Not another set of home-brew tire chains...

[Jim Timber]

I don't know about great. :laughing: Much of the welds are in the "quick and dirty" category of aesthetics because - they're tire chains. As long as the half link was close enough to get a good weld on both ends after tacking, it got finished out where it was. If I was manufacturing these for sale, this would be a reject set based on workmanship. If I was to make them on production scale, I'd also have a much better fixture than a chunk of bar stock and some vise grips.

But I appreciate the kind words.

 

[Sodo]

That is a LOT of welding. You must have a good system for setting up. There'e no quick and dirty those are all FINE welds - mostly perfect (in the pics). How much does a chain set like that cost to buy (normal retail)?

 

[Jim Timber]

Other than when the shorter side retention chains are on, the links all line up and lay flat across the bar. So it goes really fast when all you're doing is moving up 3 links and welding either the inside pair or the outside pair(s). The half link welds aren't too bad time wise as I held the link with vise grips, then put the side strap end over it, held it to the web or outside chain section, then tacked it. Removed the VG and finished the top welds, rolled the link over and did the bottom side. Next!

I only welded one side at a time on the webs though. It's much easier to push through the whole 17' of chain (5 web welds per foot btw), then flip it over and go over the back sides of what's already been welded.

Like I said, if I was doing more of these on a regular basis (or for pay), I'd have a different setup to support the weight of the chain outside the section being worked. There's 210' of 3/8" chain in these (between the pair) and it's heavy!

Retail with ice cleats is $3600 plus freight. I'm at around $350 and will have another $300 or so in heat treating. So I saved myself $3K, or basically paid for my TIG welder again in 2 days.

 

[Sodo]

Wow $3600. Awesome. But yeah the ice cleats would be another bunch of welds. I assume these are for some rig like a road grader or skidder that works all day long?

 

[Jim Timber]

Welding these up wouldn't be bad, but cutting the links would take a long time. Probably another couple days unless a fixture was made for a chop saw (which is what I'd do) or the U's were purchased from a place capable of forming them off coil stock.

There's also versions that use small sections of bar stock welded across the links.

My hope is that these work well without the studs and they're easy on asphalt so I can leave them on all the time. I don't need them for getting around my place in the warm season, but we all know how well R4's are on snow and ice. I'm thinking with the web as full as it is, that I'll have all the traction I need from the links themselves since they should be kept out of the lugs in the tires by the pattern. We'll see!