Mig welding a built-in barbecue

"Martin" wrote: (clip) I am just wondering how hard it would be to home-make the parts using my father's mig welding kit (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I take it that your father is not around to help you get started. This is a perfect learning project, since the welds do not have to be good enough to pass inspection, or even carry loads. You will be on a learning curve, and by the end of the project, I'll bet you will want to start over, so you can replace some of the earliest welds.

I recommend that you buy one of those $20 Harbor Freight grinders. They are well worth the money, and you will find it very handy: 1.) To dress the end of a piece of metal that was cut a little off or a little long. 2.) To Vee the ends of the metal so the weld penetration is good. 3.) To grind off welds that have to be redone. 4.) To smooth off welds that are too lumpy to let anyone see.

If your father IS available, or someone else you know can help you get started, all the better.

No problem to make that sort of thing with a MIG. It's a good leaning exercise as well as it won't matter too much if it breaks. As Leo says, get a cheap grinder. They are a great help. Don't forget to get the necessary eye and hand protection as well and then USE IT. Do NOT weld without eye protection. Arc eye is very nasty. Have fun

John

So is skin cancer. Wear full protection, not just eye and hand. Leather is cheap, flame-proof cotton is cheaper, and cooler in the summer.

Yes, absolutely. Don't trust what you see on the Chopper, Hot Rod, and Monster-type TV shows when they show guys welding in short sleeves and without proper eye protection. Sun glasses just don't cut the mustard when doing any kind of welding. They're usually just tacking things together, and so they just close their eyes for protection. If you're going to be laying an actual bead you'll need to see what you're doing, and that calls for a welding mask with proper shade number for the type of welding you're doing.

Using a MIG welder is very much like laying a bead of caulk, in a sense. Once you've mastered holding the gun tip at the correct distance from the work, and at the proper angle, it becomes very easy to make good welds. Should be a piece of cake for the OP once he's had a bit of practice.

Leo, thanks to you and all for your responses. Unfortunately my father is very ill with cancer and his answers to my questions haven't been that coherent, which is why I resorted to this newsgroup.

I plan to use 4-5mm diameter rod with angled section lengths at each end drilled out so the rods push through which means the weld only has to stop it sliding out. Is there an online guide on how to use the kit? I couldn't find one. Is there a particular type of steel I should use? I notice there are different types.

Martin

Hi Martin: Since you're a carpenter by trade, think of the MIG welder as a big caulking gun. Welding is easy, especially for a project like this. Take a piece of scrap metal, and once you have the welder up and running, try to "lay a bead" along the piece of metal by almost touching the tip of the wire to the metal and pull the trigger. You'll need to play with the wire speed and voltage adjustments on the welder until you get good penetration and a wire speed that's not too fast, but not to slow. Once you're welding a bead, try moving the tip back and forth like a windshield wiper, as you pull it toward you, to make the bead wider and get better coverage.

The cutting and layout of the metal is by far the most difficult part of any weld project. I would use some 1 inch by 1 inch angle iron and cut 45 degree miter corners on the four corners, then weld together using a framing square to keep it straight. For the expended metal to go in the center, I put a metal blade in a skill saw and cut it out to size. turn the frame over and weld it inside the angle iron.

Ronnie