Welding Issue FYI

[hotrod1]

I have been using clamps and magnets for a long time to hold pieces together before tack welding. Never had an issue. The other day I got a new magnet. This thing is amazing. It has an on and off switch. Once turned on, you can not move it or take it off no matter what you do. It is strong!

Anyways, used the magnet to hold things together the other day and tried to weld. Could not do it. It would not weld (see picture) I was not sure what the problem was. Thought it was the gas or the ground, or not clean metal. Worked on it for an hour. Gave up and thought it was the welder. After thinking about it, I remember reading about magnet issues and welding. Took off the magnet and all was good. Go figure.

[nebdrummer]

Welders and magnets are like Americans and McDonald's. they don't go we'll together. Just vise grips, c clamp vice grips, throw a few good tacks on it and weld it up.
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[Rufton]

I'd still like to find a strong magnet like that.
May come in useful; if not it'd be a neat toy.
I've collected the strong rare earth magnets from old HDD's and stuck em on oil filter, oil pan, etc.

[dwcsr]

I've had that problem before and used a different magnet and had no problem. I think its positioning , magnet strength and if it on a negative or positive pole axis. I guess we should have paid more attention in science class.

[mr48chev]

I'm using that excuse the next time my welder son gives me a hard time about my welding.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Interesting. I wonder if it has something to do with how strong the magnet is.
I remember the very first day of welding school getting a shopping list that included two 4" triangle magnets. I still use them but only for tacking.

[hotrod1]

I will find out more info on the magnet and post it. Once you set in in place and turn it on, you can not more it at all. I got it from a guy that included it in a bulk sale of car stuff. I am sure that it is not cheap, as this guy did everything 1st class.

[mr48chev]

Ok, that may just create enough of a magnetic field that it does mess with the flow of electrons during welding.

[N.T.Q]

at work they gave us 40 lb. magnets for sub arcing only made it about 10 inch's and boom the magnets blew up from the power passing though them.

[hotrod1]

This magnet has a lifting capacity of 550 pounds and it is not big. Here is where you get it.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMAKA=328-2422

I dont think that I would spend that much for it. Dont know just yet because I need to find uses for it other than welding.

[dicer]

If the magnet is too close to the weld and is very strong, it will distort the electric field and also will attract the semi fluid metal. Magnets work fine if used correctly. Use it to hold the part and just do spot tacks then get it out of the way.

[hotrod1]

With this magnet you could not even do the spot welds. The picture above was an attempt to spot weld. You just ended up with a mess you had to grind off.

[Lextech]

I ran into this problem a few years ago. I was going to TIG something together and used a magnet to hold the 90 degree angle. I don't know exactly how to describe it but the Hi Frequency start went haywire. I could not get it to weld or tack at all. I took the magnet off and clamped the pieces together while using a piece of square tubing to set the angle and it welded just fine.

Jeff

[Clay54]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

I've had that problem before and used a different magnet and had no problem. I think its positioning , magnet strength and if it on a negative or positive pole axis. I guess we should have paid more attention in science class.

Similar problem - about 25 years ago I was building a frame for a shed to park my RV under. Was having trouble welding the drill stem (which is magnetized) that I was using for the support legs. Mentioned my problem to one of the engineers at work and was told to wrap the plus lead from the cracker box around the pipe and if it didn't help, wrap it the other direction. Must have something to do with lining the molecules in order to make the weld easier. Surprisingly it worked.

[dicer]

Originally Posted by Clay54

Similar problem - about 25 years ago I was building a frame for a shed to park my RV under. Was having trouble welding the drill stem (which is magnetized) that I was using for the support legs. Mentioned my problem to one of the engineers at work and was told to wrap the plus lead from the cracker box around the pipe and if it didn't help, wrap it the other direction. Must have something to do with lining the molecules in order to make the weld easier. Surprisingly it worked.

You could have also used a growler to do the same thing AC is better to demag with (guessing the welder was DC). That is a device that starter and generator guys use to check the armatures for shorts.

[mknittle]

I know a guy that has a magnetic guide for a cutting torch. when he tried to use it for his plasma cutter{also high frequency} the arc blew through side of the torch toward one of the magnets.
The same guy worked for the county in a new shop building that wasn't grounded properly. one day he decided the tig was the best way to weld a part and fried all the computers in the building! This happened twice before they figured out what happened!