My First Socket Weld

[zoama]

I was changing valve covers tonight on a 03 ranger 4.0 sohc and needed an 8mm deepwell socket to remove half the bolts because they have a stud in the center.
I didn't have one and I couldn't go to the store on thanksgiving so I improvised by grinding the chrome of the area to be welded on two BS brand sockets, butted them up in the cross slide vice and fused them together with the PP256.
Worked perfectly... it'll never see much torque so I'm not worried about it breaking. 3/32 blue tungsten, 50 amps set on the panel and gave it full pedal to start the puddle then backed off to about 40 to weld.
I know this isn't a "socket" weld

[Mike J]

Nice. Not sure what steel they make the sockets out of, but sounds like once the chrome was off, you were off to the races!

Cheers

Mike

[zedron]

Looks good. Now you can either add that back to the "specialty" tool section in your tool box or take it back and exchange them for two new ones depending on the warranty.

[zoama]

Looks good. Now you can either add that back to the "specialty" tool section in your tool box or take it back and exchange them for two new ones depending on the warranty.

It's harbor freight cheepies, I'll keep it.

[undercut]

Wow, you even changed your sig to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Nice "socket weld". Gotta love the fact that you aren't completely out of luck when the stores close. Cheers.

[zedron]

It's harbor freight cheepies, I'll keep it.

Ha, Touche.

[Ron66]

Even the cheap harbor freight tools are forged steel and weld great. I always keep some cheap tools in my draw to make stuff like that.

[Trip59]

A lot of tools are a chrome vanadium alloy, if I recall correctly, it should weld very similar to chrome moly.

When I read the subject I almost didn't click it, I had flashbacks and a waking nightmare for a second, thinking back to my certification welds... 1" chrome moly socket, top and bottom, horizontally welded, vertically mounted. 6-8" long piece mounted on a jig at about 5' from the ground (socket hanging below) 5-6" clearance to the fixture above, two sides with maybe 5-6" clearance. Weld, slice longitudinally, sanded, polished, etched. Next round was X-rayed. I don't recall what the setup name was, but I called it 666H(ell) position

Wow, got cold sweats just typing that... I'll weld HF sockets all day long for free rather than doing that again