They are made of ductile iron? Just like pipe fittings, yes very weldable. If galvanized, take the zinc layer off with a 40 grit jumbo flap disc. For what you are building a good brazing job will be more than adequate if you have and are good with a torch.
That is one old school method I'd like to learn.
That is one old school method I'd like to learn.
I hadn't considered brazing them. Thanks for suggesting that! Yeah, I think that could be a good option for this project. I only have a torch right now, and I've done a little bit of welding and brazing with it. I recently bought my dad a MIG welder for his birthday, but neither of us has tried it yet. I think I will buy myself a stick welder at some point, but I'd like to put that off for a while if I can because I'm just now draining my wallet buying a new tractor. TIG is in the more distant future.
I'd still like to learn how to weld to these iron twistlocks. I expect to set the containers onto concrete piers at the corners. This is earthquake country, so I want the containers properly secured so they won't slide off the piers. I was thinking that one way to do that could be to set twistlocks on top of the piers, and weld them to protruding rebar to secure everything against sliding or lifting in an earthquake. But I'm a lot less sure about how to design that than I am about securing a carport cover on top of the containers. Of course, I could find a much simpler way to secure the containers to their foundation, but where's the fun in that?
I'd still like to learn how to weld to these iron twistlocks. I expect to set the containers onto concrete piers at the corners. This is earthquake country, so I want the containers properly secured so they won't slide off the piers. I was thinking that one way to do that could be to set twistlocks on top of the piers, and weld them to protruding rebar to secure everything against sliding or lifting in an earthquake. But I'm a lot less sure about how to design that than I am about securing a carport cover on top of the containers. Of course, I could find a much simpler way to secure the containers to their foundation, but where's the fun in that?
Mig with stainless wire and 100% argon I think you'll be good to go. I only ever TIG welded cast but hey, give it a shot. Worst case, weld it to a steel plate and then bolt it on.
The weld strength will only ever be as strong as what its mounted to, if part of the container that this thing was welded to rips out of the container and leaves a hole for some reason, don't matter if your weld broke or not, piece still came off, you know what I mean?
Man, a lot easier to think than to write this.
You can weld it to the container and do some serious welding and make it stronger than it would ever need, but if the welds don't break and you just rip a hole in the container, your in the same boat regardless of the weld breaking or not. I have seen some crappy welds hold a lot of weight, working in the kitchen industry you see tons of this shit.
The weld strength will only ever be as strong as what its mounted to, if part of the container that this thing was welded to rips out of the container and leaves a hole for some reason, don't matter if your weld broke or not, piece still came off, you know what I mean?
Man, a lot easier to think than to write this.
You can weld it to the container and do some serious welding and make it stronger than it would ever need, but if the welds don't break and you just rip a hole in the container, your in the same boat regardless of the weld breaking or not. I have seen some crappy welds hold a lot of weight, working in the kitchen industry you see tons of this shit.
if there's a welder, there's a way
Exactly. In the case of this carport mount, the weld is competing with a structure made of thin-walled sheet metal tubes on 5' centers. Even in the likely case that I make poor-quality welds, they probably won't be the weak link. I'm more concerned about the foundation stuff on the bottom, which needs to keep the containers from taking a walk in an earthquake. For the foundation, I may be better off paying more for twistlocks that are professionally welded to plates that I can bolt to a foundation.Olivero wrote:The weld strength will only ever be as strong as what its mounted to, if the piece rips out of the container for some reason, don't matter if your weld broke or not, piece still came off, you know what I mean?
- Otto Nobedder
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Please don't MIG steel with 100% argon, unless you have a power source that can do spray-arc, and even then you should be using a mix gas for best results.
Steve S
Steve S
even on sheet metal?Otto Nobedder wrote:Please don't MIG steel with 100% argon, unless you have a power source that can do spray-arc, and even then you should be using a mix gas for best results.
Steve S
I don't know a whole lot about MIG as I only TIG and Stick. If he uses stainless wire doesen't it have to be 100% argon?
if there's a welder, there's a way
- LtBadd
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Pretty sure stainless MIG uses a tri-mixOlivero wrote:even on sheet metal?Otto Nobedder wrote:Please don't MIG steel with 100% argon, unless you have a power source that can do spray-arc, and even then you should be using a mix gas for best results.
Steve S
I don't know a whole lot about MIG as I only TIG and Stick. If he uses stainless wire doesen't it have to be 100% argon?
Richard
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- Otto Nobedder
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There are a few mixes that can be used with stainless. Even 75/25 will do it, but it's ugly. I use tri-mix at work (90% He, 7.5% Ar, 2.5% CO2). There's also 95% Ar/5% CO2 (if I remember right) and 98% Ar/2% O2. I'm sure there are other specialty mixes.Olivero wrote:even on sheet metal?Otto Nobedder wrote:Please don't MIG steel with 100% argon, unless you have a power source that can do spray-arc, and even then you should be using a mix gas for best results.
Steve S
I don't know a whole lot about MIG as I only TIG and Stick. If he uses stainless wire doesen't it have to be 100% argon?
I did have a helper accidently hook me up to pure argon while MIGging stainless. It was 11ga. duct. It would barely weld in flat position, no penetration, ugly bead, and was not useable at all in other positions. This was in the morning, and I didn't know the bottle had been changed, so I was scratching my head as to what the hell was wrong with my machine. It was a suitcase, and I didn't figure it out 'til I went to check the power source and flow meter.
Steve S
Well, I stand corrected then, Don't MIG it with 100% argon.
Are you able to MIG stainless? You got bottles? I am thinking if you don't already have the gear to weld stainless, its gonna cost you more to get it then to buy the bolt-on ones.
Are you able to MIG stainless? You got bottles? I am thinking if you don't already have the gear to weld stainless, its gonna cost you more to get it then to buy the bolt-on ones.
if there's a welder, there's a way
You're probably right. All I have right now is an oxy-acetylene torch and the ability to borrow a MIG welder.Olivero wrote:Are you able to MIG stainless? You got bottles? I am thinking if you don't already have the gear to weld stainless, its gonna cost you more to get it then to buy the bolt-on ones.