Here, fix this!

Another Wednesday night and about 20 people show up for volunteer night. Maybe 5 or 6 of them have never been to the FLG before. Everyone introduces themselves by name and their favourite playground equipment (Vic, spinning egg thing). Then each department summarises recent progress and asks for volunteers. Mark from casting needs someone who can weld to fix the crucible holder which was run over by a forklift last year. I didn't exactly volunteer but somehow this task fell to me.

The crucible holder was bent, and didn't work. While trying to sort out what the problem was with the action I forced it too hard and the weld holding a tab to the frame broke. On closer inspection these welds were really badly made with no penetration.

Badly welded tab

I ground back the excess weld and then cut a groove into the still-attached tab. I then placed a root weld into the cut groove. This was topped off with a second fillet weld to join the two together.

The second tab I ground the end to 45 degrees and performed the same style of root weld and surface weld to secure it in place.

Miracle of miracles, when reassembled the action worked!