Welding Help

[Jeff64]

Misdrilled the hole for the frizzen and decided to weld it up and try again.  Hasn't gone well.  I got the hole plugged well enough, but keep getting these small pin holes.  Every time I go to plug them up I create more.  As you can see I'm chasing them all they way down to the bottom of the lock.  Probably done this 5 times without success.  The figure eight towards the top was my latest attempt, haven't sanded it flush as pin holes started appearing as I filed it down. If someone has some advice for me to get better I'm all ears.  I'm using a flux-core MIG.  Otherwise willing to pay someone to fix it up for me.  Not in a hurry, so whenever you next do some welding works for me.  Obviously shipping and your time is on me.

[PhDBrewer]

Might flux core always gave me pin holes. I hope you find sn answer. However, another wheelie! I am building some also. Please keep us posted!

[flinchrocket]

Use an acetylene torch and a piece of wire. You can also use borax for flux.

[rich pierce]

A friend of mine tig welded a hole for me once but he wanted a plug in the hole first. I guess it depends on the size of the hole.

A period fix would be a plug peened or brazed into place. I prefer brazing when the new hole will mostly overlap with the plug. I braze in a brick cubby with 2 propane torches. Most people don’t believe that can be done. It just takes a while to get to heat and the whole piece gets hot. If I peen a plug in I often drill and tap the hole and peen in a length of machine screw. It’s not going to come out.

I’ve been building a lock from a set of castings taken from an original lock and the spotting of the holes was unclear and didn’t account for shrinkage that’s bound to happen casting off original parts. I feel your pain.

[Spalding]

Solid core mig wire with CO2/Argon mix gas is what I use. Not a fan of flux core on the small home machines.
Forgot to add, with the amount of holes and craters you have to fill on that plate, you would probably be better served by a Tig. You’d be putting a lot of heat on the toe of that plate with a Mig. But if you do, small tack, let cool, grind/file flush, repeat till you’ve got it.
Bob

[45-110]

I second the tig option, low heat no scale, easy to clean up and no ruined files cutting thru the scale.
Plug hole first, then weld over.
kw

[bobw]

If the part is something special I send itto Peter Nagel, Restorative Welding.  He only works on old stuff and uses the proper mateials for the original steel, tig welds.  Never have pin holes.

[Scota4570]

A better solution is to high temp silver solder (or braze) a plug.

Welding is the go to solution in some circles.  When I see a thread about welding gun parts I expect to read about problems .  Welding tiny fiddley precision parts often goes very wrong.  A skilled TIG welder can do a good job.  I am not that, and know of none in my area. 

[Jeff64]

Thanks for the advice and thoughts.  I have tried peening holes closed and had great success.  My concern on this one was that new hole was going to be almost exactly in the same spot so I didn't know how well the  peen would have worked.  I think my best bet is to find someone who can TIG weld.  Sent an e-mail to Mr. Nagel so hopefully he'll take an interest.  Any other TIG welders for hire out there? Cheers

[Long Ears]

Flux core wire will always pit. The wire is driving the flux into the puddle. There is a very good chance that most MIG welding wire will be too hard to drill in a small hole. It will deflect the drill bit. TIG and the correct soft wire is by far the best way to patch a hole. If you plan to drill close to the weld of any kind you should normalize the piece after the weld. Bob

[Dphariss]

Mig welder with gas. I would avoid flux like the plague for this. On old iron all bets are off and you need a TiG and some trial and error. Cause it can fizz like a shaken soda if the metal is allowed to flow. Yeah I KNOW this.

[Matt48]

In my (limited) experience even TIG can produce spots and holes when the metal is not _really_ clean. My guess would be that the quality and purity of the metal is not quite perfect in the piece an therefore hard to weld neatly. I would second the suggestion for brazing.

[2 shots]

i will second pete nagel.

[J.M.Browning]

Pay a professional welder - I would tig with a copper backup you should not have any porosity period if your procedure is correct .