Newbie welder mistake, how to fix?

[shoeman]

(hat in hands an looking at the floor)
I flipped my frame over today to finish the bottom side welds and guess what? I had managed to burn a small hole through the square tube right behind the axle mount plate on the corner of the tube. So...I backed off the power (AC stick) and tried building up enough bead to fill it, but that is not working. Now the hole is about 3/8" round.
Now what?
I have plenty of 1/8" angle iron. Should I weld a piece of that over the hole as a patch?
Should I through myself under a bus? Help!

Geoff

[Steve_Cox]

Geoff,
Don't throw yourself under the bus yet

3/8" hole isn't that bad to fill in on 1/8" metal. Wire brush it good, fill just a little, not letting it get too hot, then wire brush it clean, fill in a little, etc, etc. just don't get in a hurry and let it get too hot. I'm sure no one else will agree with me, I really don't care, that's what I have done, and would do again. I'm not a professional welder, but I can make welds pretty cause I have a 4 1/2" grinder with an 80 grit sanding disk on it.

[satch]

If you can get something to back-up the hole, it would be easier to fill, but I'm sure just patching it would be fine. Just my thought . you should post a pic so we can see it

[toypusher]

If you can get something to back-up the hole, it would be easier to fill, but I'm sure just patching it would be fine. Just my thought . you should post a pic so we can see it

To piggyback on this: Find a bolt that will just fit in the hole fairly tight and then weld around it. When it is all cooled down, use a grinder and just grind it smooth!! (I would not screw the bolt in farther than you have to)

[shoeman]

Thanks guys. Sounds like all is not lost. I was afraid I'd done something terminal to the frame. It's remarkable what some good advice and a nights sleep can do for problems like this.

[Wolffarmer]

Don't worry. I have filled up a lake full of holes. A little bit of welding, stop a few secs. dab a bit more on the edge, stop, dab a bit more on the other side, stop, dab some more on another side. Soon the hole will be patched. And a bit of metal over the top never killed any one ( that I have heard of ) You will be just fine. Use proper heat, ( you still need the penitration) weld just a few seconds and stop a few to let the base metal cool down.

[alloffroad]

professional welders burn through more than you think. I have been welding for about 15 years and I still burn through. Any one of the ideas posted should work fine. Like they said take your time and don't let it get to hot. If the metal around the weld starts to glow, stop, let it cool, wire brush the slag off and hit it again.

[TomW]

I have seen this done in our fab shop where I work. Take a piece of 1/8 or 1/4 copper plate and clamp behind the hole. Weld up the hole starting outside in. The steel weld will not stick to the copper, then grind flush.

I have tried it and it works.

[Alphacarina]

As others have mentioned, there are several 'tricks' to filling holes

Clean it (knock off any slag and wire brush it) weld a little and clean it again
Don't be in a hurry
Clean it
Don't overheat it
Did I mention clean it?


If you don't burn a hole every now and then, you're probably not making your welds as hot and penetrating as you should - It's not really a 'newbie mistake' . . . . you're only a newbie because you haven't mastered filling them in yet


Don

[Muggnz]

Being new to welding. A couple of weeks ago I decided to try to patch a couple of holes in the frame of my trailer. Just to see if I could do it.

They were about 10mm wide and not structurally significant. I just welded around the outside of the hole in circles until it disappeared. And ground the prodtuding metal away. Leaving a nice flat, crack free surface.

david

[satch]

It's all about practice,you know, like hitting the bowl after a hard sat. night

[Muggnz]

I know about practice, I've done enough to become purfect.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that . . .

[shoeman]

Thanks for all the advice. I filled the hole in with weld once, ground it flat, found I had a small hole left in the center of the new weld, so I filled that all in and left it a little proud of the frame. It's close enough to the axle bracket that it does not look like a random blob, and once painted over it's very hard to notice.
I just now finished the last of the welds and touched up the remaining bare spots with rustoleum. I welded on two tabs made from 1.5" angle that my rear levelers now hang from, bolted the hitch and front jack assembly on and it's a roller! Next.......cut the floor.