Brought the bed home. The good news is that it is straight in all important directions, though it has minor dents. It also seems sound, and has decent "ladder" type crosswise members, about 2x2 inches spaced every foot.
The bad news is that two of these members (and not others) have substantial rust. There is no significant rust damage anywhere else.
It looks cute and is exactly what I was looking for.
I was able to weigh the bed, it weighs about 950 lbs. I managed to flip it over using a crane and chain hoist, without casualties.
The other good news is that it matches the dimensions that I expected, specifically it fits axle well.
Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net TSRA, Life; NRA LOH & Endowment Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot"s Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
Yes. I am wrapping up my welding. The tongue and underbed frame is done. Three things that are left to weld are the letter A tongue braces, and 2x2x1/4 steel angle for supporting weld-on axle mounts, and the mounts themselves. I have a mild headache.
Your headache is from using parts of your brain you haven't used yet or in a while. Next one will be easier, and next one won't cause as big a headache.
Also, my cheap chop saw finally smoked, so I need to go buy another one. A Menard store nearby has a makita on sale for $129. I really want to finish this weekend.
That is exactly what happened. I just went out and re-measured it. It stayed exactly where it was.
I tacked with 6013 rod.
You may not know it, but the purpose of tacking is to prevent movement of objects being welded, due to distortion. I also staggered the welds so that I would not do all welds on one side and then move on to the other, I alternated sides.
Your claims are really impressive, but not credible. Have a look at ISO 13920 for class A (the tightest class) to see what is allowable and compare that to your +/- 1 mm.
Class A doesn't mean that it can't be done better, but to get to class A, it requires a good weldor with quite some experience and the right tools. For a frame like yours, some kind of table and a collection of C-clamps to fix the parts while tacking and welding.
But looking at your welds, I only see that you even lack basic skills like pointing the arc to the right part or making a vertical weld that at least
The parts stayed where they were, because they were tacked, not due to some magic or some incredible welding skills. Please spare us this nonsense.
I definitely need to learn more, esp. about vertical welds (my later ones look somewhat better), but still, the frame stayed, after welding, where it was placed prior to welding.
TMT, thanks for your support and suggestions. It is very cold outside, about 0-10F, so I try to keep the garage closed most of the time, otherwise I cannot stay there long enough and I am a little oncerned about impact of cold temperature on welding results.
I'm no nigglenannyhealthfreak, but stick welding in an enclosed space without good ventilation is a very bad idea no matter how cold it is outside. I've been known to stick weld in the garage when it was -20F (-29C), but with the door open a foot, the window wide open and an exhaust fan running. I wore a snowmobile suit. The fan cost me about
5 bux: it was an 18" fanblade from Grainger that fit on the shaft of an old 1725-RPM washing machine motor. No guard, I'm not exactly a safetysissy, though I did stay the hell away from it when it was running. Sounded like a DC-3 but it did move some air.
I later welded up a frame so I could put it in a kitchen window to cool off my house (no A/C) on a summer day when I got home from work. It worked great, only problem was when I forgot to bind the curtains on that window. Think BRRRANNNNNGGGG and confetti. Oh well, those curtains weren't my idea in the first place. They'd cost me more than the fan blade (6 bux) but the fan was unscathed by the event so it all worked out OK since I was a bachelor at the time.
I strongly doubt that a difference of workpiece temp of 60F (spring day vs zero) would impair the quality of your welds at all.
On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:27:06 -0600, with neither quill nor qualm, Ignoramus10675 quickly quoth:
That is cold compared to the balmy 24 we have right now.
Block off the areas opened up by your concrete blocks, then run one of those little portable ceramic heaters under the trailer. It'll heat the garage and trailer before you weld. Have your fresh air respirator intake outside for clean (albeit cold) air with a little less zinc in it.
So you tacked the frame's parts to the bed, tacked the frame and welded it and didn't put if off until finished welding?
What nonsense? A frame that is tack-welded doesn't move when finish-welding it? Or you want me to tell that you know how much it moves, where to weld in what sequence? All that with freehand sawed parts that do give different gaps. Impressive!
Yes. So something security related is a great project for starting. The good thing with trailers is, that they are ... trailing. So the mess on the highway is behind you.
I'm not a weldor but have done some tig and arc many years ago. I would add some gussets in the corners just to build in some triangulation. I have had things built and gussetting always makes me feel better. You can buy those already to use for not much money and in different sizes. Just a thought.
What do you mean by "didn't put if off until finished welding".
I would rather not rely on any advice from you.
A while ago, in response to your bitching about my OT posts, I told you that you were not smart enough to make me upset.
That, somehow, made you very mad, so you started making an ass of yourself trying desperately to insult me. (a tip, smart people would not get offended by such a comment)
But, guess what, acting like an ass did not make you any smarter!
Well, it stayed tack-welded on the bed until you were completely finished welding the frame. E.g. you never took your frame off the bed. Right?
Well Iggy, you can come over here and compare my welds to your crap. I told you, that you can't weld. That's OK if you made a BBQ. But not for a trailer. Your vertical welds are *pure* shit. Your horizontal welds had the heat directed to the wrong part. Using an angle grinder can't hide your faults. For a trailer, that's not tolerable. Did you ever cut your welds to check penetration? *). Or just hammered a bit on them and were happy that they didn't fall off? If you would have done that, and would be self-critic enough, you wouldn't have started that project. It is way over your head in many concerns. No knowledge of statics, can't weld, can't afford to buy a set of plans. But you keep on brabbling here like you have invented the wheel.
Didn't comment that? Why? Because I'm right and you can't weld.
Did it help something?
You tell a lot of nonsense, when your day is long. I don't listen, I just laugh!
No, it doesn't make me mad. It's a lot of fun to watch someone like you failing and failing over and over again. Whatever you touch, ends in nonsense. You should learn to judge your skills, start with something simple and learn step by step like all the others here did.
You can't imitate skills, you have to acquire them!
Paint that on your walls.
Upset, wining again, Ignorant?
*) That only reminds me of the TIG weld you wanted to cut and post pictures here. Remember, you claimed to get ca. 5mm penetration without a Vee.
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