I'm trying to weld a rod (c. 75mm) to 3mm plate. What should I do re- preparation - bevel the rod, indent the plate? I'm using a Clarke 150 TE. Thanks.
You should get penetration through the plate on high setting Is rod at right angles to plate? Is that 75mm radius or circumference? The edge of rod if this thick is better chamfered on grinder........let you get more weld in.
Alex
You'll need a high setting - maybe 2 min and a highish wire speed to suit. I'd probably taper the rod very slightly at the end (maybe tapering 1 or 2mm off from 3mm up the rod) and then weld all the way round. That's just what I might do for a neat strong weld, it's not from any written procedure.
If you don't angle grind the weld away after you've finished then I'd be amazed if the weak point would be anywhere near the weld. If you do need to grind the weld off then go for a slightly bigger taper to ensure complete penetration.
Of course if you wanted to aim for perfection then drill a hole in the sheet, stick the rod through for a good mechanical fit, then weld around to hold the rod in place. Nice.
Something like this, but I did this with TIG, 13mm bar reduced to 10mm at the end, fitted into a 10mm hole in the plate, welded at the bottom and the top.