Puget Dude’s creations and fabrications (Random project thread.)
- Thread starter PugetDude
- Start date
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice work Scott! 
Thanks, this was a lot more welding than I anticipated. I finished up the remaining half of a 10# spool of Inefil .030" MIG wire on Tuesday, and was surprised that the full replacement 1O# spool ran out just before I finished welding up the intermediate posts this morning. (Didn't do any welding on Thanksgiving.) Had to exchange my 120 ft2 gas cylinder on Wednesday, interesting observation- the little local welding/fabrication shop exchanges a few cylinders, and his cylinders are filled to 2200#. The local full service welding supply shop cylinders are always around 1800#.Nice work Scott!
Price is a little cheaper at the little fab shop, too.
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Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I'm assuming that the powder coat will be black?
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Wow Scott, you've been busy. Those have turned out great. Can't wait to see them in color.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
The panels look great!
What shop did you exchange the cylinder at? Mine is as empty as it gets right now.
What shop did you exchange the cylinder at? Mine is as empty as it gets right now.
Started on the two gates today.
Gave up on using the new roller for 1" square tube, I need to add a bead roll to dish the inside of the curve to minimize deformation. No time to mess with it right now, so I went old school and kerfed a 5' long piece of tubing @75% across at 2" on center. Pulled it into an arc that looked about right with a bar clamp. Then it was... Weld 26 joints on 3 sides, grind flush, sand smooth...That gave me a nice even curve on the .065" wall square tube.
Came up with a good way to join the 1"x2" vertical frame members to the 1" x 1" arched top. Notched the 1x2 tubing on the portaband table.
Left the side tab a little long for ease of fit up.
Fit together really well.
More to follow.
Gave up on using the new roller for 1" square tube, I need to add a bead roll to dish the inside of the curve to minimize deformation. No time to mess with it right now, so I went old school and kerfed a 5' long piece of tubing @75% across at 2" on center. Pulled it into an arc that looked about right with a bar clamp. Then it was... Weld 26 joints on 3 sides, grind flush, sand smooth...That gave me a nice even curve on the .065" wall square tube.
Came up with a good way to join the 1"x2" vertical frame members to the 1" x 1" arched top. Notched the 1x2 tubing on the portaband table.
Left the side tab a little long for ease of fit up.
Fit together really well.
More to follow.
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Yep, those high quality Walter discs took those welds down quick. Followed up with a fiber/flap disc to smooth out the grinding marks.Looking good scott. Damn good thing flap discs are cheap huh
First time I have ever used these, pretty impressed with how well they work. Only downside is they don't last very long if you lean on them too hard.Remember what I showed you and Randy. Cutting the edge give you fresh flaps. If you’ve got some sacrificial 1/4 or 3/8” flat bar to use, I find that works as quick as it gets.Yep, those high quality Walter discs took those welds down quick. Followed up with a fiber/flap disc to smooth out the grinding marks.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Excellent work Scott. I like the thought process to cap the end with existing material.
Got the two courtyard gates finished up this AM and off to powder coat.
Did one similar to our front doors with metal panels on the bottom since it will be installed a few feet away. The other is a bit different to transition into the back yard gate design with Trex panels.
Did one similar to our front doors with metal panels on the bottom since it will be installed a few feet away. The other is a bit different to transition into the back yard gate design with Trex panels.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Scott, very nice work!
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Excellent work Scott. They look great, can't wait to see them coated and installed.
Jayman17
Well-known member
Your fence project really looks nice. When you cut the kerfs to bend that piece did you just do a cut the width of the cutting wheel or did you cut out a wedge shaped piece? Is there some formula to tell you how to space your kerfs?
Jay, I cut the kerfs on my portaband table. They are around .040" wide. 26 kerfs works out to about an inch gap.
That's the difference between the inside and outside radii on the 1" square tube, so when the bend closes, the inside radius makes a continuous curve.
Not exactly sure how to figure the exact radius beforehand, this just worked out to what I wanted. If I needed a tighter curve I would have just added additional kerfs and closed those gaps.
That's the difference between the inside and outside radii on the 1" square tube, so when the bend closes, the inside radius makes a continuous curve.
Not exactly sure how to figure the exact radius beforehand, this just worked out to what I wanted. If I needed a tighter curve I would have just added additional kerfs and closed those gaps.
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When I finished grinding the welds on the arch segment, it left fairly sharp edges on the tubing. Instead of rounding it over with a flap wheel, I was reminded of a question that @LXCam asked a few hundred posts ago in this thread about whether my homemade 2x72 grinder had slack belt grinding capability. Turns out it does (on top, between the tracking wheel and the top platen wheel) and did a fantastic job on evenly finishing the corners on the tubing. Much better than trying to run a handheld grinder around the arc.
Thanks, Cam.
Thanks, Cam.
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If I tried to turn this into a business it would take all the fun out of it. Prefer to just help friends and neighbors and/or do my own thing.Nice job on the fence and gates
Maybe you just found a new part time gig in your retirement. They will call you "The Gate Keeper"
In fact, just starting on two more welded steel benches for the community. Both with a personal theme for the owners who requested them for the common areas in front of their homes....but they don't know what I have in mind...
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Used the homemade roller bender again today to roll couple of 6-3/4" diameter rings out of 3/8" rebar. They wanted to twist inward coming off the rollers, might have to add a deflector roll in the future to keep the rolled section from rubbing on the bender frame. Also looks like reducing the diameter of the top roll a bit might be a good idea, pretty much bottomed out at this diameter with 3/8" rebar.
The twist wasn't an issue, a couple of whacks with a BFH flattened them right out.
Cut the unrolled heads and tails off, welded the ring and re-rolled it for concentricity.
Satisfied with the results.
More on their application tomorrow.
The twist wasn't an issue, a couple of whacks with a BFH flattened them right out.
Cut the unrolled heads and tails off, welded the ring and re-rolled it for concentricity.
Satisfied with the results.
More on their application tomorrow.
First of three benches I have volunteered to build for placement on the common areas throughout our little 47 home community.
This one is going to be a memorial for a resident who died a month before his dream home was completed
His daughter completed it and intends to move here full time when she retires.
Very religious family, so I went with Celtic crosses as the ornamental iron elements.
Had some leftover cast steel knuckles and tubing from my courtyard project that was perfect for the crosses, the rest of the sections were scrounged out of my almost depleted steel inventory. The crosses are supporting the stretcher, so I pressed 1/2" square tubing inside the 5/8 tubing for additional strength; it was a really tight press fit. The 3/8 rebar circles were installed behind the crosses (crown of thorns/circle of eternity?) and also add some rigidity.
I did finally have to break down around noon and head into town for some 1/8"x 1-1/2" flat bar; needed it for the Trex seating supports. Fitted and pre-drilled all the Trex boards, then sent the bench out for powder coating, I want to get it installed to surprise her when she gets here after Christmas. A memorial plaque will be installed on the stretcher.
This one is going to be a memorial for a resident who died a month before his dream home was completed
His daughter completed it and intends to move here full time when she retires.Very religious family, so I went with Celtic crosses as the ornamental iron elements.
Had some leftover cast steel knuckles and tubing from my courtyard project that was perfect for the crosses, the rest of the sections were scrounged out of my almost depleted steel inventory. The crosses are supporting the stretcher, so I pressed 1/2" square tubing inside the 5/8 tubing for additional strength; it was a really tight press fit. The 3/8 rebar circles were installed behind the crosses (crown of thorns/circle of eternity?) and also add some rigidity.
I did finally have to break down around noon and head into town for some 1/8"x 1-1/2" flat bar; needed it for the Trex seating supports. Fitted and pre-drilled all the Trex boards, then sent the bench out for powder coating, I want to get it installed to surprise her when she gets here after Christmas. A memorial plaque will be installed on the stretcher.
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steves_001
Well-known member
Very nice looking bench!
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Very nice and what a way to honor a person!First of three benches I have volunteered to build for placement on the common areas throughout our little 47 home community.
This one is going to be a memorial for a resident who died a month before his dream home was completed
Very religious family, so I went with Celtic crosses as the ornamental iron elements.
Had some leftover cast steel knuckles and tubing from my courtyard project that was perfect for the crosses, the rest of the sections were scrounged out of my almost depleted steel inventory. The crosses are supporting the stretcher, so I pressed 1/2" square tubing inside the 5/8 tubing for additional strength; it was a really tight press fit. The 3/8 rebar circles were installed behind the crosses (crown of thorns/circle of eternity?) and also add some rigidity.
I did finally have to break down around noon and head into town for some 1/8"x 1-1/2" flat bar; needed it for the Trex seating supports. Fitted and pre-drilled all the Trex boards, then sent the bench out for powder coating, I want to get it installed to surprise her when she gets here after Christmas. A memorial plaque will be installed on the stretcher.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Really nice work there Scott!
I think I got something in my eye.
I think I got something in my eye.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Beautiful looking bench Scott. Well done.
inphx
Well-known member
The talent of your work can stand alone - but the story behind this piece adds depth to it. Nice!
Jayman17
Well-known member
Please post another pic after it gets back from PC and is installed in place. Great looking bench.
fartymarty
Well-known member
I have to say that you have more than just welding skills. You have a creative talent as well for sure. Had I your welding talent, I would have brought those crosses right to the bottom. However, that would have been a mistake, by stopping them higher and just letting the bottom of the cross hang there makes for a much more eye pleasing aesthetic.
I say that as though I know about such things, I do not. This above is probably only the second time in my life I have ever used the word "aesthetic" in a sentence.
However I know what I like.
Hear, hear, well said!
That table turned out great, looking forward to seeing it complete and in place.
The powder coater doing my wall topper panels and gates called and said they were ready. He was out of town last week and his employee(s) got them all sandblasted while he was gone.
Went to pick them up this AM, my next door neighbor from our Summer place in Show Low was in town and wanted to help with the installation.
Well, they weren't quite ready.
The intermediate posts and gates didn't quite make the 100' trip across the shop from the prep area to powder coat.
And, they coated someone else's gates Satin Black...
Couldn't do much with out the intermediate posts, only one section didn't need one. So, we just hauled the fence sections home; he told us he would have the right gates and the posts done this afternoon. He did, and his work was first rate, no complaints there.
Went ahead and installed the short section, we are going to do the rest tomorrow morning, my friend Ron from Mesa is also coming over, the 14' and 16' long sections will be a lot easier with three of us. 92' of panels on this project.
The curved sections fit the wall really well, the deformation from rolling bugs me but no one else will probably notice it. Picture was taken while we were waiting on the missing intermediate posts...it's just sitting on the wall.
We're having our annual Christmas party on Saturday. 52 guests confirmed so far, it was the impetus to get this completed by this Friday.
Cut it pretty close...
Went to pick them up this AM, my next door neighbor from our Summer place in Show Low was in town and wanted to help with the installation.
Well, they weren't quite ready.
The intermediate posts and gates didn't quite make the 100' trip across the shop from the prep area to powder coat.
And, they coated someone else's gates Satin Black...Couldn't do much with out the intermediate posts, only one section didn't need one. So, we just hauled the fence sections home; he told us he would have the right gates and the posts done this afternoon. He did, and his work was first rate, no complaints there.
Went ahead and installed the short section, we are going to do the rest tomorrow morning, my friend Ron from Mesa is also coming over, the 14' and 16' long sections will be a lot easier with three of us. 92' of panels on this project.
The curved sections fit the wall really well, the deformation from rolling bugs me but no one else will probably notice it. Picture was taken while we were waiting on the missing intermediate posts...it's just sitting on the wall.
We're having our annual Christmas party on Saturday. 52 guests confirmed so far, it was the impetus to get this completed by this Friday.Cut it pretty close...
Got all 11 wrought iron wall topper panels up on the courtyard walls this AM. Three sets of hands made it go pretty quickly.
One gate hung, but the striker side jamb is going to need a little rework. Didn't plan on having to inset the hinge side jamb as deep as we did to get it to sit level, plumb, and flat. Going to have to go to 1"x2" rectangular tubing on the striker side to close up the gap. Not a big deal, but it kept us from finishing up the install today.
Pictures tomorrow, just realized I forgot to take any earlier in the day. Too dark now...
One gate hung, but the striker side jamb is going to need a little rework. Didn't plan on having to inset the hinge side jamb as deep as we did to get it to sit level, plumb, and flat. Going to have to go to 1"x2" rectangular tubing on the striker side to close up the gap. Not a big deal, but it kept us from finishing up the install today.
Pictures tomorrow, just realized I forgot to take any earlier in the day. Too dark now...
steves_001
Well-known member
Outstanding! Love the look!
Got the striker side jamb on the first gate sorted out this AM. Used a piece of 1x2x.065 wall rectangular tubing, welded four mounting tabs where I had fairly flat stones to drill into. Welded a piece of 1/8" x 1" flat bar on the top and sanded everything smooth. Only put in two bolts for now, will do the other two when it gets back from powder coat.
This project is (finally) almost done, will get the second gate mounted up tomorrow or Monday.
This project is (finally) almost done, will get the second gate mounted up tomorrow or Monday.