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- Apr 30, 2015
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- 12,249
Seems like a job for Mr. Dremel tool (and his friend, Mr. Abrasive point)
mark
mark
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Milling Welds
- Thread starter Nick Hacking
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2018
- Messages
- 668
Hello Mark,
I suspect that he might need something a bit heavier than a Dremel. I was envisioning something like a 30 mm X 12 shaft mounted stone. Since he has got it in the mill vise, it should be an easy job. If he can get a flat surface he might be lucky and it is not as hard under the skin.
I suspect that he might need something a bit heavier than a Dremel. I was envisioning something like a 30 mm X 12 shaft mounted stone. Since he has got it in the mill vise, it should be an easy job. If he can get a flat surface he might be lucky and it is not as hard under the skin.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2014
- Messages
- 2,846
I think the weld likely quenches rapidly and forms martensitic hardness material. You have to heat this way up and let it cool very slowly, maybe stick it in dry sand. Then it can be machined. Usually. 
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2014
- Messages
- 3,533
You're lucky all you had to do is plug a few holes. Several years ago we rebuilt the deck at our cottage. It's on the side of a hill so from the floor of the deck to the ground at the farthest point from the house it's 12 feet in the air. The building inspector didn't like the old style railing and showed us the building code that now required less than 4" between the balusters. We went to a local fabricator to get prices for a new railing and almost passed out.
For 9 sections 8' long and 3 sections 6' long plus a gate the company wanted nearly $5,000.00. I decided I could make it for far less so the project began. All the welds were done with a Miller Syncrowave 250 mig welder. Everything went well with the fabrication and I thought I was finished. That's when the wife decided she didn't like the look of the welds where the balusters met the top and bottom rails. She wanted a finished radius on all 4 sides top and bottom.
I built a fixture on the mill to support the sections and went to work. If I recall correctly there was over 1,000 inches of weld that had to be radiused and contoured. At first I tried some in house brand HSS ball end mills from Enco with absolutely no luck. They bounced around like they were made of rubber, and rubbed off more material than they cut. I returned them and bought some Niagara brand HSS ball end mills. They cut the welds like butter. I think I used 2 end mills for the entire project. I might have been able to do it with one, but didn't want to take the chance I'd break it.
The bulk of the work was done on the mill with the final polishing and blending being done with a high speed grinder and twist lock deburring and polishing disks.
Here are some pictures of the mill fixture, the welds before starting, the sections on the bench prior to finishing with the deburring disks, and the final installation.
I think if you purchase some high quality end mills you'll be able to cut through the weld without any problems.
For 9 sections 8' long and 3 sections 6' long plus a gate the company wanted nearly $5,000.00. I decided I could make it for far less so the project began. All the welds were done with a Miller Syncrowave 250 mig welder. Everything went well with the fabrication and I thought I was finished. That's when the wife decided she didn't like the look of the welds where the balusters met the top and bottom rails. She wanted a finished radius on all 4 sides top and bottom.
I built a fixture on the mill to support the sections and went to work. If I recall correctly there was over 1,000 inches of weld that had to be radiused and contoured. At first I tried some in house brand HSS ball end mills from Enco with absolutely no luck. They bounced around like they were made of rubber, and rubbed off more material than they cut. I returned them and bought some Niagara brand HSS ball end mills. They cut the welds like butter. I think I used 2 end mills for the entire project. I might have been able to do it with one, but didn't want to take the chance I'd break it.
The bulk of the work was done on the mill with the final polishing and blending being done with a high speed grinder and twist lock deburring and polishing disks.
Here are some pictures of the mill fixture, the welds before starting, the sections on the bench prior to finishing with the deburring disks, and the final installation.
I think if you purchase some high quality end mills you'll be able to cut through the weld without any problems.
To get back to my original question if you have contaminated the weld with the tungsten electrode then the weld is harder then the hubs of hell.
I built some chipper blades and needed them hard so used acetylene tungsten powder rod on the edges. The only thing they are good for is making small grinder wheels out of big ones.
I built some chipper blades and needed them hard so used acetylene tungsten powder rod on the edges. The only thing they are good for is making small grinder wheels out of big ones.
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2014
- Messages
- 2,115
I've done a HUGE amount of this over the years. 6013 stick then MIG are the best for welding. Grind smooth if at all possible. Top quality HSS is better than carbide here for the milling step. FWIW drilling can be a problem as the drill will deflect away from the hard area. Mill drills are your friend here.
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2014
- Messages
- 11,176
Maybe you're just turning too fast? 30 to 40 SFPM might be a good place to start with HSS. 1/4 inch solid carbide end mills (router bits) are available at Lowes and Home Depot, and you can get them on the weekend
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2016
- Messages
- 2,793
Being a lathe cross slide piece, I would guess that it is cast iron... if so, it may be difficult to machine with pretty much any type of end mill... not impossible, but difficult... I would try carbide, but wouldn't be surprised if it chipped the teeth off the end mill.
I agree with Chuck... silicon bronze/ tig brazing would have been my first choice...
-Bear
I agree with Chuck... silicon bronze/ tig brazing would have been my first choice...
-Bear