I can't really give you any advice on welding it as I've got no idea what material it is (except that it looks very work hardened), although TIG would be my prefered option, if only for aesthetic reasons.
Don't weld the ball to the rod, It will look tacky, and you will never get it to come out perfectly straight!
Do you have access to a brake press? if so, cut a short length of tube with the same ID as the rod, put it in the press and open it up with a cone (you might need to use a slightly longer tube then cut it to size later, depending on the cone) until it fits the shape of the ball, then tack it to the ball first, insert the rod until it touches the ball, tack it in place, and weld the whole thing. Job's a goodun!
If you don't have a press brake, maybe,depending on the tube wall thickness (and the size of the hammer
) you could tack the cut length of tube to the bench (or a piece of scrap), put the ball on top of it, and hammer it until it opens enough. Maybe give it a bit of a tickle with the O/A to make it a bit easier, but only a small ring around the area you want to open or you will most likely destroy/mis-shape the tube when you hit it.
Hope this helps, good luck with the project, and BTW although a little uneven, your TIG welding looks good to me!
Don't weld the ball to the rod, It will look tacky, and you will never get it to come out perfectly straight!
Do you have access to a brake press? if so, cut a short length of tube with the same ID as the rod, put it in the press and open it up with a cone (you might need to use a slightly longer tube then cut it to size later, depending on the cone) until it fits the shape of the ball, then tack it to the ball first, insert the rod until it touches the ball, tack it in place, and weld the whole thing. Job's a goodun!
If you don't have a press brake, maybe,depending on the tube wall thickness (and the size of the hammer
) you could tack the cut length of tube to the bench (or a piece of scrap), put the ball on top of it, and hammer it until it opens enough. Maybe give it a bit of a tickle with the O/A to make it a bit easier, but only a small ring around the area you want to open or you will most likely destroy/mis-shape the tube when you hit it.Hope this helps, good luck with the project, and BTW although a little uneven, your TIG welding looks good to me!
