[Shop-talk] Welding Words of Wisdom needed

[Nolan]

Stick arc with an iron welding rod is how most folks with truck weld up 
cracked axle tubes.  Clean it well, bevel the edges of the fracture, weld 
from the outside.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Shipley" <shiples at comcast.net>
To: <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:13 PM
Subject: [Shop-talk] Welding Words of Wisdom needed


> I'm trying to dig my Lotus 7 out of the garage (oops shop!) and get it 
> running.
>
> There was a moment of sadness when looking at the rear axle housing.
> It's originally out of a Triumph Standard 10 I believe.
>
> Anyway it looks like any other rear axle but the back part of the axle
> where the gears reside is covered by a formed steel cover that
> is welded to the axle casting.  This cover has about a two inch crack,
> on the upper part so the lube is still contained.
>
> I have a choice of welders; gas, mig, and tig.  Unfortunately I am stuck 
> with one weldor, me.
>
> So I'm thinkin'....about welding up the crack...and just how to do it.
> From the outside, from the inside, from bothsides....
> should I drill at the ends of the crack or will the welding alone
> stop the progression?  I'm pretty sure there are a variety of ways
> to fix this, I'm interested in your thoughts on how you would approach 
> this.