Tig 102

[RussMurco]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Then we can head out to The Salt Lick for a little BBQ and Beer (BYO - it's a dry county).

Austin Texas is in a dry county?!

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Ravenworks

Austin Texas is in a dry county?!

No Austin isn't -- but "The Salt Lick" I went to is in Driftwood, Texass......

[Revved]

Originally Posted by Ravenworks

Austin Texas is in a dry county?!

You would be surprised how many counties out here are dry. Even going into Chilli's or Saltgrass Steak house in some counties you have to "join their club" to have a beer with your dinner. They can't serve alcohol to the general public but they can serve to member of their "private club."


I'm down for a run to Austin for a metalworking class!! It's only about a 3 hour drive for me. Get that set up Greg!!

[GregWeld]

If this is not a "structural" weld.... you could get yourself some silicone bronze...


By the way -- I don't think you could NOT have warpage on that flat plate of some kind. Any time you heat metal you expand it and when it cools it shrinks... since you're welding in only one area that area is going to expand and contract more (warpage).

What you may need to do is to make your gauges match --- but we don't know what you're building...

Does the piece require the two gauges of metal? Could you use an L shape and just plug weld it? Or use a thicker gauge and drill and tap it to attach your flat?

[Revved]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

If this is not a "structural" weld.... you could get yourself some silicone bronze...


By the way -- I don't think you could NOT have warpage on that flat plate of some kind. Any time you heat metal you expand it and when it cools it shrinks... since you're welding in only one area that area is going to expand and contract more (warpage).

What you may need to do is to make your gauges match --- but we don't know what you're building...

Does the piece require the two gauges of metal? Could you use an L shape and just plug weld it? Or use a thicker gauge and drill and tap it to attach your flat?

It is a radiator support. The "flange" is basically a close out to clean up the transition to the radiator core and giving a recessed area where the A/C condenser will sit. The flange is not structural- mostly cosmetic but having the added benefit of stiffening the panel. I know it can be done... I've done it on smaller pieces without the warpage- I've just never tried a large flat panel like this before. I'd rather not use angle iron as this is a high end build and I'm trying to make it as nice as possible. I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my technique. I guess I could build a separate sheet metal "L" flange that I could spot weld instead of having to weld the entire edge...

[GregWeld]

Well --- seeing it really helps!



You're welding too much bead....cut those beads down to half an inch or 3/4's of an inch let it cool down and add another half an inch if it needs to be longer. WAY smaller welds --- skipping around the piece will really cut the warpage. There's a lot of metal there.... but it can't take that much heat without warping. Looks like there's 3 inches of weld on some of them -- and that's where you're running into trouble. Ya gotta sneak up on it!!

[GregWeld]

BTW --- WELDING ON FLAT is just a problem -- period. You'd be far better off making this out of a series of way smaller pieces with structure -- and then welding them together to make your final piece. Just my humble opinion.

[Revved]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Well --- seeing it really helps!



You're welding too much bead....cut those beads down to half an inch or 3/4's of an inch let it cool down and add another half an inch if it needs to be longer. WAY smaller welds --- skipping around the piece will really cut the warpage. There's a lot of metal there.... but it can't take that much heat without warping. Looks like there's 3 inches of weld on some of them -- and that's where you're running into trouble. Ya gotta sneak up on it!!

Those 3" welds were done 3/4" to an inch at a time. I've been doing short welds just for that reason, quenching it and letting it sit till I can touch it by hand and then doing the next round of welds.

I'm going to think about the idea of breaking it up into separate pieces...

Thanks for the insight! If anyone else has ideas I'd like to hear them as well.. I know this can be done but obviously I'm not there yet!

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Revved

Those 3" welds were done 3/4" to an inch at a time. I've been doing short welds just for that reason, quenching it and letting it sit till I can touch it by hand and then doing the next round of welds.

I'm going to think about the idea of breaking it up into separate pieces...

Thanks for the insight! If anyone else has ideas I'd like to hear them as well.. I know this can be done but obviously I'm not there yet!

If it was easy -- the fat chicks could do it!


LOL