Sailormilan2 Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I an considering welding on a bolt handle to one of my Mauser bolts. I have access to an arc welder, but not a TIG welder. Will the arc welder work, or will it be too strong? If it works, what kind of rod should I get? I want to parkerize the bolt, so I know Stainless Steel Rod is out. If it won't work, I can always get a TIG welder at Harbor Freight. If I do that, will a small 110 v TIG welder work? Or will I need to get a 220 v. My shop is not wired for 220, though I guess I could change that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limpid Lizard Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 The handle can be welded on by using stick, but it requires some patience. Some would say a good deal of patience. You have a very small surface to weld, and quite often the start of a bead is not as good as what follows. With that in mind, you might consider placing a piece of mild steel next to the notch you are going to weld. Start your bead on that, and follow through onto the bolt/handle. Go slow, taking time to clean the weld as you layer successive beads. I've used 6013 in the past. At least that is how I remember it. The shop stuff is in storage, and it has been about five years since I used stick to put one on. Gas is the poor mans best bet, but stick will work. LL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokengun Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 My first answer is yes. I’m going to assume the stick welder you have access to is an AC welder. This is my suggestion… Set up the bolt in a holding jig. Use a heat sink Wrap the bolt lugs and entire bolts in wet towels Use heat control past in the cocking area Use a 7018 rod (they have them for AC welders) When you draw the arc hold the rod so the arc is away from the bolt and points toward the handle. When you do start welding DO NOT hold a constant arc and try and fill the whole area with one pass. Weld like your tack welding the bolt on and removing slag with each pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Save your self some aggrivation and try to do a good job on a junk bolt first before you attempt this on a good bolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limpid Lizard Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 And use a piece of copper water pipe cut to fit around the bolt as a splatter shield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenden Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 (edited) I an considering welding on a bolt handle to one of my Mauser bolts. I have access to an arc welder, but not a TIG welder. Will the arc welder work, or will it be too strong? If it works, what kind of rod should I get? I want to parkerize the bolt, so I know Stainless Steel Rod is out. If it won't work, I can always get a TIG welder at Harbor Freight. If I do that, will a small 110 v TIG welder work? Or will I need to get a 220 v. My shop is not wired for 220, though I guess I could change that. If you have access to an arc welder, then you are in luck my friend. I used to do some welding and then put it down for about five years. Started back up not too long ago and have welded 3 bolts. There is nothing to it. You don't need a tig, Take your time and keep the heat high enough, but not too hot and you will get good welds. The main thing is to clean all the slag out, you won't get pockets if you get it all out. A 7018 rod is ok. But, you can't beat a 3/32 6013 rod. 6010-6011's will work, but are a little harder to run (for me anyway). Just remember, angle your stub/bolt so that most of your weld is on the back side of the bolt handle. That way, if you make a mistake, its easier to hide . Good luck! Brenden The best way to start, and this is how I start before every bolt; get a piece of scrap metal and burn 5-6 rods, just running beads. This will get you going, getting you back into the niche, and you'll be fabing up bolts in no time. Edited February 5, 2010 by Brenden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 so, i know everyone says not to, but why not use a mig? i mig'd a bolt on several years ago with a deep v, lots of weld and it seems to be holding up just fine. when i heard a mig was bad and the handle would fall off, i really wailed on the bolt, smacking it open and closed. it hasnt wiggled... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacrat Posted February 6, 2010 Report Share Posted February 6, 2010 so, i know everyone says not to, but why not use a mig? i mig'd a bolt on several years ago with a deep v, lots of weld and it seems to be holding up just fine. when i heard a mig was bad and the handle would fall off, i really wailed on the bolt, smacking it open and closed. it hasnt wiggled... In experienced hands MIG would be my first choice. As stated it is easy for inexperienced user to contaminate weld with tungsten. TIG or stick would be a tossup for 2nd place. Again experience of operator being paramount. O/A would be my last on the list because of overheating concerns. JM2C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted February 7, 2010 Report Share Posted February 7, 2010 so, i know everyone says not to, but why not use a mig? i mig'd a bolt on several years ago with a deep v, lots of weld and it seems to be holding up just fine. when i heard a mig was bad and the handle would fall off, i really wailed on the bolt, smacking it open and closed. it hasnt wiggled... I mig weld is generally a shallow penitrating filler weld that unless done by someone that really knows what they are doing and using a quality machine will probably crack or break after alot of use. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted February 8, 2010 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 rod, i agree mig would not be the best choice for the average yahoo not familiar with the intricacies of correctly using such a machine. that isn't the case with my bolt, as I have been welding for several years and am quite proficient. i do understand the abilities and limitations of the mig, and was sure to get good penetration with the professional Miller my dad owns at his body shop on both the bolt and handle. being slated for a 7x57, i don't see this gun failing me at such a time as a grizzly bearing (no pun intended) down on me, as grizzlies are quite scarce in SE Washington. So yes, you're right, properly done a tig is surely better than mig, but i'd wager my bolt won't fail any time soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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