HELP welding a513 to 1018 steel

[USAeng]

our welder is having problems welding these two materials together... we are almost certain that they are a513 tubing to 1018 steel... is there some trick we should try?

he tried once already and on both pieces there was a center crack a good portion of the way around and some porosity

thank you very much for any help... oh and we are already behind in time, so if anyone can reply soon I would be in your debt big time! Thanks a lot

 

[DABwilldo]

We could use some more information on the weldment in order to recommend corrective measures.

What is the thickness of the tube and plate?

What welding process, machine, filler metal, shielding gas(if any), and parameters(volts/amps/wire feed speed), pre-heat(if any)?

What is the position or orientation of the weld? Flat, horizontal, overhead, or some angle in between?

David Benson
Benson's Mobile Welding & Fabrication

http://www.bensonmobilewelding.com

 

[USAeng]

sorry... it could be our machinist used the wrong material too- he is looking into it... maybe used a higher sulfer steel for machinability by accident... which is why I tell them they need to label their stock better... but we will see tomorrow... he is machining some new parts out of known 1018 as Im typing...

but anyways .... its tig process with er70s filler with argon gas... will have to look at volts and amps... no preheat and horizontal its just a pipe fit into a sleeve so and rotated which I think classifies as horizontal or maybe flat... I cant remember...

Thanks a lot

 

[DABwilldo]

Re-sulphurized or 'free-machining' steels would create exactly the centerline crackig behavior and porosity that you're seeing.

Knowing nothing else, this is where I'd bet that your problem lies.

David Benson
Benson's Mobile Welding & Fabrication

http://www.bensonmobilewelding.com

 

[metengr]

Check and verify the chemical composition of the materials before doing anything else or making any assumptions.

 

[TVP]

FYI, ASTM A 513 is a standard for ERW tubes, and it contains at least 20 different steel grades, ranging from plain carbon (1010, 1020, etc.) to alloy steels (4130, 4140, etc.). Make sure you know the grade of tube, not just that it was manufactured according to ASTM A 513.