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I keep going back and forth if i should pay someone to do it or try myself, both seem to be a pain in the ass lol. Ive been watching a few mig videos how to weld and keep a square frame true and just as i get a little confident i then worry about frame twisting ect, ive asked on a welding forum if it will be a easy enough challenge for a beginner but they say even a expert struggles to prevent twisting. How hard is it guys?
If you can weld then easy.
If you can't weld then harder.
Seriously all metal pulls to the weld as you weld, you can allow for this and instead of clamping at say 90 degrees then lean the metal a degree or two and let it pull it into shape.
For frame work it pays to weld up some angle iron triangles that are perfectly square [ that gives you some practice ] and use these to clamp to as you weld. With a lot of clamping and puling and using well designed gussets at corners it's not to bad to correct any mistakes.
Main thing is to check and correct as you go along and not expect the whole job to compensate.
its really dificult to get a frame to stay square,..if you are patient and watch loads of videos, (welding tips and tricks) a novice could do a decent enough job.....get some scrap metal and practice welding 6mm long tacks consistantly...cutting the metal square and then v out is a skill on its own.1mm cutting disks again practice...what materials are you thinking of using?? how big is it going to be??if you post your design and the guys think it will make a decent machine we can walk you through the metal work.
From the videos I've been watching they tack the corners but leaving the metal outwards slightly as its a lot easier to bring the metal in when welding then it is bringing it back out. I do watch loads of videos but hard to know without trying myself. When using epoxy resin what do I need to look out for when welding the rail sections?
You can make a really rigid frame without welding it all together, if it's done right.
Making it in mild steel by welding brackets on, bolt hole sleeves and captive nuts together with triangulation stiffeners avoids a lot of welding distorrtion.
Making allowances for adjustment & fine tuning is really important, by use slots & shims
Industrial built machines have the critical areas machined, but every machine has to have adjustment allowances built into the design.
Martin
its hard to say without knowing what your planning to build........have you welded before??Quote:
Originally Posted by reefy86
I've never welded before but watching videos makes me want to have ago but its the warping on the rails section that scares me, I don't really care if the weld doesn't look pretty as long as its a strong weld. I might just try a bolt together frame but at the same time I do really want to have ago at welding too.
you will still need to weld a bolt together frame......with mig you can have a nice looking weld and it can still be a bad weld......if youve got access to a mig get some scrap and have a play.DONT LOOK AT THE PRITTY BLUE LIGHT without a mask.....its a hectic first expieriance..pull the trigger youve got wire pushing out of the torch,alot of hot balls of metal dropping down your sock, not being able to see enough through the mask so on and so forth.....warped rails is the least of your issues......learning to weld will open up all sorts of interesting avanues and is a skill well worth having...but you arnt going to buy some steel and weld a frame on your first go with any welder
Thanks warwick, i am buying a mig welder but gasless so will be spending sometime practicing and will be posting results up before i start on the frame to see what you guys think
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefy86
Dont buy gassless :sorrow:
Buy a normal one and a CO bottle from some bar for next to nothing. Together with the regulator. Thats how i started. Of course i was not thinking like you and bought 250AMP welder which i am very happy with. It cost me around 350 euro only from ebay. Its working like a champ.
Thanks mate, I was told I need a licence for gas but if I don't then I would go gas
Reefy,
what country you in? In the UK there is no need for license to get Argon or CO2 for welding. There is of course a cost associated with the use of the gas canisters. Again in the UK you can look for rental free gas, where you get charge a deposit and refill charge as opposed to having to sign up to a yearly contract.
I welded my router frame up using a 90A SIP stick welder off ebay, as well as the professional MIG welders I had access to at my old work. If you cut the metal accurately, take your time positioning and tacking and have a large hammer and a grinding disc/cutting disc along with lots of patience then you can easily weld up an accurate frame, especially if you're planning on using epoxy for levelling. Secret is not to put too much heat into any one bit, so tack then move on to a bit on the opposite side and tack etc. leaving plenty of time for things to cool down.
thank you and I live in the uk so that's good then :)
At a push you can also use gasless mig wire but you are better off with argon. Home users often end up with co2 because it's easier to get hold of.Quote:
Originally Posted by reefy86
I don't know how your frame is designed, but keeping in mind everything that others have said, my plan to get around 'weld twist' was like this;
1. weld the lower frame (blue) and fit heavy duty adjustable feet
2. bolt the beams (grey) to the base, add shims to get both sides parallel in all planes.
3. use the 'epoxy' method on top of the grey beams for final levelling.
Attachment 22088
more pictures here; http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/6565-...4294#post54294
EDIT: (some hours later) after blindly following Desertboy's post, Ive just seen how old the previous posts were. :witless:
If you're having doubts that you can't and you aren't that confident of your welding skill yet, then it is better to hire a learned welder. Hard to risk the frame's structure, but if you're going to use the frame as a material for learning, you have lots of it, and you aren't in a rush to produce the output, then you can learn however you want.