stephenmacklin
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Hi all, newly registered to post this, regular visitor for tutorials and searching existing posts for my questions already asked by others. Sites been a great source of info!!
First off, apologies for the length of this post.
I’m a hobby fabricator, mostly motorbike related, using Clarke Turbo TE135 Mig 230 welder.
Hoping to find some advice relating to the likelihood of distortion whilst MIG welding heavy right angle channel sections of mild steel. Found all sorts of stuff on line about distortion on thin body shop applications, and on thick flat plate, but nothing involving heavy profiled sections.
I’ve made some wishbones out of 40 x 40 square section mild steel tune (4mm wall thickness) and experienced no distortion doing nothing other than chocking the pieces in position, screwing them down to a wooden bench, and welding in a mirror arrangement across the symmetrical piece, but these wishbones are being bolted to a fixed structure and could have been pulled back into position if needed.
My next fabrication is similar to a classic Mini rear wheel radius arm, but produced in heavy mild steel channel and angle iron. I’m trying to align two parallel axles, ajoined on one side to make a U shape.
No photos available just yet, wont be metal bashing for a couple of weeks yet.
Can anyone predict how a piece of mild steel U shaped channel, 100mm x 50mm x 8.5mm wall thickness, and two pieces of mild steel angle iron, 80mm x 80mm x 10mm wall thickness will distort? Will they twist around their axis or deflect off their profiled true?
I was thinking about adding some pre weld bolted plates to the assembly to ensure correct positioning, and clamping the bolted assembly to a heavier piece of channel (I Beam), however read recently about the risk of the clamped piece going into tension after it has cooled down, and twisting when the clamps are removed.
I’m thinking I ought to be making each weld in a short, strategically rotating pattern, but this piece is not symmetrical so don’t know wither to concentrate on one complete angle to channel interface at a time, or “stitch” weld [for want of a better description] across the entire piece continually checking for true across the angles, and stiching the opposing face of any stich that causes any distortion.
Given how smoothly the 40x40 square wishbones went, I’m probably overthinking it, but don’t want to scrap £100 worth of material and a couple of labour intensive sub assemblies if it all goes off the square during welding.
A huge THANK YOU, if you’ve got as far as this!!!!
Any guidance available warmly welcomed.
First off, apologies for the length of this post.
I’m a hobby fabricator, mostly motorbike related, using Clarke Turbo TE135 Mig 230 welder.
Hoping to find some advice relating to the likelihood of distortion whilst MIG welding heavy right angle channel sections of mild steel. Found all sorts of stuff on line about distortion on thin body shop applications, and on thick flat plate, but nothing involving heavy profiled sections.
I’ve made some wishbones out of 40 x 40 square section mild steel tune (4mm wall thickness) and experienced no distortion doing nothing other than chocking the pieces in position, screwing them down to a wooden bench, and welding in a mirror arrangement across the symmetrical piece, but these wishbones are being bolted to a fixed structure and could have been pulled back into position if needed.
My next fabrication is similar to a classic Mini rear wheel radius arm, but produced in heavy mild steel channel and angle iron. I’m trying to align two parallel axles, ajoined on one side to make a U shape.
No photos available just yet, wont be metal bashing for a couple of weeks yet.
Can anyone predict how a piece of mild steel U shaped channel, 100mm x 50mm x 8.5mm wall thickness, and two pieces of mild steel angle iron, 80mm x 80mm x 10mm wall thickness will distort? Will they twist around their axis or deflect off their profiled true?
I was thinking about adding some pre weld bolted plates to the assembly to ensure correct positioning, and clamping the bolted assembly to a heavier piece of channel (I Beam), however read recently about the risk of the clamped piece going into tension after it has cooled down, and twisting when the clamps are removed.
I’m thinking I ought to be making each weld in a short, strategically rotating pattern, but this piece is not symmetrical so don’t know wither to concentrate on one complete angle to channel interface at a time, or “stitch” weld [for want of a better description] across the entire piece continually checking for true across the angles, and stiching the opposing face of any stich that causes any distortion.
Given how smoothly the 40x40 square wishbones went, I’m probably overthinking it, but don’t want to scrap £100 worth of material and a couple of labour intensive sub assemblies if it all goes off the square during welding.
A huge THANK YOU, if you’ve got as far as this!!!!
Any guidance available warmly welcomed.
