Help......What Angle?

chim · Dec 13, 2003

I need to cut four pieces of angle iron with angled cuts on the ends. They will be assembled into a square, with the legs of the angle iron welded together at the corners. They need to form a frame that will trap a square piece of material when welded together. Legs will all face toward the center of the square, with the sharp corner of the angle facing away from center.

It will be a compound cut that could be made on a bandsaw or chopsaw by clamping the angle at 45 degrees, then cutting at 45 degrees.

I need to mark the cut on each leg of the angle iron. Marking at 45 degrees makes the corner less than 90 degrees when assembled. Now I wish I'd have paid more attention in geometry class......................chim

wroughtn_harv · Dec 13, 2003

Chim I don't think it's your angle that's causing you to get off. It's because you haven't allowed for material thickness would be my guess.

I have one chop saw that's locked (welded) in at forty five degrees. I don't even have to check for ninety or square because it's a dead on cut. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

So each leg has a point, forty five degree cut down on each side, right? Each horizontal piece also has the same kind of point at each end, right?

That is slick. A bugger bear to get all lined up. But when you glue that puppy together it ought to be finer'n frog hair, not much can be finer'n that.

I'm impressed. Check your material thickness. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Deerlope · Dec 13, 2003

I am not really clear on what it is that you are trying to do, but when cutting metal at a 45drg it is best to use a stationary band saw and cut slow. the slow the better. chop saws are not accrute.

wroughtn_harv · Dec 13, 2003

Ah Fred, you know the difference between a weldor and a machinest don't you?

Weldor looks at a quarter inch gap and smiles. It's nothing but a thing. After all if he can step across it he can fill it.

A machinest looks at the same quarter inch gap and screams, "THAT'S TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FREAKIN' THOUSANDTHS!!!!!!!!" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

A chop saw isn't designed for cuts like you'd want on a bandsaw. But an experienced fabricator can use one effectively. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

dieselsmoke1 · Dec 13, 2003

( After all if he can step across it he can fill it.)

LOL hadn't heard it quite expressed that way but a lot of truth /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

The colorful old characture at the local garage/welding/repair/wrecker shop I've gone to for years says there ain't but two broke things he can't weld shut.....

the break of day and a breakin heart /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RonR · Dec 13, 2003

I used to work at an ag mfg company. One of the product customer support managers was fond of saying, after dealing with bad production welds that got onto production machinery:

"We have the finest welders in the world. No where else on planet earth can you find welders that can run a bead down a seam and not get any penetration on either side!"

That one stuck with me!

wroughtn_harv · Dec 13, 2003

( the break of day and a breakin heart )

That's an awful lot like the one I've always heard, "crack of dawn and a broken heart".

By marriage I've got a second or third cousin who's a union weldor in Louisiana. He's the one who taught me the "if he can step across it he can fill it." More than once he's sent me to school. The man stays busy on jobs where your third failed weld gets you replaced. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

This picture is for Rat. I think it'll show him why I like 5P+ so much. This joint I hit lightly with a cup brush on a small angle grinder. It cleans up so easily and working it is like playing with plastic that likes you.

40Kchicks · Dec 13, 2003

Thats why it isn't so bad to mess up everyonce and awhile. When your grinding that weld off you can be grading your welds at the same time.

wroughtn_harv · Dec 13, 2003

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of talking to a young weldor who really wants to be an ag teacher. I explained to him that welding was one of the best practical lessons on living and something a teacher can use with his students.

Some folks work hard trying make good looking welds. There in lies the secret. If they just tried to make good welds then the welds almost always end up looking good. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

There's a lesson about life in there I think. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

PineRidge · Dec 13, 2003

Harvey now that's what I call real welding. I'm pretty good at getting two pieces of metal joined with my old Lincoln stick welder but please don't take off points for the looks of the weld itself. It isn't pretty.