following on from my thread on suitable steel for splining and welding.........

what rods/wire can I use to weld EN24T??

I'd love to be able to use std mild steel MIG wire, mainly because my TIG machine is not very portable (under a big bench and hard wired in, and the torch cable ain't going to reach the lathe where the shaft will be welded!!!! )

Failing that it'll be out with the stick welder, in which case, what rods do I need to buy to weld EN24T??

I'm guessing low hydrogen rods of some sort or austenitic jobbies, but can somebody with some knowledge tell me more??

I have very successfully welded EN24T drive shafts with stainless filler.

The best way was a tig root with 316 rod followed by 316 stick on DC (much cleaner than AC).

The shafts I have done were in 7/8" and 1" dia 24T on hillclimb cars with good traction (less than 2 secs for 64ft ie more than 1g accel, with tyre warming etc.) and they handle over 200hp and last for several years.

Ok, looks like I may have to "facilitate" moving the TIG then!!

Looks like I need a 60 amp extension lead!!!

It would be a good idea to preheat EN24T to a couple of hundred degrees or so before welding, IIRC we used to use lo-hi rods pre baked to about 300 degrees for an hour or so. Also agree with Nick about the 316. Personally would not trust MIG on alloy steels, it has a tendecy to crack. if your really worried you can probably get filler material specific to EN24T, although prolly not cost effective for you.
Might be worth posting the question on here
http://www.ukwelder.com/forum/

Al




Originally posted by NS Dev
following on from my thread on suitable steel for splining and welding.........

what rods/wire can I use to weld EN24T??

I'd love to be able to use std mild steel MIG wire, mainly because my TIG machine is not very portable (under a big bench and hard wired in, and the torch cable ain't going to reach the lathe where the shaft will be welded!!!! )

Failing that it'll be out with the stick welder, in which case, what rods do I need to buy to weld EN24T??

I'm guessing low hydrogen rods of some sort or austenitic jobbies, but can somebody with some knowledge tell me more??

cheers folks.

its a pretty big job to get the tig near the lathe (as in pulling down 10mil cable from the roof beams in the garage or making a temporary 10 mil lead) so I think the good old Pickhill Bantam is coming out, it'll be nice to use the stick machine again for once!!!

I'll follow the advice and get some 316L rods, and do a practice run or two on some big vee grooves in some scrap in the lathe.

Sorted my "rotowelder" (my brother turning the chuck VERY slowly!!)

Won't be able to do the TIG root pass but the whole shaft is a bit OTT anyway so it should be ok, and I will give it a good preheat with the propane first.

thanks again

Nat

316L ok, or 312 dissimilars might be better. I'd not bother with LoHi rods for this aplication, purely because they are a bitch to use over short distance.


If the workpiece is in the chuck and you are welding it, I hope you have a direct earth as earthing through the bearings will ruin them very quickly.


Once had the selector fall off a Bantam, had to find it in the oil, for some reason people gave me a wide berth the rest of the day........

Hi Gazza!!

Yep, will have the earth clamp straight to the lump I'm welding, the cable twists up easily enough to give me 1 turn.

I'll see what my welding place has in stock in terms of rods.

ahhh 312 dissimilars on the shelf at work.....prob solved (got 316 too but 312 seems the concensus! )