. Also, I've never used a flux-core wire feed welder and my buddies who are professional welders say that these machines tend to be cheap and are not easy to learn on.

While not an expert welder by any stretch of the imagination, I can make decent, solid, good looking welds when laying a line, but when I weld a piece of 3/4" square for a handle on a billet, about 40% of the time they look good and 60% they look like crap. But even these look better than when I try to use 3/4" round stock for the handle.

 

[Sam Dean]

While flux core welders aren't the easiest to learn on, they do have a huge advantage when they're under powered - the flux helps to hold heat in and keep the weld puddle molten for longer, compared to a wire welder with shielding gas.

Use this to your advantage. It's difficult to see what's going on when you weld because the flux melts with the puddle and pools on top. If you figure the flux is half the volume of material you're laying down, you probably need to lay down double what you are now. Try to get a good hot puddle going, slowly weaving the wire from rebar to billet, until you've filled it twice as much as you *think* it needs. Don't stop part way through, try to weld as much in one "heat" as possible.

Another thing you can do is pre-heat the end of the rebar and the billet. Getting it to a few hundred degrees before a weld will help your little welder work significantly less.

The last thing I can think of is make sure your nozzle is fairly close to the material you're welding. As in 3/8'' to 1/2'' away, MAX. The farther the wire sticks out, the more current is required to melt it and the colder your weld is (and it sounds horrible). Keep the nozzle close to keep maximum current flowing so your weld is a continuous hot puddle.

 

[A.McPherson]

Definitely pre great the billet.

I have a 120 stick welder and I have to pre heat the crap out of everything to get a mostly acceptable weld.

 

[Natlek]

I have a lot of trouble with my handles on billets coming off when I'm using anything other than a hydraulic press (part of it is my 110v flux-core welder, but this happens with better welders too). I saw a picture recently where it looked like someone welded a nut onto their billet and then screwed a piece of all-thread into it to use as a handle. Has anyone done this? Does it work better?

What difference would make nut vs rebar ? Weld is weld , learn to weld

 

[Natlek]

Definitely pre great the billet.

I have a 120 stick welder and I have to pre heat the crap out of everything to get a mostly acceptable weld.

120v or 120 A ? What thickness and kind of electrode you use ? If it is 120A it has enough power to make some serious weld ?

 

[A.McPherson]

120v or 120 A ? What thickness and kind of electrode you use ? If it is 120A it has enough power to make some serious weld ?

Heh! I wish it was 120A!!! No it's an old 120v buzz box that's older than me and twice as tired!

3/32" 7018 electrode.

 

[Storm W]

The self shielded flux core that comes on small machines is not rated for structural work as far as I know. You can check the certs on the wire if you are worried. That doesn't mean it doesn't work it just may not hit charpie values or tensile strengths required. The ones that are used for structural use that I have seen need to be ran on electrode negative. That can make the weld bead narrow and ropey looking but has the advantage of much deeper penetration. If you have the ability to use gas using a dual shield wire specced out for your power output would be one of your best options. With small output welders your depth of penetration is very low. This is not a problem in getting good welds but you much use good technique. Do not plan on getting more than 1/32" penetration. This means that if your arc is in the center of your puddle you are not melting beneath the puddle. You must get to the leading edge of the puddle whenever advancing the puddle forward in order to get fusion. You can get to the center or back of the puddle when trying to build up material but if the puddle rules forward you will leave a non fusion underneath it. This is the cause of welds that look great but fail. If you can wrap your head around that you will be able to perform full strength welds with any machine. Pre heat will also help improve your chances of good fusion as well as not having the weld crack loose from having a large heat sink and not enough weld metal to hold the stress of the shrinking weld puddle. Stringer beads are always a better technique than large weave beads with more heat and more stress and you are much less likely to get cold roll from the weld puddle sluffing of somehow. My contact into is in my signature line. I have been involved in welding for over 20 years now. I am a inspector and love teaching. I am more than happy to help anyone with their welding. It's one of the very few things I'm good at.