Mocking-up projects is kicking my butt!

[243]

About three months ago, I built a welding table base for my 3/8" top out of 1.5" 16ga tubing and once finished, found out I was out of square about 3/4". Actually, the two end frames of the base where twisted in relation to each other. Decided to set it aside and build another.

The first frame allowed the top (42" x 28") to overhange 6" all around. This time I decided to used 10ga 1.25" tubing with a frame built to the edge of the top and 16ga 1.25" legs. I cut and cleaned everything late Friday and started welding it up on Saturday after some good rest.

As I was advised on the board, I tack welded first trying to tweak the frame back to square as I went along. I just haven't figured out the tack welding part. Leaving big booger welds at the corner that I have to go back and weld between...run a full bead and the frame pulls itself ****eyed...thinking my booger weld will hold and snap a piece of steel off when I tweak it :(

The MM135 runs beautiful beads on 14-16ga but the welds on the 11ga to the 3/8" top are for crap, the dang breaker kept trippin :(

Sometimes I feel like going back to woodworking...oh well, just having a bad weekend.

[RussellH]

Yeah I get a bit of distortion too specially when welding long seams. I have had some success with allowing metal to cool off between the welds but I still get a bit of bending. Its probably a good idea to use a jig but for something you want to put together quickly is not worth building a jig for.

As for the circuit breaker tripping, are you running off a 15A plug ? Because the higher voltage/current settings need a 20A plug and don't use an extension cord unless its a heavier guage one like a 10 or 8.

[fun4now]

whenever i match thin ti thick i like to crank it up for the thick and let my bead directed at the thick part work out to and melt the thiner stuf. so my arc is directed at the thick alowing for higher amps without burning through the thin stuff let the weld pool mely the thin stuff's edge.
as for tacking dont make a big 1/4" booger just run a nice 1/2" bead, then when you come back you dont have a booger to deal with. if you are twisting then try running a 1" bead go to another leg run a 1" bead go on to another, it will take longer but you will have less worpage


good luck
P.S. i love my mm 135 and run it on a 20A breaker with great results even with a 25' extention

the pic is 3/16" walled 2 1/2" pipe (yea i know it is galvinized :o i sandad and have great ventilation)

[Sandy]

As I was advised on the board, I tack welded first trying to tweak the frame back to square as I went along. I just haven't figured out the tack welding part. Leaving big booger welds at the corner that I have to go back and weld between...run a full bead and the frame pulls itself ****eyed...thinking my booger weld will hold and snap a piece of steel off when I tweak it

Sorry for chuckling at ya but it is good to see someone else having some of the problems any way. :o

Big goobers where you just point the gun and squeeze are generally cold and not much better than a glue gun. Run an itty bitty stringer bead. Small stringers are easy to weld over. You have to cut them out if you messed up, but they do the trick. Try to plan ahead and out guess the bending if you can. If you are going to run a long bead on one side of the tubing, tack good on the other and so-on. It'll pull towards the tack first then back towards the weld later. I know it's frustrating but you'll get it.

The best advantage is to clamp, clamp and clamp some more. Even then it'll pull some. The power in a weld bead is tremendous!!! Of course you can't clamp anything yet, you don't have a table, LOL!!! You're still in a catch 22 state. As you get time and scrap build some framing jigs. Jigs to hold things square while you weld. They don't ahve to look good just work when you need them.

My most consistant error in judgement----I'll get everything welded up and nice and square, ready to move on and decide that inside corner over there could use one more filler. Guess what? It pulls every time. :p I did something verrrrry similar tonight on some heavy plate and a T joint that I had spent an hour getting flattened out earlier.

[243]

Sandy,

I was working on the top flipped upside down on the old frame. I built the new frame in place then welded the frame to the top.

There are more problems as well...I need to wire in dedicated circuits to the detached garage. Right now, the whole garage is powered by one 15-20 amp circuit off the house. I was tripping the breaker often and it's frustrating an probably a fire waiting to happen. I have about 6, four lamp 4' flourescent fixtures on the circuit and I had a squirell cage fan running also.

My brother in law stopped by and he checked the panel, he said we could add (2) 240 breakers and (1) 120 breaker to the existing panel. I'm just broke at the moment. That will work out well (I think) since I want a dedicated 240 for a compressor and a dedicated 240 for a weldor and plasma cutter.

[thinkharderchri]

One thing that I do when warpage is an issue. Is take two pair of vice grip quick clamps and a piece of appropriate sized angle and clamp it to the inside of the joint.
Then you can put a stringer on the top with out it warping uncontrolibly. You can do just about anything with plenty of clamps. :D

Just a suggestion. :o

[Alden Pruett]

just my opinion and others here may disagree but I don't tack anything in the corners unless I have to. If I'm working on sq. tube and lets say the corners are mitered at 45 degrees I tack in the center of the angle that way it has a pivot point so it can be moved a little one way or the other to square it up. Then I take a grinder and grind a little so when I weld over these tacks its a little smoother. Same thing with putting base plates on standards tack in the middle not on the corners they are easier to square up that way.

[GunLocators]

Vise Grips are great

[Sandy]

I was working on the top flipped upside down on the old frame. I built the new frame in place then welded the frame to the top.

There are more problems as well...I need to wire in dedicated circuits to the detached garage. Right now, the whole garage is powered by one 15-20 amp circuit off the house. I was tripping the breaker often and it's frustrating an probably a fire waiting to happen. I have about 6, four lamp 4' flourescent fixtures on the circuit and I had a squirell cage fan running also.

I'm getting a good picture here and chuckling some more. Sorry 'bout that. But hey, ya work with what ya got till you get something better, right?!? ;) My first welder I poked through the wall of the utility room to the backside of the house. Two feet of wire, a plug and a drop cord for a light. That and a kitichen light turned on so I could get a little glow off that. I worked in the rain and snow till I got a little dirt floored shop built. And I thought I was in heaven the whole time.


My brother in law stopped by and he checked the panel, he said we could add (2) 240 breakers and (1) 120 breaker to the existing panel. I'm just broke at the moment. That will work out well (I think) since I want a dedicated 240 for a compressor and a dedicated 240 for a weldor and plasma cutter.

Sounds like you've got a good plan. These things take time, you'll get there.

Think clamps. At Harbor freight you can get vise grip knock offs for about 3 to 4 bucks a pair. Good starters.