welding chrome vanadium/socket material?

[steveo3002]

got myself a post hole auger like the picture , i fear i might get a bit close to some of net doors posts and the handle wont have room to turn

my spares box has a 1/2" u/j from a socket set....my plan is to cut the handle off and weld on the u/j so the handles tip

does the stuff sockets are made of mig weld ok?

 

[pondy]

can't say about mig bit I've tigged fine, just ground the coating off first

 

[Brad93]

309, 312, Inconel 625, hastealloy w all would work to varying degrees of success if tig welded.

Mig will probably hold up for some time.

 

[knighty]

I've migged a couple of sockets before, worked ok, one was for wheel nuts and they were on good and tight, weld held fine


after you've cut it, I'd be tempted to drop a metal ring (big washer?) down the post... that way you could weld a bit of bar onto it so someone else can hold onto that to hold the bottom half of the post straight while you're turning the handle.... otherwise it will try to dig a hole at an angle too ?

 

[steveo3002]

or what about weld an old socket to the top and use a big ratchet to turn it ....but then id need something to pull the thing out of the dirt

 

[Migmac]

Can the wooden handle not slip from side to side, thus giving you more clearance in tight spots

 

[steveo3002]

mines not wooded....its just a welded on tube

 

[gordon stephenson]

I would think that 1/2" square drive will not be strong enough for the torque required. Slip through handle is a sound idea.

 

[pedrobedro]

1/2" square drive will do it if you are only going into soil, you can put 150lb/ft through them with a torque wrench or just a short piece of pipe horizontal and a bar to slide through it as above.

 

[MoreWellie]

not used one of these but does it not need downward pressure as well as turn force?

will you get enough pressure vertically using the U/J approach?

 

[steveo3002]

hmm true it does need a push to get going...will see if i have any suitable tube in stock

 

[johnik]

I have one of them,after the initial thread is in the ground,it pulls itself down,i would second what PDG said re the handle.