When a Vee is not a Vee

Heavy wall steel tubing commonly has some pretty generous radius's on the edges, ASTM specs allow a max radius or 3x the wall or 3/4" in your case.

As for welding it up, just use the radius as a natural 'V' and be done with it. The only real problem you can run into is that your top bead may require a weave pattern to completely fill it level.

If you are try> I have some 2 inch square tubing, 1/4 inch wall thickness that I want

The "proper way to join end to end on tubing is to bevel the edges as you mentioned then make up a piece of light scrap to fit inside the end of one tube and slide inside the mating tube. You leave a gap at the root exposing the backing ring you have made then weld the joint up fusing the backing ring to each side of the joint. You now will have a full penetration weld and full strength even if you grind your weld bead flush. With square tubing a backing ring can be bothersome to make. A simple alternative is to cut a piece of 1/4 inch plate 1 1/2 inch square with the corners radiused. You then tack weld it lightly halfway into one end and assemble the joint. I like to lay the pieces inside an angle iron and use clamps to hold it firmly until it is tacked at several alternate places. If you are doing a lot of these joints a two foot piece of angle with a hole cut in the heel midway allows you to clamp your tubes in place then tack weld through the hole. Randy

the edges as you

inside the end of one

the root exposing

fusing the backing

penetration weld

make. A simple

square with the

into one end and

clamps to hold it

you are doing a

cut in the heel

weld through the

Unless I'm mistaken, he's laying them side by side, not end to end....