Are these welds a hack job? With Travis Response

[daveswoodhauler]

Just got the Lopi back as there were cracks in the welds.
I know that this is basically a heater, and don't want to sound like I am complaining...but is this a good welding job?
Just seems to be a bunch of blobs that run down...I am not a welder, so perhaps it is supposed to look this way?
The welds were down at the dealer, as Lopi charges $325 to ship the unit back to to the mfg, as per the warrantee, they only pay for 1 way ship.
Next pic will follow.
Just seems like a chitty weld job.....don't care about how it looks, but will it hold up?

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Left Side Pic

 

[LLigetfa]

Holy grapes, Batman. Looks terrible but it will hold.

 

[rdust]

Looks terrible but it will hold.

x2, it's a only a wood stove it should be fine, you could always grind them down to clean them up a little if you'd like.

What exactly was cracked? It looks like it's only for the secondary air? Was it shooting some extra flames out of the cracks?

 

[madrone]

Holy grapes, Batman. Looks terrible but it will hold.

LOL!

I agree. U-G-L-Y. I'm a little concerned that they didn't prep the area properly, or at all, before welding. It shouldn't take that many passes to patch that up. I'm guessing they figured more is better. Most likely it will hold just fine.

 

[Rudyjr]

I am a welder and these may in fact hold, looks are not everything. It is however very poor workmanship and does not appear to have been prepped properly befor the welding was attempted. I would not accept this level of repair on anything that I own and I would not do this type work on anything for anybody, very unprofessional. Just my 2 cents.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Yeah, that what I was thinking....I figured they would have cleaned the area for prepping, but I am guessing that I could have done a better job with a lesson from my local Tech school...been meaning to take a class on something.
Also, I am glad I checked everything out before they left, as after the insert was in and they were on their way to the truck, there was about a 1 1/2 " gap between the panel and the brick fireplace....I said "wait fellas....that gap was not there before, and I know the inseft fit"....they said they were out of room....had them pull the surround out, and saw that they had another 1 1/2 inches to push the insert back into the fireplace....know I know why folks do their own installs.
Going to email the pics to the Travis rep just for documentation on the job they did.

 

[Levi2u]

Definately not impressed.....
I'll bet the guy that did the welding didn't know his workmanship was going to be on the WWW for everyone to see.
In fact I would be tempted to call the owner of the shop and ask him if he actually looked at the repair, and if not then offer him a chance to seen the photos.
Levi

 

[Highbeam]

It is not easy to weld vertical, and your welder was a beginner. The right one was too cold and the left one too hot. No prep or finish work is apparent. This whole job took the guy about 2 minutes from when he opened the door to finish. Being the experienced amateur that I am I would have laid the stove on its back to make it a flat weld which would have prevented the icicles.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Definately not impressed.....
I'll bet the guy that did the welding didn't know his workmanship was going to be on the WWW for everyone to see.
In fact I would be tempted to call the owner of the shop and ask him if he actually looked at the repair, and if not then offer him a chance to seen the photos.
Levi

I emailed Travis and the Dealer with my thoughts....not going to groan about it anymore....but mainly wanted the photos on file with the dealer and Travis in for my Warrantee...should the welds not hold or should further cracks appear. I am not really happy with either at this point in time, as I don't think the dealer ever checked the welds, and Travis does not help the matter by trying to stick the dealer with a $325-$350 shipping charge.
All I can do is make them aware of the chitty repair job and hope that the unit works ok.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

It is not easy to weld vertical, and your welder was a beginner. The right one was too cold and the left one too hot. No prep or finish work is apparent. This whole job took the guy about 2 minutes from when he opened the door to finish. Being the experienced amateur that I am I would have laid the stove on its back to make it a flat weld which would have prevented the icicles.

Thats exactly what I was thinking...why not put the thing on its back, and let gravity help with the welds?
I mean, cmon, I sit at a desk all freakin day, and I know for sure I could have done a better job with you giving me pointers for about 30 minutes or so.
Thanks for the replys.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

yes, travis does a much better job. they basically refurbish the whole stove....

 

[daveswoodhauler]

yes, travis does a much better job. they basically refurbish the whole stove....

And as a dealer, do you have to eat the ship back cost? Keep in mind, the shipping would be from the east to west coast?

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

up to year 7 travis pays one way frieght only, in the past i have split the one way shipping 50/50 with my customers.
being on the west coast shipping to WA isn't too bad though... but we ship a lot of stoves, and have great frieght deals

i have sent some extremely overfired units back to them that returned looking almost as good as new!! yay Travis!!
sure wish i could sell thier products on my site....!

 

[billb3]

more is better ?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

doesnt look like the old welds were grinded out first, could have been done better but they look solid enough, i would remind that its harder to get into a completed stove and actually weld, takes skill and good prep work to lay a classic "dime stack" bead with your head (and helmet)stuck in through the doorway of a woodstove (been there done that, its not easy)

 

[North of 60]

That was done with absolutely no prep, no preheat fore a hunk of metal that will be cooking most of the time. They used wire feed downhand. All crappy ways to give it a chance to actually work. Using 7018 uphand stick with the existing grinded out and preheated is the proper method. As far as access, thats a dream Try doing pipe overhead in position using mirrors to meet X-ray. That birdsnot was done by a Backyardagain or Calvin and Hobbs. Not a welder. Rant Done! :cheese:
Keep those Pics and good luck.

 

[glacialhills]

Hack Job....uh yes that is the polite way to describe that welding. That looks like one of the example welds I saw in C school in the Navy on what a crappy weld looks like. textbook splatter and running ice cycles. Just look at all that porosity in that weld! Yikes.... Yes since it is only a stove it probably wont matter but sheesh...where is the pride man. Noooo way could I let that out the door to a paying customer. That bird crap needs to be ground down and if ya want to run three passes or two or whatever he was trying at least make em even. All that needed was to be ground down to clean metal and run a nice 45 right down the joint. And if you can weld at all, a vert weld is easier than a horizontal if you have the welder setup right. that thing was cold dog poo when he slapped that on. There is no excuse in this tight economy for that kind of slop. I know 5 guys who weld like artist's that cant find work.

 

[madrone]

Using 7018 uphand stick with the existing grinded out and preheated is the proper method.

But that's a wire-feed weld. You just turn it on and pull the trigger. Right? :coolsmirk:

 

[Highbeam]

You can still adjust the feed rate and amperage with a wirefeed. Those adjustments allow for a hot weld to lay flat and penetrate or a cold weld to sit on top in a pile, much like birdshat which is what I think the previous posters have politely called birdsnot.

I'm a stickweld guy myself and my 5YO daughter could have done that weld, here she is, maybe that welder could use her expertise.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If the weld holds it's a good weld. If it doesn't, it's not.

 

[realstihl]

I've been welding since I was 10 years old. Mostly SS tig now.. That weld is terrible to say the least. I won't be surprised if your back here showing us where it cracks mid season or sooner. That whole corner should have been filled in after preping it (grinding).

 

[Archie]

Highbeam, that picture is priceless. Put it in the scrapbook! I bet she never forgets that day.

 

[Elderthewelder]

Using 7018 uphand stick with the existing grinded out and preheated is the proper method.

But that's a wire-feed weld. You just turn it on and pull the trigger. Right? :coolsmirk:

I'm thinking that was stick welded just by the looks of it, just very poorly. IMO it will hold for awhile, but will eventually crack out again. I would be pissed if that was my stove. I would like to hear what Travis has to say in response to the pics, they should pay for you to take the stove to a professional welder (shop)

 

[Elderthewelder]

If the weld holds it's a good weld. If it doesn't, it's not.

I am going to use that line the next time QA gripes my weld at work and see how far it gets me