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25th Nov 2021, 08:39 AM #1Diamond Member
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When life brings you bent steel (racking beams)
Friend of a friend has some assorted bent pallet racking. So we went out to Prestons with an empty ute, and collected several bent Dexion orange beams, some blue upright channels, and a few mesh shelves (which I have been seeking for at least 3 years!)
Ute was getting too full to get all of the beams, we only collected the straightest ones.
• The worst of the upright channels got its bent end chopped off
• The first two beams, I immediately chopped in half,
to use as a support on the side of one of my bays.
RACKING INSTALLERS, LOOK AWAY NOW !
I have one row of racks along one wall, and another along the adjacent wall.
Decided to try and tie them together.
Dodgy fabrication ensued (because I don't trust my welding):
IMG_2203.jpg IMG_2205.jpg IMG_2206.jpg
That beam is basically a support for the end of two other beams (whose other end is properly hooked into an upright). The clamp is just to stop it sliding. There is also a strap to hold the two beams the correct distance apart:
IMG_2207.jpg
I'll get a better photo next time I'm 5m up in the air.
I was surprised that the other bent beams straightened out so easily. They had about 7cm lateral deflection in the middle. Just put them on the ground, on blocks about 10cm up at each end, and jump on them a dozen times where they are bent upwards.
(was thinking I would have to park a car on them )
Note that these are not carrying any significant load - just a few boxes.
P.S. NEVER use bent pallet racking for anything you need to forklift to lift !
(i.e. if can't lift with your two hands, it doesn't belong on twisted steel)
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25th Nov 2021, 08:46 AM #2Golden Member
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- Sep 2009
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- Sydney
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That Dexion stuff is simply folded sheet sheet so I am not surprised you could bent it. I cut some up once to make a shop press and was surprised to see it folded in on itself. Can’t remember if it was welded but I’d assume it was for strength.
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25th Nov 2021, 09:17 AM #3Most Valued Member
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Yet another novel use of AXE and DDF frame parts
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25th Nov 2021, 06:12 PM #4Diamond Member
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True, but some are more sheet-ish than others?
1) The ones I think are lowest rated are rolled from sheet that seems 3mm thick
(but might be 2mm?), and form an incomplete box that is open underneath:
RAS-PR-beam-op-2591x80.jpg
2) Next strongest are these ones I grabbed (and straightened).
They are about 1.5mm steel rolled in a bow-tie shape:
IMG_2218.jpg
and riveted (or punched without seperate rivets – can't remember).
They seem very strong when used correctly (vertically),
but it looks like they can easily bend horizontally
The one I cut here is also quite twisted in the middle –
right hand edge is 4mm above the concrete!
3) Strongest ones are rolled+creased sheet:
Beam-cross-section.png
I think the earlier versions of that type didn't have the creases.
These ones I would trust to hang a chain block+tackle off, and lift medium sized machines.
Have even seen some third party ones that were seam welded?
Forgot to mention the two "feet". One very bent. A bit of a challenge to straighten in a hydraulic press:
IMG_2219.jpg IMG_2220.jpg IMG_2221.jpg
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26th Nov 2021, 08:28 PM #5Diamond Member
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- Aug 2019
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Yes. I tried perforated UniStrut first, but the holes weren't well spaced.
The holes in the Ericsson u-bar were just the right spacing to make the M8 threaded bar lock in at 45°:
IMG_2198.jpg IMG_2199.jpg IMG_2200.jpg IMG_2201.jpg
Some extra "during assembly" images, when I was considering two levels of extra shelves.
First one was before I straightened the beams:
IMG_2196.jpg IMG_2197.jpg
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