Welding

[James England]

Here's a question for the brains of the forum...... Is it possible safely to use a conventional electric welder on an XS1100? I have a small, basic electric welder and want to weld a couple of nuts onto part of the bike. Is there any risk of the voltage frying any of the components if I disconnect the battery first???

Any ideas anyone??

[crazy steve]

If the electrical system is operating properly and with the battery disconnected (I'd pull it out if it were me; hydrogen fumes are explosive!) you shouldn't have any problems. DO attch your ground clamp as close to the weld as possible.

If you want to be super-safe, unplug the TCI, regulator, and tach to isolate those components. Super-super-safe, lift the ground connections at the regulator. While I've never welded on an assembled bike, I've done cars/trucks and never had any problems with just disconnecting the battery.

[b.walker5]

I've done it. Like Steve said, disconnect your battery, and as a precautionary measure, your TCI, and you wont have a problem. Welders only fry things if the earth (ground) clamp isnt up to scratch and not making a good connection. Get it as close to the weld as you can and clean the paint off under it, and around the area to be welded. (you'd be suprised how many try to weld through paint) The key to successful welding is good preparation and the right heat for the material. Mig welding is better, Tig is the ultimate but if Stick is all you have then thats fine too.

[CatatonicBug]

I've welded on my muffler while everything was still fully assembled. I didn't even disconnect the battery. No side effects for me. Of course, the muffler is about as far from the electrical componenets as you can get.

[James England]

Thanks for that guys. I want to put three nuts per side on my exhaust pipe in order to attach the chrome heat shields. I'll disconnect the TCI etc and battery etc and have the ground right very near to the pipe.........

[crazy steve]

James, you want to be very, very careful doing this. You have a stainless exhaust system IIRC, and SS can be very touchy to weld, particularly with a stick welder. You'll need special stainless stick rod (regular rod will put too much heat into the metal and won't stick well in any case), SS nuts, and low heat (amps). I don't know what gauge metal was used to build your system, but when it gets into the smaller thin gauges it's extremely easy to burn holes with stick unless your welding skills are pretty damn good.... BTDT. You'll also have to repolish around the welded area as the heat will cause discoloring.

Best bet? Find somebody with a TIG welder, or a MIG set up to do stainless. Be a shame to put holes in that brand-new exhaust... To be honest, I wouldn't try it.

[natemoen]

Agree with Steve, stainless is a pain to weld with stick, difficult to weld with mig, but butter for tig bit tig is a special skill all its own. I would say just have a shop weld them on unless you have experience welding SS. I sure hate welding SS.

[DGXSER]

On the same track, I've been seeing these "Flux wire welders" at HF. Are these the same as MIG?

http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-...der-98871.html

I'd like to get a simple welding set up for messing around at home, but want to stay with 110V.

As for TIG, many years ago I worked in the aircraft industry designing jet engine components. Well, they were smart enough to require the design engineers to actually build some of the stuff they design. So they sent us to the mfg plant and we got to take a similar part completely through the mfg process. Lost wax sand mold casting parts, melting the metal to pour in the molds, finishig the parts, bending tubing, bending and welding bracket, brazing brackets to tubes, and yes...TIG welding the pipe fittings to the pipe. And this was titanium alloy parts. All I know for sure is that my parts failed the X-ray, and the hydro test! No welder was in fear of his job from the work I produced on one days training.

[rover]

welding

Stainless exhaust is probably 18 ga or thinner. Very difficult to weld with TIG, nearly impossible with stick. Have a pro do it, or you will be chasing holes in a very costly exhaust system until there is no system left.

[natemoen]

Don, those cheap HF flux core welders are crap. If you want a little welded for home go with a miller or hobart, bit more expensive but they will last. Esab is awesome, but I don't know if they have anything inexpensive same with thermadyn. I would also suggest to stat away from flux core wire feeds all together. They just don't create quality work usually.

[crazy steve]

Don, those cheap HF flux core welders are crap. If you want a little welded for home go with a miller or hobart, bit more expensive but they will last..

Yes, spend the few extra bucks and get quality. Lincoln and Century also make nice little MIG units. With a 120V version that more or less limits you to welding material under 1/4" thick, but for nearly all bike/automotive work that's all you need unless you're building trailer hitches. The only choice for sheetmetal work IMO.

Flux-core wire is a waste... Run gas, as it makes learning to use it 100% easier and there's no comparison on the weld quality.

[fredintoon]

On the same track, I've been seeing these "Flux wire welders" at HF. Are these the same as MIG? - - - -

Hi Don,
"you don't get what you don't pay for" especially with welding machines so 'ware those el-cheapo units.
Thing is, a qualified welder can run a good bead with dodgy gear but us amateurs need all the help we can get.
MIG is Metallic Inert Gas. It's a wire feed welder with an inert gas feed over the arc to keep the air out of the weld zone.
Flux wire welders are similar but don't have the inert gas shield. The feed wire has a flux core that works like an inside-out stick welding rod.
BTW, I ran a 220V extension cord to my good ol' Lincoln buzzbox from the clothes dryer plug for years until I got a "bro with electricians papers" to run 220V to my garage.

[James England]

Yes, I did wonder re chasing holes in an expensive exhaust. I looked into stainless rods 1.6mm and thought about maybe practicing on some stainless steel that I have. Heat discolouration doesn't matter as the nuts I'll be putting on are to take retaining bolts for the chromed heat shields which cover the exhaust joints.

There is a stainless welding place in the town where I live. I may just have a little practice on some cutlery.... get frustrated and watch it disintegrate, then take the exhaust to the welding shop......

[fredintoon]

Dinna torch the pipe, laddie.

Yes, I did wonder re chasing holes in an expensive exhaust. - - -

Hi James,
how about this? Braze a nut onto a worm drive hose clamp.
Tap drill through and re-tap to clean the brass out of the thread. Make three. They'll be hidden by the heat shield and won't show.

[jwhughes3]

That sounds like a great idea Fred...

I will remember it for the future.

John