Poor Welds on Trailer A-Frame Coupler?

[sberry]

To the OP: Get a refund and take it to a shop that has "Welding" in the name

That doesn't always work either. I cot a call to fix a trash compactor in a city about an hour away thru someo0ne I knew. The major welding outfit in town has fixed this simpleton rod 3 times with a pile of bird **** from some kid.
It didn't work right and the janitor in the place knew how to fix it. Biggest business in the city and they send a highschooler, and a poor one at that out to do a field repair to moving machinery.

 

[sberry]

Your post does not answer my question to Sberry. He claims the pros are saying the welds hold and the amateurs say it will break. How does he know who is whom?

Amateurs are the worried ones,,, hahahahahqa

 

[galute]

I'm in the look's like **** but will hold camp. I would bet if that is a factory built trailer most of the other welds don't look much if any better. That's pretty much the standard for a lot of trailer manufacturers these days.

 

[sberry]

The term "professional" means they were paid.....It doesn't mean they were any good at their job.

Where is the dictionary?

 

[sberry]

Can be good and not pro

 

[Xicaque]

Take it back...now!!

Yes! do it! I do not weld but those are sloppy ugly. A blind mind could done better.

 

[Xicaque]

That's a tough call. I would at least start the conversation politely at the shop that did the work. While it's true they messed it up in the first place, all progress will stop should the conversation become rude.
Just what you want to do with you day huh? Sorry you have to go through this.

If the shop refuses and you paid with a CC, have the CC void the transaction back. That will get that shop going and then report them to the BBB.

 

[xtremek]

How is it you can determine who is an amateur and who is a pro?

After a couple of years on this forum, I can tell you that I may not like everything Sberry has to say, but I'd trust his opinion on fabrications and the quality of his work. And Kirk (KODitten) knows his stuff. If they say it's good. let me know where to hook onto to it and let's get the job done. Trust them, they know what's good and bad.

 

[xtremek]

PS. I've had great looking welds that didn't hold squat, and cruddy looking welds that held up to beatings. I'm still learning.

 

[koditten]

Thanks for the plug, but I am NOT a professional. Too many perks maintaining my amature status

KO

 

[sberry]

I see some pretty good work from some self learned types. I was talking to a part timer the other day and find out his bag is welding and that 6013 is the only really good rod made and I thought sure as **** but he showed me a hitch install he did to his pickup truck and it was really good.
He knows too much to be further trainable but I got no problem paying him to put a hitch on. I asked a recent regular on a forum to post up what 40 yrs of learned 6013 did and was surprised.
There is a good share of the worlds welding work done with little or no formal training. Surprising amount of it works quite well. A while back my helper mentioned some mess we came across and I said, well it worked for 40 yrs and was a repair to an engineer factory built job.

 

[sberry]

I have seen career guys nothing to write home about. I would say the trailer store could go either way, a fluid labor like used cars or specialist with a 2 hr bill.
I rarely pass off anything due to the liability. Usually it involves things that would cost me more to do myself. They will deliver as hazardous chemical for a fee I cant buy the gas for let alone provide a truck and labor.
If its something dangerous its usually a human error factor, not to say that the mechanical is not human error but is. It aint we don't give a dam but we didn't know or we didn't know and I checked the air in the tires while they stood there.

 

[sberry]

Wanns see a minimum check some old 70's mobile home. You can gently kick a lot of the brackets off and the beam splices are especially interesting.

 

[sberry]

I did a job on a semi trailer, true weld repair where the guy had the right idea but was limited to an AC buzzer and didn't have the skill to do out of position difficult to reach.

 

[sberry]

The top of the picture frame is the headroom, he camera really doesn't do this justice, all head sideways at arms length. No pre grind, a little torch clean, maybe scaler but mostly weld over broke or completely missing welds, some the guy didn't even try.
The customer was willing to spend a little on reman but I didn't do it, he came back 6 weeks later and I charged really well for this. It re attached the truck to the wheels, it was going to be parked anyway and had been replaced.
I didn't want to remove any lines or obstructions and got up in it with a handful of rod a couple times and welded up.
I think 1 of my men welded this channel in was the only piece we actually replaced.
Whoops I slipped another pic in, 200A wire feed. The weld could have been smaller and smoother but we all want to see how far we can turn it up.
Note the 2 new bolts,, As I recall we might have fixed a busted bracket. Note that while the weld is not textbook it is sufficient and no one has to wonder wtf.

 

[justtools]

The term "professional" means they were paid.....It doesn't mean they were any good at their job.

I would be seeking a refund ...... but I certainly wouldn't be getting them to do it again.

If you took it back to them, they would grind it back all the visible welds then probably romance it with a pretty weld over the top.

cut off the coupler [they're cheap to replace] and start again.

best advice

 

[iagsxr]

It's not going to break off.

 

[Bruce4310TX]

Amateurs are the worried ones,,, hahahahahqa

Yep your right.

Just put a few GR8 bolts in it and get on with life

 

[DekeT]

You got to wonder, most of the professionals think it looks crappy and will hold while most amateurs think otherwise.

Yep your right.

Just put a few GR8 bolts in it and get on with life

You would think a couple of self-described "professionals" would be encouraged that amateurs are suspect of poor looking welds and want to demand better. Thereby, seeking work from better weldors like yourselves. Instead, these "professionals" belittle the observations and conclusions of the "amateur" with self aggrandizing remarks. Well, on you.

 

[sberry]

No one is saying is shouldn't be better. What we are saying its not the ultimate sky falling issue. Its about 'the observations and conclusions". You can observe without coming to an accurate conclusion. The amateur comes to the conclusion that its faulty and will break, most of the pros know better. The conclusion is different.
One of the forums had a wall of shame thread, you should have seen some of the dandys in there, this looks good in comparison.

 

[Dutch01]

You would think a couple of self-described "professionals" would be encouraged that amateurs are suspect of poor looking welds and want to demand better. Thereby, seeking work from better weldors like yourselves. Instead, these "professionals" belittle the observations and conclusions of the "amateur" with self aggrandizing remarks. Well, on you.

My name is Andre.and a new by. On the subject I agree with DekeT. I am by no means a professional or qualified welder as my experience is limited to smaller home projects for myself and family/friends using mostly a 140Amp air cooled AC welder because I am comfortable with it. I do have a mig and DC welder though but have not really utilized it that much.

As much as an amateur I am, I would not have accepted the workmanship as per the original poster. As I said I am an amateur and have lots to learn and that's why I joined GJ. There are awesome projects and info for newbys like me t learn from. But with the comments of professionals view of looking crappy but will hold and amateurs thinking otherwise, there is a saying that the Titanic was built by professionals and the Ark by amateurs. We all know the outcome.

Btw I have 2 projects that need kick starting - a 1963 Triumph Spitfire and 1957 Morris 1000, both requiring body panel work. Currently driving a 1964 Austin Heally Sprite Mk3 but will soon need some bdy work as well. Paint starts peeling off from previous resto.

 

[chruler]

Sooooooo, what happened? Did you get it re-done? Or are you just going to roll with it?

 

[iagsxr]

Sooooooo, what happened? Did you get it re-done? Or are you just going to roll with it?

Me too

 

[BigMike782]

Whether it breaks or not is not the point to me. If I was the OP I would get my money back and get it to a shop that understands quality workmanship. You paid a professional, you should get professional work.

 

[rockinacummins]

Not acceptable to me.

Will it hold? Yeah probably for three lifetimes.
Look good? Hell no.
Would I want it? Nope. I would get my money back. Don't let them try again.
Why? It just looks bad. Plus, if you ever wanna sell the trailer, potential buyers are gonna nitpick that ********.