Welding Craze

The winch mount on this skidder cracked all the way around the base. The winch was wobbling while under load. That is terrifying. I took the winch off, ground the cracks out completely, ran root passes, then built up cap passes with 7018. Then I welded a full ring of 1/2 inch plate around the base of the mount. Now the mount is stronger than the frame it's bolted to. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

I know these welds are SUPER sh*tty but all I want to know is if this will hold, it’s being used on the bottom of a go kart to prevent the sheet metal from flexing. I used 0.30 flux core welding wire with a MIG welder.

The J-hooks on my power rack were bending when I reracked heavy. Scared me every time. I cut new hooks from 1/2 inch plate, bent them in the vise, and welded them to 1-inch square tubing sleeves that slide over the rack uprights. Welded the hook to the sleeve with a full 360 fillet. They don't bend, they don't slip. I racked 405 yesterday and didn't flinch. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible

Do it yourself stroker crank.

The blade on this grader was too narrow for the wide roads we've been paving. We were leaving ruts on both sides. I cut two pieces of 1/2 inch plate, shaped them to match the blade curve, and welded them on as wing extensions. Each one adds 6 inches of width. I welded them with a continuous bead along the top and bottom. The blade is 12 inches wider now and the road looks perfect.

A perfectly consistent vertical weld on heavy equipment steel in a rough industrial environment says everything
Every ripple evenly spaced every toe smooth no undercut no spatter and the profile identical from top to bottom
The leather glove the chipping hammer and the rust on the surrounding steel all add to the story of this work
This is what elite stick welding looks like and it does not need a clean workshop to prove its quality 🔨🔥✨

The ring gear on the grader circle was missing two teeth. The blade would skip and jerk every rotation. Buying a new ring gear is a five-figure nightmare. I built the teeth back up with hard facing rod, layer by layer, until they were the right height. Then I took a hand grinder and shaped them by eye. They look a little rough but they mesh perfectly. The blade is smooth again. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.