the best way is to use a torch and heat it. depending on how thick it is and how bent it is you should either get it red hot and bend it to where you want it or if it is just a small bend, just heat the opposite side as the weld and the heat should draw it back....either way it won't be perfect, but if it is a skid plate it should be good enough.....


shawn

The cup isn't half full or half empty, it's just twice the size it needs to be!!!

 

Re: All Welders: How do I straighten metal with HE

If you can get your hands on a torch you could heat it up and bend it back the other way. One thing you might do in the future (or if you are going to weld on the other side) is weld a little at a time. If you put down a long bead on something like 3/16 or thinner it tends to curl as you now know. When I weld thin stuff I normally weld a little then let it cool and repeat till I am done. If the curled up edge and corners are going to be welded to something (maybe even just to straighten it) you can weld up a small part of one corner then using clamps and or a hammer to keep the gap small run your bead.

GreenMachine

 

Re: All Welders: How do I straighten metal with HE

Thanks for the help.

This is a project that I have been working on for a couple of weeks. When I made my initial welds I placed alternating one inch beads and allowed them to cool. I didn't have any warpage. When I worked on the piece today, I was only doing some minor filling and the piece warped almost 1/2". The plate is 3/8" thick so I was surprised that it warped. I don't have a trock so I will try laying down a few beads on the opposite side of the plate.

Later,

4WheelDriveWeb

 

Re: All Welders: How do I straighten metal with HE

I am also surprised at 3/8 warping that bad ( 1/2" WOW). What heat settings are you using on your welder ?
Mig or Stick ? Sometimes you can re-heat and spray with cold water and it will shrink back BUT I`ve only used this successfully on autobody sheet metal , I`ve not had heavier metals do this (yet).

Jeff /wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

 

Re: All Welders: How do I straighten metal with HE

I am using a MIG setup. I think the main reason it warped is because I was welding some plate to one side around a hole in the main plate. I think that the hole contributed to the warping. The plate is approx. 24x36 and there is a 8x8 hole for the t-case drop. I was making a dome to cover the t-case drop. When I heated the dome it must have contracted and pulled up the sides of the plate. The strange thing is I would have expected the hot side to expand not contract. I tried running some beads on the back side but it didn't make any difference, so the dome must be acting like a truss holding the plate in its warped position. It isn't really a big deal. I will post some pics when I get it painted.

Later,

4WheelDriveWeb

 

Re: All Welders: How do I straighten metal with HE

Next time you do something like this try putting lots of tack welds all around the piece. Then when you "fill" between the tacks work back and forth across the piece kind of like you would tighten lugnuts. Metal always contracts at a weld as it cools. If you hit one side then the other the two areas will be pulling against one another as they cool and counteract the warping a little.

September 11, 2001- We will not forget! We will not forgive!

 

The good welders who work for me also clamp the piece they are working on down to the table whenever possible. Adequate cooling is essential. On some close tolerance pieces, they can wait for hours between welds. I have seen people straighten pieces with a torch on the opposite side. Try heating and then clamping in place when it is in the right place. Good luck.