First Job Optimism

[rodisi]

Am I being optimistic, thinking I can make this as a first job. Of course I'm planning on practicing for a while before trying.

I've been reading about what thicknesses can be attempted with the various power welders and I'm worried that I may be optimistic. I will be using a REHM Synergic Pro 190. Max amps on single phase are 140 and the wire is .6mm.

Will I be able to do this?

 

[Wozzaaah]

What's the application?
If it just needs to be stuck together then you'll be fine though I'd use 0.8mm wire rather than 0.8.
I take it the 15mm is solid not hollow as you've not given a wall thickness?

 

[rodisi]

Correct, solid square rods.
I shall be attaching this to the back of a ride-on-mower. The three teeth gouge into the ground while it is pulled and someone holds the two upper arms down. I have no idea if it will work. Just experimenting at the moment.

My driveway, which was covered in small basalt stones has become covered in weeds and I'm basically trying to scratch them out.

 

[stuvy]

will it be travelling from left tor right or right to left of that picture?

I think your gonna need to rethink it either way mate maybe 50mmX300mmX3mm cut into diagonals then make several of them up like vertical teeth to lower down then pull through the surface
http://www.thesmartfarmer.com/suppl...plow--Bermuda-grass-plow-7-SHANKS__TCM-7.aspx
Kinda like that. Dont forget loads of weed killer to stop you having to do it in 6months time

 

[madkayaker]

could you drill through the box section and extend the prongs through so that the stress is on the box and the welds are just there to hold it together? even if you have to rotate the box round a bit?

 

[bigtip]

what madkayaker says would be much better. You could drill them out and file the corners square or even drill oversized holes.
Then again, your design leaves a lot of room between the tines. I could picture you going ovee the same bit again and again and not pulling your weeds.
II

 

[dickie bell]

the only way to know for sure is to make it and give it a go,it can always be modified to suit , nothing ventured nothing gained

 

[Hitch]

The tines need to go through the box, otherwise you'll rip the box section apart.

 

[Will_Davis]

Use round bar as no-one has yet invented a drill bit that drills a square hole!

Google also "spring tyne harrow"s for what the farmers user for this sort of scratching

I also don't the bit that says someone holds the other end

Will

 

[voipio]

Drill for square hole does exist. Not sure it would cope with drilling into a corner of a square tube, though.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiqAXiTQBg

 

[bigtip]

as regards this being your first job, i think it'll be easy enough to do and the welder should be able to do the job fine.

 

[rodisi]

I hate the expression "wow" but here goes, WOW I didn't expect so many ideas and suggestions.

will it be travelling from left tor right or right to left of that picture?.....Dont forget loads of weed killer to stop you having to do it in 6months time

Yes, it will be travelling left to right and road salt I've found to be the best weed killer.

could you drill through the box section and extend the prongs through so that the stress is on the box and the welds are just there to hold it together? even if you have to rotate the box round a bit?

First madkayaker can I say that your profile photo is very disturbing - my eyes keep wandering there and I lose my train of thought.
There is no way I can drill that size hole to put the bars through but you've given me an idea, I have 5mm rods that I could try. Unfortunately, I don't have a drill stand and with my rotten drill bits I can imagine it to take me ages

...Then again, your design leaves a lot of room between the tines. I could picture you going ovee the same bit again and again and not pulling your weeds.
II

If I did the above, I could put more tines in.

Use round bar as no-one has yet invented a drill bit that drills a square hole! Google also "spring tyne harrow"s for what the farmers user for this sort of scratching I also don't the bit that says someone holds the other end Will

Stuvy also mentioned one of those. Maybe I should make friends with one of the farmers around here and see if I can borrow one and stop all this nonsense.
The idea behind holding on to the upright arms is for me to put as much pressure as I want so I can gouge as deep as I want.

What's very annoying is that now that I have all these ideas, I've bought the gas, I managed today to get the manual for the welder - I have to go away for a few days but I shall definitely keep in touch.
Thanks

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

use a thick grinding disc carefully and grind the very slight slot into the edge corner of the tube

 

[madkayaker]

I hate the expression "wow" but here goes, WOW I didn't expect so many ideas and suggestions.


Yes, it will be travelling left to right and road salt I've found to be the best weed killer.


First madkayaker can I say that your profile photo is very disturbing - my eyes keep wandering there and I lose my train of thought.
There is no way I can drill that size hole to put the bars through but you've given me an idea, I have 5mm rods that I could try. Unfortunately, I don't have a drill stand and with my rotten drill bits I can imagine it to take me ages



If I did the above, I could put more tines in.


Stuvy also mentioned one of those. Maybe I should make friends with one of the farmers around here and see if I can borrow one and stop all this nonsense.
The idea behind holding on to the upright arms is for me to put as much pressure as I want so I can gouge as deep as I want.

What's very annoying is that now that I have all these ideas, I've bought the gas, I managed today to get the manual for the welder - I have to go away for a few days but I shall definitely keep in touch.
Thanks

Thanks for the support about my avitar it was draw for me by sparkey a female Dutch welder livening in France. For bigger hole use hole saw and fill the gap with weld almost any drill would manage a 20 mm ish saw

 

[rodisi]

I've managed to sneak off and come home and try my first practice weld - miserable as you can see from the photo. After this attempt, some questions have come up.
a) the two metal rods I was welding, became completely red hot - is that supposed to happen or is my voltage set too high?
b) the bead (sorry don't know the proper name) appears to be too much - does that say I'm welding too slow or is the wire feed too fast?
c) when I finished, I turned the gas off but the meters stayed as they were i.e. 200 for the tank and 24 for the working pressure. Should they stay like that?
d) when I turned the gas on, the feed pressure went up to 24 and I couldn't change it. To me that says there may be a problem with the gas pressure knob. Is this a DIY job or specialist?
BTW, the second photo shows the setting on the welder if that's any help.
Thanks in advance.
Sorry, my Add Photos button doesn't appear to work. The rods i was welding are about 5mm diameter.

 

[rodisi]

Thanks for the support about my avitar it was draw for me by sparkey a female Dutch welder livening in France. For bigger hole use hole saw and fill the gap with weld almost any drill would manage a 20 mm ish saw

Now I'm mixing your explanation of the avatar and your suggestion for the holes

Sorry, Last time I did metalwork was in secondary school about 600 years ago. What is a hole saw?

Lawnmowerboy thnkas, another idea I shall keep in mind.

 

[rodisi]

Managed it, here are the photos.

 

[Hitch]

use a thick grinding disc carefully and grind the very slight slot into the edge corner of the tube

Thats how i would do this too.

 

[jacky-s]

Why dont youjust scrap that idea and use weedkiller..?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

That's not what an Engineer would do! As we've seen!