Mr Apple Fu

The pin boss on my engine hoist boom cracked in half. The boom was wobbling at the pivot and I couldn't trust it over an engine. I cut the cracked boss off completely, turned a new one from 1-inch DOM tubing on the lathe, and welded it back to the boom with a full 360 fillet on each end. I welded it in four passes and let it cool slow wrapped in welding blanket. The pivot is solid and the boom tracks straight. I pulled a diesel out of a 3/4 ton truck last weekend with no problems. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The flighting on my grain auger wore through at a low spot where it was rubbing the tube. Grain was falling back through the hole instead of moving up. I cut a patch from 3/16 AR500 plate, shaped it to match the flighting curve, and welded it to the worn section with a full perimeter bead. I also welded a wear bead of hard-facing rod on top of the patch so it lasts three times longer than the original steel. The auger moves grain clean with no fallback. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The H-frame on my 20-ton press was spreading at the bottom under heavy loads. The welds at the base were cracking every few months. I cut four gussets from 3/8 inch plate, fitted them into the corners where the uprights meet the base, and welded them in with six passes each. I back-gouged every root pass with a grinder and re-welded it clean. The frame doesn't spread anymore. I pressed a 4-inch shaft last week at full tonnage and everything stayed square. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

A tine arm on my hay tedder snapped off at the stub. Replacement arms from the dealer were $180 each and I needed three of them. I machined new stubs from 1018 round bar on my lathe, bored them to match the original taper, and welded them to the broken arms with four passes and a full preheat. I peened every pass while it was red. I got three arms fixed for $12 in material. They've tedded two full cuttings since and not one has cracked. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The upper frame on my bandsaw cracked right at the tension bolt boss. Every time I tensioned a new blade the frame was flexing and the crack was getting worse. I ground the crack all the way out, beveled both sides, and welded it back with 7018 in three passes. Then I cut a 1/8 inch plate saddle that wrapped around the boss on three sides and welded it down with a full fillet on every edge. The frame doesn't flex at all now. I tensioned a new blade to full tension and nothing moved. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

What would happen if you hook an acetylene bottle up to a mig welder?

Hello welders

The drawbar eyes on my old Ford 8N were cracked on both sides. The whole drawbar was wobbling and I was scared to pull anything heavy. I cut the cracked metal out, welded in new eyes made from 3/4 inch plate, and drilled the pin holes with a boring bar so they're perfectly aligned. I welded each eye with six passes and ground the welds smooth. The drawbar is solid as a rock now. I pulled a 3-bottom plow behind it last week and it didn't move an inch. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.