easy way to cut wide flange beam?

[Shield Arc]

He is the supreme PITA! Very seldom does he actually help, but loves to jump on people.


That does look pretty tricky to get that beam up there without equipment.:thumbsup:

My 7-year old, (now 18) granddaughter and I built this 24-foot span x 40-foot power travel bridge crane with just using the tractor. Her new boyfriend was over a few months ago for me to weld up a small project for him, he about fell over when I told him she built that crane! I told him, if she could do that at 7, just think what she could do to you if you put your hands on her! :laughing:

 

[SpringHollow]

MX84 worded things quite nicely. And I do understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end. I was told by several that my rolling bridge crane would not even hold 1000 lbs. I always try to not be under it but I have had to move 2800 lb loads several times and no problems. I calculated that I could move 4000 lbs with it no problem but I need to be careful about lateral loads. I would have liked to use stronger and longer beams but sometimes you need to work with what you have and be careful.

Ken

 

[mx842]

He is the supreme PITA! Very seldom does he actually help, but loves to jump on people.


That does look pretty tricky to get that beam up there without equipment.:thumbsup:

My 7-year old, (now 18) granddaughter and I built this 24-foot span x 40-foot power travel bridge crane with just using the tractor. Her new boyfriend was over a few months ago for me to weld up a small project for him, he about fell over when I told him she built that crane! I told him, if she could do that at 7, just think what she could do to you if you put your hands on her! :laughing:

He lives fairly close to me and for awhile I thought he was going to head on down here and rat me out to the county inspectors. He was really bent up that some uneducated fool like me would even attempt such a feat without the blessing of an engineer. I'm not downing engineers cause they gotta eat too but but most folks that build back yard projects like these can't afford to pay some engineer for a stamped set of drawings and all the other needless inspections and licenses that one gubment agency or another would require once they found out what you were up to.

Man...that's a fine looking piece of equipment you have there. I was thinking about doing something like that at first and I probably could have done it just as easy but I would have had to buy some more steel. Money was so tight I just couldn't swing it at the time and my building isn't that big anyway to where it would have been that much improvement over what I have now especially the way my shop will have to be set up once it is done. But yours is really easy to look at though.:licking:

How are the main beams supported? Are they independent from the rest of the building? I can't really tell in the pic but that is a really hefty beam it's made of.

Yeah, my job was rather tricky to pull off and it took me longer to position and raise that 6" lifting beam into place than it did to set all the other steel and beam together. It took me almost 3 days total to get it in the right place, then raise it up and get it tied off before I could even attempt to move the beam. But once it was in place and securely tied off the lift went quickly and was almost a perfect lift. All accept for one of the side bracing straps was in the way and prevented me from sitting it exactly where it needed to be. I had to sit it down right on the edge and jack it into place but even then it only took about an hour and a half to get it bolted down. Then it took another day to take down the crane and move it out of the way but it was worth it in the end. Actually I had more trouble raising the 6" wooden post than I did this tower but that is another story for another day.

 

[Shield Arc]

I have six posts, the four corner posts are 4-inch sch 80 pipe. The two center posts are 8 x 8 x 1/2-inch wall square tube. All setting on 12 x 12 x 1-inch plates anchored into 12-inch thick slab. I only have $3,000.00 total in that crane, including hoist, and winch for travel. Most of the steel came off construction projects. I'm lucky I must know 50 PEs that I've worked with over the years. I designed my crane, but with the help of Auto-Cad drawings and e-mail the head of the engineering department of the construction company I worked for approved every detail.

 

[mx842]

I have six posts, the four corner posts are 4-inch sch 80 pipe. The two center posts are 8 x 8 x 1/2-inch wall square tube. All setting on 12 x 12 x 1-inch plates anchored into 12-inch thick slab. I only have $3,000.00 total in that crane, including hoist, and winch for travel. Most of the steel came off construction projects. I'm lucky I must know 50 PEs that I've worked with over the years. I designed my crane, but with the help of Auto-Cad drawings and e-mail the head of the engineering department of the construction company I worked for approved every detail.

Very nice......but did you get the approval from the head donut on the miller site?

Yeah, I've been pretty lucky too in that respect. I know a lot of people in the construction industry and I'm always getting calls from one or another about something they are about to throw out. My oldest boy works as a welder for a large plant and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff they just throw out. He just called me last week and said, hey! come quick and get your new welding table. I didn't ask questions, just jumped in the truck, hooked up the trailer and took off. An hour later I was coming down the road with a nice 9'X 4' welding table with a 11/4" aluminum plate on top. The plate was mounted to 4000lb hydraulic lift table on really nice castors and the best thing was this unit ran off 110 single phase unlike the last one I got that was a 3 phase 440V that was hard for me to find a use for. This one is going to look so nice in my new welding shop once it's done.


Is that your shop at your house or is that where you work? This building I am working on is at my home but I plan on using it for my business if I can ever get it finished. I had to shut down my operation on the big road because things got so slow in the boat business that it didn't make sense to keep throwing good money after bad. I was going to give it another year but last winter they were calling for gas prices to go back up to over $4.50 again in the summer and that's what killed it in the first place so I just pulled the plug. I have a couple rich buddies that were crying/bragging about it costing them $800 to $1000 bucks a day for gas to run their play toys but most people couldn't afford to put enough in their boat to get it away from the dock let alone running it up and down the river.

 

[Shield Arc]

I could care less about his opinion, besides he's not a PE, he says he has an engineering degree, but never offers to help anybody. In fact he's not a professional weldor, he plays in his buddy's shop.


No my hobby shop is at my home. I'm not a professional weldor either. Use to be, but not any longer.

 

[sparc]

If you really insist on cutting these pieces of short steel (scrap term) I highly recommend the Steel circular saw from HF. It looks like a regular circular saw but has better guards to capture the hot cuttings from flying around, and getting into the motor windings.(won't last long if that happens)
Bought mine for $89 on sale w/coupon and got extra blade for $20. Cut a bunch of stuff and still on original blade.
Saws rated for 1/4" , but I've cut up to 1/2" angle and plate , just have to go slower and results in a cleean machined cut.

NOW what I'd recommend you do is look around for a scrap dealer or demolition company that will resell salvage beams. Or a steel distributor that sells odds and ends or returns from major jobs. Sounds like you need a 12" junior "I", ( but check with a PE) for the span and load.
I really wouldn't be to confident of welding those shorts togetther and having a smooth track for your trolley, even if you grind all the beads. OK I'll be blunt, you'll end up with a 1/2 a--ed looking piece that would scare most people, and will have an UNKNOWN STRENGTH AND WEIGHT CAPACITY.
i really think you can sell the the shorts for scrap and probably not have to lay out much for the new beam.
BTW, started welding at 14 on the farm, have a mechanical eng degree, spent 1/2 the last 40 yrs running maintenance shops and building and fixing stuff and not opposed to fabbing stuff from scrap(been doing it all my life) just think this is not the best idea. Good luck, Joe

I second Joe's comments. Your welded up T-bar will not be straight and of questionable strength. Scrap the steel and put the money towards a W4 x 13 or similar beam, you'll be better off.

 

[mx842]

I could care less about his opinion, besides he's not a PE, he says he has an engineering degree, but never offers to help anybody. In fact he's not a professional weldor, he plays in his buddy's shop.


No my hobby shop is at my home. I'm not a professional weldor either. Use to be, but not any longer.

OH yeah??? He told me he was a PE with 30 or 40 years experience in the building trades. And yes I noticed how he didn't like to offer up any meaningful help to anyone but I just chalked that up to his desire for the self preservation of his profession. :laughing:

That's a fine looking hobby shop you have going there, must be nice. Hopefully one day I'll have my small one up and running. Right now I have all this neat stuff sitting outside with no way to use it but one day if the good Lord be willing I'll get it up to where I can work and play.