Hello,
I'm the happy(?) owner of an apartment complex. A few years ago, we put in security fencing and power gates. We also have a small gate for pedestrians.
My tenants are pretty rough on the physical plant, and the pedestrian gate has been no exception. They have repeatedly broke the lock ( a Titan by Kwikset ). The steel box in the gate that the lock lives in has also been somwhat munged. I decided I'd had enough.
I bought an ANSI grade 1 Schlage lock - the kind you might find on a courthouse or a public school. Made to take it. The new lock requires a thicker box, and has requirements for support of the latch inside the box.
So I went down to the steel store bought a plate of 1 3/4" thick mild steel, big enough to mount the lock with. I drilled this chunk of steel for the lock - took me almost a week. Went through four hole saws, burned out a cheap chinese angle grinder, almost fried my drill press. Had to make a special jig to hold the sucker before I could inset the latch plate with my Sherline mill.
Then I realized that the thing was WAY too heavy - it would act as a hammerhead on the end of the gate, and bash the post to death. So I swiss-cheesed it out with lightening holes. Got it down to 4 1/2 pounds.
Now I need to go out to the complex, cut the existing box in the gate and weld in my block.
Whups, don't have a welder. Well, I do have an oxyacetalene torch, but it's surely not big enough to weld in that block!
I was thinking of sourcing a small but quality MIG welder - say one of the small Hobarts or Lincolns. Probably such would not be enough to weld the block directly - but what if I preheat it with a propane torch? I could probably preheat it to 400degrees or so, no problem. Would a MIG welder that is essentially too small, work if used that way?
I ask because I really do not plan to do a whole lot in "big iron", and would rather not buy a monster machine just for this one job. Thanks in advance,
- Jerry Kaidor ( snipped-for-privacy@tr2.com )