Angle Iron Welding

[Tbonedog]

I'm welding two 45* pieces of angle iron together to make a 90*. Should I just weld the inside seam with a lot of penetration or should I weld the outside edge as well? Seems like welding the outside vertical edge will be tricky.


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[lakeroadster]

Cosmetic weld or structural? What's the part and what's it's purpose?

 

[rcktsled]

Nah, it's not that hard. If you don't weld the outside, it will look unfinished. Weld, grind, repeat.

 

[lazer50]

Yeah all depends on what its for?you can put a good bevel and put some stitch welds on other side its strong that way.then clean up with grinder.

 

[Bears Fan]

If you can leave a small gap in between the two pieces, then weld it from the inside, with the gap there it will allow for good penetration. Then you can clean up the outside with a grinder for a smooth look when finished...

 

[ishiboo]

Depends on your welder and whether it will be beveled as well. If you're using a 120v welder you may very well need to weld on both sides. If you're using a big welder you can get by welding just from one side in a single pass, and then cleaning it up.

 

[rsanter]

How thick is the material?
What amperage is your welder?
How strong will this thing need to be?
Do you need the outside or the inside to be square in the corner?
Etc.....

Need more answers to give the proper responses, but in general welding both sides of the seam is often not a bad idea

Bob

 

[Tbonedog]

It's a frame for a shelf to hold a small compressor. Welder is the Lincoln 140 with the MIG kit. I don't have a lot of material to experiment with, but I guess I can always grind and try again. Thanks for the info everyone.


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[Thumper68]

In that case weld the inside well and do a cosmetic pass on the outside and clean up with the flap disk if needed.

 

[Zeke]

If it's holding a vibrating air compressor I'd add a gusset at each corner and stout bracing.

 

[Fordman7795]

Just weld the outside that way the inside where the unit will be sitting will remain flat.

 

[laser3kw]

If it's holding a vibrating air compressor I'd add a gusset at each corner and stout bracing

x2

 

[ishiboo]

140 mig holding something with decent heft that vibrates. No question - weld a pass on each side.

 

[rsanter]

Weld both sides and if you are neat about it there should be no reason to grind your weld. Just let the weld bead show
On the outside corner you are going to slow your wire feed a bit and then be sure you are using a Z pattern as you make the pass.
Weld the inside first with a little faster feed and a Z pattern to make a nice fillet.
When you weld the outside the slower wire feed will reduce the weld filler material build up as you will be melting the corner base material a bit.
Done right the weld won't be much proud of the base surface

Bob

 

[Tbonedog]

140 mig holding something with decent heft that vibrates. No question - weld a pass on each side.

It won't be vibrating. It's just for storage. It's a bostich pancake compressor.


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[Tbonedog]

Weld both sides and if you are neat about it there should be no reason to grind your weld. Just let the weld bead show
On the outside corner you are going to slow your wire feed a bit and then be sure you are using a Z pattern as you make the pass.
Weld the inside first with a little faster feed and a Z pattern to make a nice fillet.
When you weld the outside the slower wire feed will reduce the weld filler material build up as you will be melting the corner base material a bit.
Done right the weld won't be much proud of the base surface

Bob

Thank you, Bob! I was also wondering about the weld pattern. I appreciate the instruction.


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[Brad54]

Are you building it in place, or are you going to build it and then hang the finished shelf?

If you're gonna build then hang... just re-orient the thing so you can weld everything horizontally, rather than trying to weld vertically.

-Brad

 

[lakeroadster]

Cosmetic weld or structural? What's the part and what's it's purpose?

It's a frame for a shelf to hold a small compressor. Welder is the Lincoln 140 with the MIG kit. I don't have a lot of material to experiment with, but I guess I can always grind and try again. Thanks for the info everyone.


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A 110 Volt MIG welder.

I should have asked how thick the angle iron is.

Bevel the joints, weld one side, back grind from the opposite side, weld the other side.

Make all welds in the flat position (1g).

Those 110 volt mig welders give pretty welds, with almost no penetration, if your welding anything other than sheet metal.

Beveling and back grinding is a must to ensure good penetration.

 

[Tbonedog]

Are you building it in place, or are you going to build it and then hang the finished shelf?

If you're gonna build then hang... just re-orient the thing so you can weld everything horizontally, rather than trying to weld vertically.

-Brad

I should be able to re-orient it. My main concern is trying to put a bead down on the 90 degree outside edge. I'm worried about the metal burning back from the sharp edge. I'm hoping to give it a try tonight, if time permits.


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[Tbonedog]

A 110 Volt MIG welder.

I should have asked how thick the angle iron is.

Bevel the joints, weld one side, back grind from the opposite side, weld the other side.

Make all welds in the flat position (1g).

Those 110 volt mig welders give pretty welds, with almost no penetration, if your welding anything other than sheet metal.

Beveling and back grinding is a must to ensure good penetration.

I didn't thing about back grinding it. That should make it pretty easy. I need to double check thickness. It's just some stuff I have lying around. I figured I should use it and not spend the money on a lowes shelf. It's been a while since I've used the welder and it was for bodywork.


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[lakeroadster]

 

[csp]

Is this a thread about welding technique/settings or how to weld angle iron at a corner joint?

Personally I would go with the notch and cope method.

 

[Marctrees]

Is this a thread about welding technique/settings or how to weld angle iron at a corner joint?

Personally I would go with the notch and cope method.

Ya, thats cool IF you need same level on all 4 sides.

VERY strong end result, w whatever beveling needed for you welder ability to penetrate.

Otherwise,

Tbonedog- Next time you do something like this, it's easier to just cut the angle at 90 degree and overlap.

That's assuming what your'e putting on it does not NEED to be supported at same level on ALL four sides.

Well, it will still be same height at the 4 corners, like if your tool has 4 corner legs, just not full length on all sides, which is rarely necessary.

Most tool stand applications, my suggestion would be just fine.

I made mobile bases for all my woodshop "stationary" tools, out of free $ bedframes from a thrift store overstock rejects going to scrap with this thinking.

Worked great.

 

[csp]

It's not a matter of "cool" Marctrees. It's a matter of creating surface area to weld together.

Does it really take that much more time to grind and cope vs. just cutting as you suggest because "it's good enough"? YMMV, but not in my shop.

 

[A_Pmech]

I tend to use the notch and bend method. It's fast, no jigging required, strong and the outside corner is nicely rounded.

http://www.metalartspress.com/books/chapters/chapter-14-fabrication-repair-tips

 

[Tbonedog]

Thanks again everyone for the info. One last question, maybe. Should I gusset above or below the shelf? Which is stronger assuming I use flat bar of the same thickness?


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[csp]

Flat bar will be better in tension than compression.

Of course you never gave a thickness or width, so it might be just fine in either orientation.

 

[sberry]

This is something a couple stamped steel shelf brackets would hold for comparison purposes. The design and the materials do not have to "be as strong as they can be"
Similar shelf, a guy can hang from it plus the load its designed for, could have been done with sheet metal screws for the 3/4 conduit flattened for legs

 

[sberry]

I didn't thing about back grinding it. That should make it pretty easy. I need to double check thickness. It's just some stuff I have lying around. I figured I should use it and not spend the money on a lowes shelf. It's been a while since I've used the welder and it was for bodywork.


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Grind snot off and leave some gap to allow it to melt and fill with wire. Here are a couple pics. This is a one side weld, the 1st the face and 2nd the back and I stop a little short of full penetration to leave the fit up visible. On a shelf bracket 50% penetration may be sufficient and good for 1000's of pounds.
Where something will be filled with weld its not always required to have perfect fit. Use holes and large gaps for places to tack up and allow penetration without fussy grinding like this little strap splice.

 

[sberry]

I also lap and use square cuts where ever possible. Only miter and cope when I got to.