corey9212
Platinum Member
Hello everybody, after long hours (due to this being my very first fab job and very first welding project) I finally completed my waterer for my horses.
First welding project ever (waterer for livestock)
- Thread starter corey9212
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tungularafishcamp
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2010
- Messages
- 1,418
- Location
- kodiak island, Alaska
- Tractor
- kubota L2800, 1/2 of a L48
Nice Job, those radius corners and fluting it looks professional:thumbsup:
OP
corey9212
Platinum Member
tungularafishcamp said:
Thank you, my neighbor who is a master fabricator taught me a couple things and I have been applying them to the project. The biggest problems I had was using the torch to cut the metal, no matter what I did the flame would always pop and go out and the metal would spray back at the torch instead of out and away. The second was I used flux cored wire to do the welds and they took a lot to get cleaned up (really considering the $200 to get a bottle of mix gas)
JB4310
Super Member
Can't really tell by the pics but it looks pretty good, considering what water weighs though, I would put some diagonal bracing down to the lower legs. It wouldn't take much of an impact to fold one of those supports up.
Again can't see by the pics but I would think bracing would be needed also to support the weight when you lift it from that point ???
JB.
Again can't see by the pics but I would think bracing would be needed also to support the weight when you lift it from that point ???
JB.
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corey9212
Platinum Member
JB4310 said:
That's a good idea, I know it has been tested and will hold 375lbs with no problems and that tank will be half full at most, but yeah I don't need the legs collapsing.
I've thought about bracing for the lift pins to make it stronger but am not sure how to do it for support, I will take more detailed pics when I get home and post them.
KubotainNH
Veteran Member
Looks good but have to agree with JB. Just a couple braces on each side is plenty like the red part I added to your picture. I think the way it is, all it would take is a bounce to brake it in the top left section. Water is heavy and the weight moves around a bunch. The angle on the picture I added is just a thought, it could be more of a 45 degrees if wanted but I put it to where the lift arms attach for good distribution to the platform.
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I agree with the previous posters. I'm sure it is quite stout when the legs are on the ground but your tractor will bounce that 300-400lbs as easily as you would toss around 25lbs. Weld the braces on and get years of service out of that. Half the fun is making stuff anyway. Welcome to backyard welding. :thumbsup:
OP
corey9212
Platinum Member
Thanks guys, here is more pics to show the different details. The one thing that sucks is all I have to work with is a ton of square tubing and no angle iron (have to be very creative on my inventions)
JB4310
Super Member
Right now you have a good looking table with basically 2 supports.
Your attempting to lift it from just one of those supports, I'm surprised it didn't fold up just from the weight of the water. you want to create a box or cube effect with the diagonal bracing, and square bracing between those supports.
The connection between the larger square tubing and the smaller tubing is still unclear by the pics but may need some reinforcement as well.
Nothing wrong with square tubing to work with.
JB.
Your attempting to lift it from just one of those supports, I'm surprised it didn't fold up just from the weight of the water. you want to create a box or cube effect with the diagonal bracing, and square bracing between those supports.
The connection between the larger square tubing and the smaller tubing is still unclear by the pics but may need some reinforcement as well.
Nothing wrong with square tubing to work with.
JB.
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corey9212
Platinum Member
JB4310 said:
I'm going to be adding the support system that was shown earlier on one of my pics to get it beefed up, as for the connections anywhere two pieces of metal are meeting is welded, not just a little tack or weld here or there but every little space is fully welded together sometimes with thee passes.
KubotainNH
Veteran Member
Nothing wrong with the metal, I wish I had a big supply of it. You can make it work easily enough. You're almost there.
grsthegreat
Super Star Member
Im not an expert at this either, but i think you need to connect the 2 sides at the bottom to prevent it from colapsing....i took the liberty of messing with one of your pics.
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corey9212
Platinum Member
grsthegreat said:
I've thought about that initially, I might add it to the support shown above unless you guys think it would be overkill.
JB4310
Super Member
I don't think it would be overkill, considering what water weighs, plus the fact that it is so dynamic (moves alot).
Remember what I said about making it cube or box shaped, plus the diagonals, you will be all set.
Put some better pics of the connection to the larger box member if you want some more critique.
JB
Remember what I said about making it cube or box shaped, plus the diagonals, you will be all set.
Put some better pics of the connection to the larger box member if you want some more critique.
JB
