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Calif Bill[_2_] Calif Bill[_2_] is offline
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Default Tips on welding up a shaft


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I welded up many compressor crankshafts, both steel and cast, that
had torn-out keyways or splines. The damaged metal has to be ground
out below the level of the original keyway or spline and then built
up. The shaft will bend unless you weld a short bead on one side, then
a short bead on the other side, let it cool some then another bead
alongside the first, then the fourth alongside the second, and so on.
Warpage is minimized this way. After the whole shaft has been built up
it's cut down to size and keyed.

Stoody makes a good wire for welding up steel shafts. Can't
remember the number; too long ago. 125ksi or so. UTP makes a nickel
wire for building up cast iron, and I can't remember that, either.

When welding cast you must keep the part cool, so short beads with
plenty of cooldown time is important. Peen the bead as it cools. Use a
low amperage so that the cast iron doesn't melt much at all; you want
the nickel to stick with minimal mixing to keep it machinable. If it
mixes much it'll be way too hard to machine and the cast part will
crack easily.

1144 steel is great stuff. Machines easily and has a tensile of about
125ksi. It can replace a lot of heat-treated fittings and the like.

Dan


Take it to place that welds crankshafts. If they do that anymore. They
have machines that turn the shaft and weld. I think most submerged arc.