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Cliff Rogers
9th Aug 2007, 09:44 PM
I have scored (give away :2tsup: ) 30 lengths of 6.5m 30x30mm SHS with a 1.6mm or 2mm wall (not sure til I see it) & I would like to use it to make some free standing racks to go in a shipping container.

I have drawn up some rough plans & all the welded joints will be T or L joins with 4 beads.

I have done a bit of stick welding on pipe & a bit of brasing & an absolute metric shirt load of soldering & I understand physics. (flux & flow & heat etc)

I've worked out that I am faced with about 1200 30mm welds.

How would you recommend I go about this?
Stick welder or a MIG like Dingo has been raving about?

Ashore
9th Aug 2007, 09:53 PM
Cliff IMHO I would go with an inverter if you can lay your hands on one, with that wall thickness a stick welder can cause heaps of grief , you don't have much margin of error with heat , amps etc and holes in that thickness are a mongrel to patch. Should be cheaper than a mig cause you won't need gas .

Rgds

Cliff Rogers
9th Aug 2007, 10:02 PM
Right, beauty. :2tsup:

What is an inverter. :?

martrix
9th Aug 2007, 10:06 PM
until Grahame trots along, I say get exactly what Ding got and it will be a breeze. Just like sticking them together with a hot glue gun its that easy. I would strongly recommend getting a bottle of Argoshield light and a regulator though.

Gingermick
9th Aug 2007, 10:06 PM
Someone round here told me that it was a device that changes 2 phase power to three phase.

Beerbotboffin
9th Aug 2007, 10:30 PM
1200 welds?

Mig is the only way to go! no chipping, no mucking around.

By the time you buy enough rods to do that many welds, the gas is easily the winner. Also, you won't have to change 500 rods.

Again, no slag to chip either.

Finally, even with an inverter (in stick mode), you're still stick welding.

Grahame Collins
9th Aug 2007, 10:38 PM
I have scored (give away :2tsup: ) 30 lengths of 6.5m 30x30mm SHS with a 1.6mm or 2mm wall


I've worked out that I am faced with about 1200 30mm welds.

How would you recommend I go about this?
Stick welder or a MIG like Dingo has been raving about?

Hi Cliff
What !nearly 200 meters of SHS. Who luvs ya! baby?

Cheap
Speed
Quality

You can have any two of the three.

The mig will have the edge there Cliff, not only only in the flat horiz positions ,but can handle out of position,vert down ,vert up and overhead as well. It will give you a near flawless job if well set up.

If you want a bit cheaper, Ashore is correct that the inverter will do the job in the stick department. If you have stick welded with the old stick machines the inverter models will change your opinions on stick welding. I have had mine down to 32 amps with a 1.6mm rod.Yes folks ,you can buy them and 2.0 mm as well. A local crowd M.I.G. that's Mackay Industrial Gases, that sell them.

Even if the box is gal, all you will need is a flap wheel to clean em up and your away.

Crikey? What you have saved on the the tube you can spend on the welder.Gas you can hire by the month.
yep! Dings welder looks like a great product.Cigweld is still Aussie, last time I checked.

Gee! some blokes are tinny

Cheers
Grahame

Cliff Rogers
9th Aug 2007, 10:51 PM
Hi Cliff
What !nearly 200 meters of SHS. Who luvs ya! baby?....
Gee! some blokes are tinny...

I know, I know, the local Tonkins had 20x20x1.6 for $15something a lenght & 25x25x2 is $21something a lenght on special, so I am somewhere between $450something & $630something in front. :D

It isn't Gal, it is blue painted but it is several years old 'cos the project it was bought for never happened.
Technically my wife's family farm owns it & it is just sitting there going rusty so my BIL said I could have it. :2tsup:

OK, where is that thread about MIG welding.

Grahame Collins
9th Aug 2007, 11:17 PM
Wot ? I have n't done one?

I am truly suffering from stress.Ah! no its CRAFT!
If theres nothing in the archives I'll cobble something together.
Until then is this OK ?
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=25774

Cliff do have a friction drop saw? And perhaps an angle grinder.It will take the little 1mm cutter blades which are superb for inletting. Also for good for your flap wheel.

If you design your shelf the right way, the rolled edge of the box against a cut square edge makes a ideal half vee (sorta) weld prep . The weld bead, deposited the right way will flush up with the surface and won't need grinding and super strong to boot.

Grahame

Cliff Rogers
9th Aug 2007, 11:56 PM
...Cliff do have a friction drop saw? And perhaps an angle grinder.It will take the little 1mm cutter blades which are superb for inletting. Also for good for your flap wheel.....
How about a Triton Cold Cutter (http://www.triton.com.au/product.php?id=36)& a Piric Design Blowfly (http://www.piricdesign.com.au/Pages/Blowfly/Blowfly_Page-01.html)? :2tsup:

I'll read you Mig thread & I'll go over the stuff you posted in Ding's thread too. Thanks. :2tsup:


PS. What is 'inletting?'

Jack E
10th Aug 2007, 12:31 AM
G'day Cliff,

What is "SHS"?

Have you moved, where is Minbun, and where does FNQ start and finish, I'm pretty sure I am close to one end:D

Cheers, Jack

Cliff Rogers
10th Aug 2007, 12:39 AM
G'day Cliff,

What is "SHS"?

Have you moved, where is Minbun, and where does FNQ start and finish, I'm pretty sure I am close to one end:D

Cheers, Jack


Square Hollow Section.... not RHS.

About Cardwell I think, Townsville is NQ, Mackay, Rocky & Gladstone are CQ.

Minbun is between Tarzalli & Millaa Millaa. :D

Southern Tablelands.... East Evelyn area.

You are now off one end of FNQ. :p

Grahame Collins
10th Aug 2007, 12:50 AM
How about a Triton Cold Cutter (http://www.triton.com.au/product.php?id=36)& a Piric Design Blowfly (http://www.piricdesign.com.au/Pages/Blowfly/Blowfly_Page-01.html)? :2tsup:
PS. What is 'inletting?'

Crikey Cliff ! You got some nice toys.Both will perform admirably.

Inletting is ,say you want to set the end of a cut into the edge surface like a mortice inlet. The thin kerf of the wheel allows it to cut like butter through thin wall steel.
A plunge cut across the parallel to suface cuts the section out.Any over cut can be filled with mig and ground /polished off.
I will do a pic on the week end, if I think of it.

Jack ! RHS rectangular hollow section.
SHS Square Hollow section.

Grahame
in CQ

Cliff Rogers
10th Aug 2007, 12:54 AM
Wot ? I have n't done one?

I am truly suffering from stress.Ah! no its CRAFT!
If theres nothing in the archives I'll cobble something together.
Until then is this OK ?
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=25774
In that thread you said....

I will post a new section on setting the GMAW machine up to weld when I am feeling a bit more able.I have got a touch of carpal tunnel and my right arm is giving me pigs rrrs.
I hope the arm is good again now.

You did post some tips in Ding's thread, I'll read them too.

Jack E
10th Aug 2007, 12:57 AM
Well there you go, I've never heard of SHS before.

In NQ (which I just left) RHS is Rolled Hollow Section and is square.

Don't know what it is called up here in OOEOFNQ (Off One End Of FNQ):D

Cheers, Jack

Cliff Rogers
10th Aug 2007, 01:10 AM
Must be a Townsville thing, I lived there for 10 years & that is what I thought it was too but now I know otherwise. :D

What do you reckon CHS is?
















Pipe. :D

Grahame Collins
10th Aug 2007, 08:18 AM
Trade desiginations for product get modified with local usage.

Here is what the manufacturers call their product.

http://www.smorgonsteel.com.au/tubemills/content/newsletter/docs/TubularColumn3.pdf

Grahame

Vernonv
10th Aug 2007, 02:19 PM
Cliff,
If you are after info on MIG welding try this site (and associated forum) http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

I been doing a bit of MIG welding lately and have found it a very useful site (even though it is based in the UK).

If you do choose to use stick welding (I wouldn't) then here is a good tutorial http://www.aussieweld.com/arcwelding/index.htm

hux
10th Aug 2007, 04:36 PM
Trade desiginations for product get modified with local usage.

Here is what the manufacturers call their product.

http://www.smorgonsteel.com.au/tubemills/content/newsletter/docs/TubularColumn3.pdf

Grahame

Or what I was told and what I have read off other supplier sites is that RHS is both square and rectangular because its dimensions determine whether it is square or rectangular.
the R actually supposedly means ROLLED....but then you probably know that anyway.

So if we digress into naming conventions we have BAR which is both in rectangular and round forms in plain and deformed styles. BAR sections can be both hot rolled ie has scale and cold rolled or CRS which is cold rolled to form and is the expensive stuff that you get in various grades.

Cliff Rogers
11th Aug 2007, 12:16 PM
Thanks Vernon. :2tsup:
I had seen the 2nd site & had posted a link to it on here before (but I can't find it now. :- )

I'll have a look at the UK one over the next couple of days.

Life in this chookhouse is far too lively at present to spend in at a computer.
We have friends staying for the weekend & the concreters have just made an enormous red mess of our back yard. :(

Grahame Collins
11th Aug 2007, 04:57 PM
OK, where is that thread about MIG welding.

HERE
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=33549

AND heres some from Miller welding

http://www.millerwelds.com/interests/instructors/pdf/MIG.pdf

www.millerwelds.com/pdf/mig_handbook.pdf


Cliff,the term inverter refers to the power source for new generation Stick,Tig and Mig welding machines.The transformer is replaced with a transistorised circuit which changes (inverts) the incoming frequency.In Oz it is 50 Hz,the inverter raises the current frequency in the multiple of thousands range.

It allows a whole new series of different variable control control ver the welding arc intensity and arc stability dependent on the mode, be it stick,tig or mig.

Once a welder gets his grubby paws on an inverter the desire to continue with a transformer model diminishes.

Grahame Collins
11th Aug 2007, 06:47 PM
Hi Cliff


The inletting is basically plunge cutting .One needs a steady hand.The 1mm blade cuts rapidly and is easy to position. Visor and eye protection naturally.The angle grinder is held with 2 hands.

The example piece is a section of angle iron 40 x 3 which has a piece of 20 x 20 x 1mm furniture tube inletted.

For easy inletting in an angle or box section.
follow the pics.

Pic 1 Marked out with a cut- notice the 1mm kerf.

Pic 2 Cut out

Pic 3 Tacked up

Pic 4 Welded and Ground

Cliff Rogers
12th Aug 2007, 12:42 PM
Here is another tutorial that I found a while back.

http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/AWTC/Lesson1_1.htm