Recommendations for welding please

[Micah22]

Hello all,

Bear with me, I know I'm not an active member here, but when I need some good welding advice I know where to come. I hope you guys can give me some good guidance here.

The question is simple, but the project is big so I don't want to screw it up. Just need to know what rod and amp setting you would recommend for tack welding this project together (see pics and specs listed below).

My welder is a Lincon AC 220, and like I said, this is just for TACKING. I'll be handing the project off to a pro welder for the serious work, I don't want this failing on me.

Project details:
-Custom tube style swingarm for motorcycle
-Construction will be a double lower tube, overbraced with a single tube. -Suspension mount will be on the overbrace (tube inside this area will be reinforced.
-Materials will be:
*Lower double tubes will be 1.5" 16gauge steel tube
*Overbrace will be 1.25" 16gauge steel tube
*Axle adjuster plates are essentially 3/8" wall box tube with one side cut off
*Pivot is ~1/4" wall tube

Sketches:



1) What rod/amps would you use to tack the tube to tube?
2) What rod/amps would you use to tack the tube to the axle adjuster plates?
3) What rod/amps would you use to tack the tube to the pivot?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[PJinNJ]

me?

6013 70amps.

[Micah22]

For all 3 tacking points?

What size rod? I welded some 16guage tube for an exhaust and used I think 6013 3/32 at 40amps. 70 amps would blow through the 16 gauge pretty quick I would think.

[PJinNJ]

well

You're tacking right? 6013 is not sticky, lights off real well and has light penatration. If you want to start small with amps fine and adjust from there. Just tack and go. Quick tap and you're done, blow through shouldn't be an issue if you don't linger. I'd think your objective here is not to get the base to stick (melt) but an easy to remove (6013) tack to just sort of glue it together real quick.

[PJinNJ]

rod size

3/32 would be fine but I prefer 1/8 cause it don't wobble as much and as such is a more accurate tacker....at least for me.

[Micah22]

Ok, I can buy that I guess. I'm no pro welder. I'd love to be, it would make my hobby a lot more accesable, but alas I don't (yet) have the skill I need.

Anyone have thoughts on the structural end of things? Specifically, on the double tube portion. Do you think it should be welded on both the inside and outside of the horizontal seam? Or would just one side due? Keep in mind the forces it will be getting from having the bike whipped back and forth through turns at a high rate of speed.

[Sberry]

If I had to tack that up with stick it would be 6011.

[vicegrip]

3/32 would be fine but I prefer 1/8 cause it don't wobble as much and as such is a more accurate tacker....at least for me.

I also prefer 1/8" for tacking, a tad more juise, a quicker deposite,
and yor on yer way to the next tack.

Incidently, the fitters where I now work tack alot closer than I've seen
before, (that is spacing of tacks).
And our weldments are more accurate than any I've machined before.

If any-one is a good weldment appraiser it's the machinist.

[Micah22]

Thanks for the input guys, feel free to throw more at me.

[B_C]

I have worked in a motorcycle frame shop so I'm pretty familiar with this stuff. First off I asked myself why is this guy tacking with stick? Probably because that's all he has......Since you mentioned you didn't want to screw this project up, and were handing it to a pro welder to finish weld, I assume he is going to tig weld it? If so don't make it hard on him to make a cosmetic weld by tacking it up with stick. Unless your a real good stick welder you will make a mess of the tacking up job. I would strongly suggest tacking with a wire feed or even tig as far as that goes.....That's if you want a CHERRY job..That's my advise..

[Micah22]

Right on all counts, stick is all I've got, TIG is what I'd like done. Thanks for the words of caution, I will be careful for sure and try some test pieces before I go dive into the project.

That looks like quite the setup you're building there, what motor are you going to run?

My project is nothing that in depth, I'm more of the streetfighter flavor, my platform for this project is a Bandit 1200, gixxer USD front end, Buell wheels front and back (thus the custom swinger), Buell direct link shock, custom bodywork all the way around, thinking of a custom LED headlight array, and custom exhaust. Some engine bits now, just pods and an ignition advancer. I'm getting the cosmetics taken care of now, long term though I am thinking of building a turbo setup, but I need to get some more research and money first.

Heres a pic, still unfinished of course, bodywork is just getting started.


An 05 ZZR600 I just finished building too. Lots of ZX6R (636) suspension bits, custom bodywork and headlight again, custom undertail exhaust too.


Also have a ninja 250 fighter that I scoot around and commute on, can't beat 60mpg