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Completed gate using welded copper hinges

I posted several questions regarding welding copper over the last year or so. Here is one of the projects where I put some of that knowledge to use. (Thanks Ernie and others!)

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The hinges, grillwork, and doorstop on the brick wall are copper while the pin and inset pieces in the door are stainless with bronze bushings.

I welded the copper using my Thermal Arc 185. The 185 isn't really enough to weld 1/4" copper and I had to preheat the copper some with a torch to even get a puddle flowing with the tig welder.

The grill at the bottom is at Chihuahua height so our three can look out as we come up the stairs.

Also, the retaining strips for the center panels are redwood, but I have 1/4" square copper strips on order.

-Aaron

I have an all-copper gate that is still in the works. I purchased arc welding rod for copper from McMaster-Carr and will see how that works on the 1/2" x 1" copper frame. I'm glad I bought that copper two years ago...

Reply to
akushner
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Copper is not a suitable bearing material, certainly not in your application.

I would open up the holes by say 1/8 inch and place teflon bushings and thrust washers.

Alternatively make hard bronze bushings and washers to fit atthe wear points. A drop of oil once-in-a-blue-moon would not hurt either.

Nice work otherwise!

How did you weld the copper bits?

My son Ian practiced TIG welding copper sheet with argon gas and it worked very well.

Wolfgang

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Reply to
wfhabicher

Hello Wolfgang,

All of the bearing surfaces are really bronze and stainless. There is a stainless pin that goes through the copper hinge, but it rides in a bronze bushing inset into to the door.

I used waterproof grease betwen the bronze and the stainless steel. The door works fine -- better than I expected.

Thanks.

I welded the copper using a Thermal Arc 185TSW tig welder. I had to preheat it first with a torch since the 185A welder isn't nearly enough for copper.

For thin sheet, my welder works fine. I'm going to try arc welding copper for another project where I'll be using thicker copper.

-Aaron

Reply to
akushner

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