First part from Aluminium

[MattH]

I am planning on making up a pair of low gates to go into our workshop to device the machine area from the sorting and packing space. I managed to get my hands on 4 full lengths of 40x40x3mm Ali box that I plan to make the frames out of and 4 full lengths of 40x20x1mm Ali box that I plan on using the for the upright rails within the frames.

Today I had a practice run at making up a frame (about 12" square). Here are the results:

 

[eSCHEn]

Awesome welds Matt. Genuinely.

 

[Freddy0309]

Very tidy

 

[Brad93]

Coming on leaps and bounds matt. Remember to drill a breather hole. Only has to be 3mm or so. When you come to the end of the run at a corner you need to practice rolling your hand to keep the tungsten and gas flow pointing at the puddle as you join the bead on the other side.

 

[Parm]

Dont know much about Ali welding but they do look neat

 

[roofman]

Dont know much about Ali welding but they do look neat

x1

 

[HughF]

Looking very nice Matt

 

[MattH]

Cheers chaps.

Any advice on amps when welding the 1mm box to the 3mm box?

 

[Richard.]

Hi Matt those are lovely and you deserve some credit for that.
Don't be frightened to finish them off though and as brad says roll off over the edge slightly while tapering down the current.
Your taking to it like a duck to water mate and your fabrications are going to be stunners.
1mm -3mm box can be started off at 90-100 amps and then back off to gain control once your pool is developed and the parts become heat soaked. Concentrate the arc on the 3mm allowing your fill to wet onto the thinner piece.

 

[roofman]

Matt what machine do you have?...there very neat welds and i wish my steel tig work was as good looking.

 

[MattH]

Cheers Richard, I did go back and fill in the corners and then flowed it all together.
Rolling around the corners was a step to far for me, I will keep trying but it's still early days.

Roofman, it's the older knob type Rtech 201 that I purchased from HughF with a watercooler. It's got a nice SSC pedal that seems to make all the difference.

 

[Brad93]

Concentrate your arc on the thicker box section then slowly push/wash the pool over onto the 1mm and once youve got the pool just maintain it with the pedal and dip away. Youll probably have 70% of your arc over the thicker box.

 

[ukracer]

Awesome welds Matt. Genuinely.

I don't know matt that we'll, only met him once but , I would have put money on his work being top notch having seen his shed and workshop. But to say those are stunning is an understatement.......exceeded even my expectations.

 

[ukracer]

Matt what machine do you have?...there very neat welds and i wish my steel tig work was as good looking.

Don't ask....please don't ask....




Too late. Lol

 

[Richard.]

Don't ask....please don't ask....




Too late. Lol

I always say it's not the box of sparks that produces the goods it's the man driving. Matt has some nice driving technique that cannot be taken away from him.

 

[MattH]

I don't know matt that we'll, only met him once but , I would have put money on his work being top notch having seen his shed and workshop. But to say those are stunning is an understatement.......exceeded even my expectations.

But it does beg the statement: All the gear and no idea

 

[MattH]

Added the lighter box section upright as another tester tonight.
Couldn't get a pool going at 115A so upped it to 150A and had no problems.
The smaller box was a bit dirtier but it welded ok. I paracticed rolling around the corners but I still needed to go back over them and wash it in a bit.

 

[Richard.]

Is there a reason the box in the middle doesn't match the dimensions as around the frame.

 

[MattH]

Is there a reason the box in the middle doesn't match the dimensions as around the frame.

Do yo mean why is it not on edge to match the thickness of the other box?

Purely ascetics.

 

[Richard.]

Yep. I think it would look nicer all flush out the same material.