Need to weld washers to threaded rod question. Which grade washers?

[Hephaestus29]

I need to pull a pulley off of a shaft that
has minimal clearance.

Which grade washers should I use for this?
I’m going to have them Tig welded, I just
need to know which ones to use.

I know Grade 8 is the strongest but probably
more brittle, so I don’t know if the welding
process would mess them up or what.
Then there’s grade 5 and standard washers.

Thanks for any help.

 

[rsanter]

Thick washer is more important that the grade

 

[The Cobbler]

threaded rod id low grade usually, probably grade 5 is ample for your washers

 

[lis2323]

Thick washer is more important that the grade

Agreed. Use a heavy washer.


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[Hephaestus29]

I’ll use the thickest washer I can but
the clearance is only 1/8th of an inch
if that.

 

[BD1]

What diameter threaded rod ??
Skip standard washer and make one.
Drill hole in flat stock and choose the thickness.


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[Hephaestus29]

What diameter threaded rod ??
Skip standard washer and make one.
Drill hole in flat stock and choose the thickness.


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I would, but I don’t have a working
lathe at the moment, that’s what I’m
working on.

 

[metaleltr]

I would, but I don’t have a working
lathe at the moment, that’s what I’m
working on.

A hole saw through a heavy piece of metal will readily make a washer without needing a lathe.

 

[BD1]

A electric drill, a bit, and a piece of steel.
Does washer have to be round ? Square washers are thicker material.


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[cruzer75]

Threaded rod is typically grade 2 unless you buy special.
Cheap washers are grade 2 as well. I agree make your own thick washer etc.

What about a 3 jaw puller? You can rent for free from napa/autozone/etc give deposit and get it back when tool is returned. Maybe a better option? Any just thoughts.

 

[savage407]

The heat of welding and the subsequent cooling tends to anneal heat treated materials. The additional strength offered by a grade 8 washer will be diminished after welding. So the suggestion of using the thickest washer (regardless of material) that will fit is good. Next time you see a coffee can full of heavy washers at a yard sale, pick it up!

 

[MoonRise]

Also note that some threaded items (threaded rod, nuts, couplers, etc) MIGHT be made of a leaded or other free machining steel.

Which are not weldable. Successfully anyway, as the lead or other free-machining elements will usually cause a weld to crack as the weld puddle cools.

A threaded fastener of Grade 2, or 5 or 8 is NOT made of a leaded or other free machining steel.

As to the washer, just use a 'plain' washer. No need or sense in paying for a Grade 5 or 8 washer and then welding that. The heating (and subsequent cooling) from welding will cause various levels of change to the strength and hardness of the alloy steel (Grade 5 or 8) anyway.

Also, use or get a washer that is just PLAIN steel. No zinc coating, or galvanized (heavy zinc), black oxide, or whatever on the steel. Especially with TIG, you NEED to have just steel when you are welding it. TIG does NOT tolerate 'dirty' metal when welding. The welder is just going to HAVE to grind off or chemically removed (acid etch usually) any coating and get down to clean, bare, shiny steel before welding.

 

[lilredex]

Could you not just drill/tap some holes in the face of that pulley and pull it off the easy way?? Post a picture of that pulley, let us see what you are dealing with.

 

[joe49]

HF https://www.harborfreight.com/bearing-separator-and-puller-set-62593.html?cid=paid_google|||62593&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoab_BRCxARIsANMx4S4KSXwryzQr_kNCVWkOWmj-iWXHccl6cBzFAuKGgJNSr-zmYbPZUskaAo75EALw_wcB
Does depend on size you need. Bearing splitters are available in larger sizes also. Pictures would help. Of the work and your puller design.

Idea #2 all thread to coupling nuts to bolts with heads ground down for size needed to fit space.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Thickest one possible for the area.


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[Hephaestus29]

Lilredex, to answer your question, no.

I’ll post up some pics in a few min. but
i’ll also have these over on my
Hardinge HLV-H rebuild thread.

 

[Hephaestus29]

My solution worked fine, and thanks for
all the responses. I ended up using
standard grade washers and it worked
just fine. I couldn’t find anyone to tig
it for me so I just spot welded kind of
per se’ with a stick. The first washer just
burnt away more or less because I had
the heat too high and or I held the rod
on it too long. After that I just had to
touch it and pull away and touch again and so on.

After the washers were welded on I had
to grind one side down in order for it to
go into place. The casting just like most
castings are made with draft, so the
part pulls out of the mold without problem.
So the washer itself without grinding
one side down would have been too big.
I was going to use 3 rods to begin with
but I ended up only using two because
of the clearance issues.

 

[Hephaestus29]

One pic didn’t work right and that’s
because it was a screen shot/close-up.