Welding bolts mounting plate ??

[acevedor2]

Ok, so I have decided to weld some flat head bolts to the underside of my Happ trigger mounting plate.  This will allow me to mount it flush on top and not have any bolts showing on top.

Problem is, I have never welded anything in my life.  That said, there are a lot of things I had never done until the first time I did them..

Anyway, what kind of welder would be the easiest to use in this case?  Any advice on how best to do it?  Thanks!

[meltman]

Use a mig welder if you can. Stick welders are harder to use.

To it a LITTLE BIT at a time cooling the metal in-between or you chance warping the plate.

So, weld, cool, weld, cool, weld

You should set the welder according to the thickness of the plate you are welding. Look online for a chart depending on the type of welder you use.

[acevedor2]

Now since I am only talking about doing 4 bolts, would I have to cool in between?  I have to assume a couple of good spot welds should do the trick.  Would you agree?

[lasersoup]

What about using J-B Weld rather than actually welding the bolts?

http://jbweld.net/index.php

[acevedor2]

I have considered that, would jb weld actually hold up to a joy?  I know the stress is not necessarily in the vertical direction so I would think it might, but I would hate to the CPO installed and everything good and then have the jbweld come loose.  Thoughts?

[ScottS]

Do you own a welder? Or have access to one? A good one is expensive, you know...

MIG welding is the easiest to learn. Basically, you point the gun at the part and pull the trigger. That said, you'll need some practice before you can do it correctly. For something like this, you can probably get by with tack welds which won't require much skill. If your metal is thin, I would definitely worry about it warping! If you have a thick piece of copper or aluminum and can place it under the piece being welded, it will draw some of the heat away and reduce the risk of warping. I would think that the biggest problem you'd have with a MIG welder is keeping the pieces in place. If you just rest the bolts on the plate, the wire coming out of the gun will knock them out of place! Also, keep in mind that a standard MIG setup only works with mild steel. Stainless steel and aluminum can be done, but they require special supplies and equipment.

If I were to do this, I'd probably use my TIG welder rather than the MIG. It gives much better control control over the weld. It's also somewhat difficult to learn. BTW, have you considered soldering? I only know welding, but wonder if soldering might not be cheaper, easier, and give you all the strength you require...

[acevedor2]

Scott - I don't own a welder, but have access to one.  Probably both MIG and TIG since it is a tech (auto-mechanic) school.  That said, I am thinking about trying the JBWeld.  Do you think it will hold?  If so, which one - They have JBWeld and JBQuick.  I don't think solder will give me the strength needed. 

[Fozzy The Bear]

Ok, so I have decided to weld some flat head bolts to the underside of my Happ trigger mounting plate.  This will allow me to mount it flush on top and not have any bolts showing on top.

Good idea.... but given your lack of experience and tools to do this, you'd be far better off soldering them than trying to weld them.

A good blowtorch from the DIY store, a reel of plumbing solder and some flux paste.  Way cheaper than a Mig Welder. Especially if you don't really plan on doing anything else with it. AND it's more than strong enough for this job.

Other than that, why don't you take the parts to a local car mechanic and ask them to weld the bolts in place for you! way way cheaper and it's only a 5 min job.

EDIT!! I see we posted at the same time!! if the welder is at the local school for mechanics, why don't you get one of the tutors to weld it up for you.... alternatively why don't you get one of the apprentice mechanics that has learned how to do it, to weld it up for you??

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Kevin Mullins]

Scott - I don't own a welder, but have access to one.  Probably both MIG and TIG since it is a tech (auto-mechanic) school.   

Have someone TIG it for you there...... much cleaner, easier for them to control.....less heat involved.....won't splatter....etc....etc....keep it cool by doing short tack welds on each bolt otherwise it will warp the plate. Will probably take them about 15 minutes.

Absolutely do not try to just JB Weld it.
For what you are wanting to hold and the force that will be put on it at times.....it will be hard to get a good enough bond to hold up to it on that flat plate type surface.
IMO

[acevedor2]

Awesome guys.  Thanks for the input.  I think I will have one of the knowledgable guys at the school weld them up for me.  The more I thought about it, the more I really didn't want carriage bolts sticking down through the top of the CP.  It looks much cleaner without them.  The other joys are pretty easy to do but the Happ trigger mounting plate is a pain.  I think welding the bolts will work great.
Thanks again!

[ScottS]

Have someone TIG it for you there...... much cleaner, easier for them to control.....less heat involved.....won't splatter....etc....etc....keep it cool by doing short tack welds on each bolt otherwise it will warp the plate. Will probably take them about 15 minutes.

Actually, TIG welding typically puts more heat into the metal, not less. TIG is a very slow moving process, so the metal tends to absorb more heat than if you were MIG welding. With MIG, you can literally move 3-4X faster! Obviously, either technique will work if you know what you're doing...

[ScottS]

Scott - I don't own a welder, but have access to one.  Probably both MIG and TIG since it is a tech (auto-mechanic) school.  That said, I am thinking about trying the JBWeld.  Do you think it will hold?  If so, which one - They have JBWeld and JBQuick.  I don't think solder will give me the strength needed. 

I've never had good luck with JBWeld. You'd probably be better off with a two-part epoxy than JB Weld. MIG would also be pretty easy to do yourself, you'd just need to get some welding magnets to hold the bolts in place. Just be careful: magnets melt easily! I wouldn't bother doing full welds all the way around the bolts; just tack them in place.

[acevedor2]

Thanks again.  I am taking your advice and am having them welded.  Most likely tacked in place as recommended.  I am getting it done tomorrow and will post pics when done.  Cheers.

[HoopstarsGarage]

I MIG'd mine..

Then ground the tops smooth..

Then bolted them in place..

Then filled and sanded them smooth..

Worked out nice..

Hoops

[FrizzleFried]

It's probably been said before,  but make sure to PRACTICE on something ELSE other than your mounting plate for a bit before you attempt to weld on your mounting bracket.

Remember that an ugly large weld is better than a tiny weak weld.   You can always grind the ugly huge ass weld down...requires more work,  but not as much as taking your CP apart because a weld broke.

Good luck...

[GoPodular.com]

Hoops process FTW.

We do ours similar to that.

[acevedor2]

Thanks.  great pics.  I will be having  abuddy of mine do it and he does body work for a livign so he should be pretty good.  I am not useing the standard bolts but rather 1/4 20 2" flat head screws.  They should work fairly well.  Thanks again!