welding 25x25x1.6 gal rhs

[brendan h]

i need to weld some rhs together but trying to work out the best process.
needs to be relatevly neet and strong.

ive got a mig set up on gasless. i have not had much gasless exerience though. but i can practis
got a 5-200amp stick/tig welder (160amp stick). i can stick weld and lay a nice looking bead. and i would say im bvetter at tig.

being 1.6mm thick not much leeway. i have welded the same rhs with stick befor but have blew a couple of holes in it. hopfully this time round with more experience i wont blow any holes.

so what process would you use?

 

[English Steve]

Hi Brendan,
For 1.6 thick I would go with a mig, but having said that I don't have a tig available. I personally wouldn't use stick at that thickness - not saying it can't be done, but I find mig easier on thinner sheet.
Just my tuppence worth

 

[brendan h]

im leaning towards tig. speed isnt a factor

 

[English Steve]

Tig looks nice if it's done well, and is very controllable on the thinner stuff. Looking at the title of your thread, is the RHS galvanised? if so, don't forget to clean it off in the weld area.

 

[brendan h]

yes it is galvansied. and yes i will clean off the gal anyway

 

[fingers99]

I'd clean it off very well (hydrochloric if you can!) and TIG it. I emphasise the cleaning, because I made myself very ill by tigging a tiny bit of galvanised stuff (I was literally only tacking on a couple of 8mm nuts to a small peice of galvanised sheet, and I had cleaned -- or so I thought -- the zinc off mechanically).

Probably the issue with TIG and zinc poisoning is that you're much, much, closer to the action.

 

[Paul.]

I'd clean it off very well (hydrochloric if you can!) and TIG it. I emphasise the cleaning, because I made myself very ill by tigging a tiny bit of galvanised stuff (I was literally only tacking on a couple of 8mm nuts to a small peice of galvanised sheet, and I had cleaned -- or so I thought -- the zinc off mechanically).

Probably the issue with TIG and zinc poisoning is that you're much, much, closer to the action.

Be careful putting hydrochloric and zinc together, you will get a fairly vigorous reaction and the production of hydrogen and Zinc chloride, Is it galvanized or just zinc plated?

 

[fingers99]

Be careful putting hydrochloric and zinc together, you will get a fairly vigorous reaction and the production of hydrogen and Zinc chloride

Good point! Do it outside, thick rubber gloves and goggles! The stuff I was doing was defo galvanised.

 

[Drains]

For ease, i'd stick it with 1.6mm rods, electrode neg, nice tight fit-up.

Mig (with gas) would be the easiest, but failing that, stick.

 

[HasBean]

Be careful putting hydrochloric and zinc together, you will get a fairly vigorous reaction and the production of hydrogen and Zinc chloride

Killed spirits they call it (over here anyway) more effective than Bakers fluid, or so my Grandad (plumber) used to say.
Used to spend Saturday mornings cutting up zinc sheet with tinsnips into a container of hydochloric acid to make it. He used to pass it now and then and blow up the hydrogen

 

[Paul.]

Killed spirits they call it (over here anyway) more effective than Bakers fluid, or so my Grandad (plumber) used to say.
Used to spend Saturday mornings cutting up zinc sheet with tinsnips into a container of hydochloric acid to make it. He used to pass it now and then and blow up the hydrogen

That's what its called here too, used to make our own, we used it when soft soldering radiators together, gas air torch and tinmans solder,
Hows Sunny Jersey, One of my favorite places.

 

[HasBean]

Not so sunny at the moment but it's bound to be lovely for the next week 'cause I'm on call

 

[Paul.]

Not so sunny at the moment but it's bound to be lovely for the next week 'cause I'm on call

I used to keep an eye on the jersey weather via the webcams, but they all seem to be offline or frozen, jersey insight have taken them off, do you know of any that still work, there used to be one in the tourist info window in st helier, and another at charing cross

 

[HasBean]

I can't find any live webcams anymore, seems that Jersey Insight controlled them all and since the site was hacked and closed down they don't work now the sites up again.

Paul

 

[Paul.]

I can't find any live webcams anymore, seems that Jersey Insight controlled them all and since the site was hacked and closed down they don't work now the sites up again.

Paul

Ok thanks
Thats a good excuse for me to come in person again then, I think ill come by sea next time though, the flights home always seem to be delayed by 5 or 6 hours.

 

[HasBean]

Yup, don't think I've ever got home on time from an airport