Questions to ask a welder before fabrication begins

[wroughtn_harv]

Hmmm, welders are tough dealing with, ask my wife.

Are you bringing in a clamped up whatchmacallit that only needs gluing? Or are you bringing in drawings?

If you have a clamped up whatchmacallit then I suggest you take to the high school and let them glue it up.

If all you have is a drawing then figure you will pay more for your way.

If you called me and explained it over the phone the way you have here I would give you the numbers of some guys who glue stuff up on the side. I would also suggest you could rivet it up yourself cheaper.

 

[deereman75]

Also I think that 1/4 inch plate is overkill for this, I would use like 3/32, or 1/8 at the most.

 

[forgeblast]

Hehe, before i got my welder I took my items to a pro. He was expensive but worth every penny. I had him weld up a brewstand, and some crucibles to pour aluminum. I had a drawing of the stand and the materials, and we brainstormed some ideas on the crucibles. He was busy, but interested in doing the job because it was something he hadnt done before. Tell him/her what you want, be open to the design changing and time is money.

Before you have it fabricated, what about bolting on (with washers) some ratchet straps so that you can just strap in your case to the tractor. If you space the bolts out say 2-3 bolts per strap it should keep you case from smashing all over the place.
Once the metal cage is made how are you going to attach it to the tractor(i might have missed that).
Good luck.

 

[Tobias Dunlap]

People asking questions about how I weld things is one of my biggest pet peeves. I'm all about helping folks learn don't get me wrong.

I had a sign on the door of my shop and a sticker on my old rig that read

Labor Rates: Shop $55 Truck $75
If you watch: Shop $75 Truck $100 Hood Rental $150 Hr.
If you help: Shop $150 Truck $300

 

[eastexan]

I had a sign on the door of my shop and a sticker on my old rig that read

Labor Rates: Shop $55 Truck $75
If you watch: Shop $75 Truck $100 Hood Rental $150 Hr.
If you help: Shop $150 Truck $300

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[hizoot]

Calm down Ruark, I'm only asking YOU GUYS these questions!

But the very title of the thread is
" Questions to ask a welder before fabrication begins"...it would be easy to conclude thats what you will be doing. So to ease your mind, make sure to find a competent welder by word of mouth or see some of his work...just dont grill him on his procedures to find out if hes competent...as a pro might tell you to take a hike or do it yourself. It really is hard to beat a good man in his chosen profession

 

[nickel plate]

if you have a tractor, and a gun, then you should know how do your own welding.:thumbsup:

Sorry to resurrect this thread as many took my question the wrong way-I didn't compose well enough as per my intention.
Advice taken as I have enrolled in an adult education welding class in my area and have been attending for several weeks now. Just wanted to post my first completed project: A shotgun scabbard holder for my tractor. It's posted on another section here so I will be brief as some of the contributers in the welding section may not have seen it. Seventy-four MIG welds if I remember correctly.

 

[grsthegreat]

Sorry to resurrect this thread as many took my question the wrong way-I didn't compose well enough as per my intention.
Advice taken as I have enrolled in an adult education welding class in my area and have been attending for several weeks now. Just wanted to post my first completed project: A shotgun scabbard holder for my tractor. It's posted on another section here so I will be brief as some of the contributers in the welding section may not have seen it. Seventy-four MIG welds if I remember correctly.

I dont even want to know what you come up against while mowing LOL:laughing:

 

[nickel plate]

I dont even want to know what you come up against while mowing LOL:laughing:

Surrounded on two sides by a lot of BLM and Yosemite NP open range land. Illegal infiltrating mexican pot growers, my place is about a mile from county pavement on a private road. For God sakes legalize the stuff and get these low lifes out of our country once and for all.

 

[jake98]

Surrounded on two sides by a lot of BLM and Yosemite NP open range land. Illegal infiltrating mexican pot growers, my place is about a mile from county pavement on a private road. For God sakes legalize the stuff and get these low lifes out of our country once and for all.

that would make too much sense..