Benpointer
Member
- Messages
- 49
- Location
- Dorset, UK
Hi there, looking for a bit of advice from the wise heads on this forum, please.
I'm returning to a long-standing project to design & build an off-road wheelchair (I'm a paraplegic myself). Currently I am thinking of getting the frame and suspension arms welded in 6082 T6 aluminium tube and rectangular section with 3mm / 10 SWG walls . I have (hopefully) attached 3D pics of the overall outline design, together with the central chassis and the front and rear swinging arms, all of which will need to be welded up. (I've omitted the drive, brakes and steering from the overall pic, for simplicity.)
I am assuming my best bet will be TIG for this. I only have MIG, so rather than invest £1000 in a suitable TIG welder and then try to teach myself TIG, I was thinking I would cut, drill and jig the ally section I need and then seek out a local TIG shop to glue it together. I need to be able to rely on the welds as, although it wouldn't be a matter of life & death, it could be rather awkward if the welds fell apart in the middle od a forest track.
So, my questions are:
1. Will I need 3mm / 10 SWG walls to weld sensibly (from a strength perspective I think 2mm would be ample).
2. Are professional or experienced TIG welders general happy to weld something that comes pre-cut, profiled and solidly jigged?
3. Should I aim for the jigged (pre-welded) joints to be tight or leave a slight gap for the weld to fill?
4. Is 6082 T6 the best choice and will I have issues with weakening around the weld joint? (Conceivably I could re heat-treat if I can find a suitable oven - the welded component parts are not very large circa 600mm x 500mm x 100mm max.)
5. Finally, anyone know of someone in the Dorset, Wilts, Somerset area who might do this for me?
Here are the pics. To give a sense of scale the rear wheels will be 26" MTB wheels and the front 20" BMX. The tube sections are 30mm and 38mm and the box is 50mm x 25mm or imperial equivalents.
Thanks for any help offered!
To give a sense of scale the rear wheels will be 26" MTB wheels and the front 20" BMX. The tube sections are 30mm and 38mm and the box is 50mm x 25mm or imperial equivalents.
Chassis:
Front swinging arms:
Rear arms:
I'm returning to a long-standing project to design & build an off-road wheelchair (I'm a paraplegic myself). Currently I am thinking of getting the frame and suspension arms welded in 6082 T6 aluminium tube and rectangular section with 3mm / 10 SWG walls . I have (hopefully) attached 3D pics of the overall outline design, together with the central chassis and the front and rear swinging arms, all of which will need to be welded up. (I've omitted the drive, brakes and steering from the overall pic, for simplicity.)
I am assuming my best bet will be TIG for this. I only have MIG, so rather than invest £1000 in a suitable TIG welder and then try to teach myself TIG, I was thinking I would cut, drill and jig the ally section I need and then seek out a local TIG shop to glue it together. I need to be able to rely on the welds as, although it wouldn't be a matter of life & death, it could be rather awkward if the welds fell apart in the middle od a forest track.
So, my questions are:
1. Will I need 3mm / 10 SWG walls to weld sensibly (from a strength perspective I think 2mm would be ample).
2. Are professional or experienced TIG welders general happy to weld something that comes pre-cut, profiled and solidly jigged?
3. Should I aim for the jigged (pre-welded) joints to be tight or leave a slight gap for the weld to fill?
4. Is 6082 T6 the best choice and will I have issues with weakening around the weld joint? (Conceivably I could re heat-treat if I can find a suitable oven - the welded component parts are not very large circa 600mm x 500mm x 100mm max.)
5. Finally, anyone know of someone in the Dorset, Wilts, Somerset area who might do this for me?
Here are the pics. To give a sense of scale the rear wheels will be 26" MTB wheels and the front 20" BMX. The tube sections are 30mm and 38mm and the box is 50mm x 25mm or imperial equivalents.
Thanks for any help offered!
To give a sense of scale the rear wheels will be 26" MTB wheels and the front 20" BMX. The tube sections are 30mm and 38mm and the box is 50mm x 25mm or imperial equivalents.
Chassis:
Front swinging arms:
Rear arms: