Filling bad welds for appearances

DougM · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 12:58 am Post subject: Filling bad welds for appearances

After a ugly weld has been put on is there
any thing that can be used to fill and
cover over the weld ?

I have a grinder but do not want to use it Embarassed

Help
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Char-Griller duo 5050

k.a.m. · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:10 am Post subject:

Doug, are you talking about porosity (pin holes ) do you have a pic of said welds? I am not sure if you have any but a tiger disc will sort of dress up a weld and improve its looks. But pics will help.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

DougM · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:19 am Post subject:

I would call them POT HOLES Sad

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Char-Griller duo 5050

seattlepitboss

DougM · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:31 am Post subject:

i DO NOT like to post how bad it is Sad

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Char-Griller duo 5050

k.a.m. · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:32 am Post subject:

Doug, my only advice is you can put your grinder on edge and take out the pockets then lay another bead on top. If you weld dirty metal this happens, also if you do not clean a weld and cap it with flux left behind it will also cause this. Or these could be caused from moving to fast and causing breaks in your weld. I do not recommend Jb-weld or any fillers, taking down the weld a little and capping are a pretty quick fix.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

DougM · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:39 am Post subject:

Well here they are for the world to seeeeeeee

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Char-Griller duo 5050

k.a.m. · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 1:48 am Post subject:

Doug, my advice is go to your local welding supply and get some 4.5'' 40 grit tiger discs or flapper wheel whatever you want to call them. And then take down your highs, you Will be surprised how much it will improve the look. Hey you are learning and it takes practice, do not cut yourself short. I am not going to critique your welds only try to help you end up with something you can work with.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

Tom C · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 2:39 am Post subject:

DougM,
K.A.M. is spot on! If I had a dollar for every ugly weld I made during my smoker build I could have paid for the build with money to spare. Very Happy

Just clean it up the best you can. Odds are you'll be thrilled with how it will look with paint on it! Keep going, you're doing fine.
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Homemade offset smoker 24"x48"
Charbroil CB900 grill

HillbillySmoker · BBQ Pro Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 917 Location: WV

My advice would be what the others have suggested, take a 40 grit flapper disc and smooth it down with the grinder the best you can, after that you could take a putty knife and fill the voids with JBWeld like caulking an old window. but you would have to grind it down so that the putty knife will contact the flat strap and the door without hitting any weld to create a nice smooth appearance.
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Patio Smoker Grill
My Smoker Grill build

QDawg · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 15

Could you put furnace cement on there and fire up the grill to cure it? That stuff gets rock hard, but with it being on the door I don't know if it would pop of with the vibration of closing? I have used it on my wood stove for the door gaskets and it works great for that. I used "Heat Safe", I belive I bought it from Sutherlands (A lacalk lumberyard). On your welds, I am not going to critisize your welds either. But, I will give you some advice. It looks like you either had your wire speed to slow or you was trying to go to fast. If you was getting a steady crackling sound like frying bacon (wire speed OK) then you was probably going to fast. If it sounds interupted, like you was having power, then not, then power again then it was probably your wire feed speed. Turns up your feed speed, if your speed gets to fast it will push your gun away from the work. If that happens, turn your speed back just a bit. The migs will work better with a faster speed than they will with too slow of speed. It is real easy to get in to big of a hurry when welding. I guess welding is kind of like Q'ing. Q'ing "Slow and low". Welding "Slow and hot". Very Happy

Good luck on your build.
QDawg ><>

DougM · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 7:56 am Post subject:

Thanks guy's I am grinding now Embarassed

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Char-Griller duo 5050

HillbillySmoker · BBQ Pro Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 917 Location: WV

More pics, more pics Wink

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Patio Smoker Grill
My Smoker Grill build

jlaudio29 · Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Posts: 68

Are those mig welds or stick welds?

Smoked Up · BBQ Fan Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 105

HillbillySmoker · BBQ Pro Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 917 Location: WV

He's been helped, hes in the process of taking care of it right now.
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Patio Smoker Grill
My Smoker Grill build

k.a.m. · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 10:07 am Post subject:

Smoked Up, if and when Doug asks me to critique his welds I will be more than glad to give my opinion, with a long list of questions of his process and methods but till then, He asked how to dress up some bad looking welds. For him and many others on the ring welding is a new field as I have stated many times over, building a cooker is one thing putting it on a homemade trailer with no welding experience is another and I do not recommend this. The fact is if he hit home on that strap at least 40% with solid tacks it will hold. So I Will concentrate on the positive and try to help him get through this build.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

Jeff T · Posted: Mon Sep 21 09 12:56 pm Post subject:

Aint nothing wrong with those welds.... touch em up with your grinder, you`ll be fine. Your not sitting in the cooker driving down the road waiting for careless drivers. Wink

Your doing fine Doug!