Need a tip...

[Doughboyracer]

I broke out the welder over the weekend to build a mount for my rotating light.

Long story short, first I completely suck as the regulars on here already know.

And second, how do you weld a half inch rod to a plate, and better yet when you can't get all the way around at once because there are 3 "legs?"

I got it done but it seems like I did it the hard way.

[monte55]

Any pictures......a half inch rod can be welded to a plate in numerous ways.

[Doughboyracer]

No pictures...I was basically looking for a tip on how to weld around it.
I will take some and post up when I get home tonight...It is already primed.

In hind sight I should have drilled the plate and plug welded it to start but was being lazy as it didn't need to be precise...

I did ok even if there is way more weld on them than needed.

[elvis]

Is the rod laying across the plate so that there is an acute angle to fill between the plate and the rod? If you look at it from a cross section it is like a car tire on the ground with a small contact patch?

[Doughboyracer]

I know how to weld along something, I just don't have the skill set to weld around something in a tight spot.
image (1).jpg
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photo.jpg.

I didn't care about the splater and didn't notice the "tail" before I painted...it was late, I was just trying to get it done...poorly I guess.

[Rezeppa]

That's isn't the worst weld I have ever seen. You sure aren't going to win any beauty awards. I guess the only way to MIG weld it is get good position, tack weld in a few spots, hold the torch at an angle that it can be manipulated in a 360 degree motion without changing the angle and stick-out to drastically and weld. I like to do things like rod and rebar in cursive E's like overhead because I can just work my way around consistently and ending the last E one against my first E letting my puddle merge so my weld looks consistent. I think that's the best way I can explain how I do it. I hope that someone gets something out of that or i just told you stuff you already k ow or do and I'm a retard.

[Doughboyracer]

I had too many starts and stops for my liking...and too much weld in some and not enough in other spots. But they are now joined as one.