Amateur projects

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I joined here back in April last year when I was looking around for a welder and ended up with a HF Dual Mig 171.  Honestly the forums here combined with my limited budget (and the fact that I'd never welded before) led me to this welder and I can't be happier.So far I've burned through 3 10lb rolls and working on my 4th.  Below are a couple of my  projects I managed to grab pics of.  Feel free to critique my welds as this is the first time I've ever posted pics on here (go easy on me I'm self trained).  First one is a light bar I made for my F350 - it holds a total of 7 8" HID lights and can easily carry my fat 250lb a$$ without flex.  I built with the intention of adding a winch mount later on and yes this truck is used offroad quite extensively.  Second project is a side gate I made for my sisters house.  First crack at ever making a gate and considering I only had a cheapy HF tube bender to shape with I think it came out well!  Thanks for any input  Attached ImagesLast edited by eponator; 06-20-2012 at 02:09 PM.
Reply:More pics (last one is just for fun) Attached ImagesLast edited by eponator; 06-20-2012 at 02:10 PM.
Reply:Avoid grinding down the weld whenever possible, it takes much of the strength out of the joint. If it looks crappy enough that you need to grind it down, then just means you need more welding practice..You can grind joints on thicker material as long as you prep the joint to insure full penetration welds.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Seconded on the grinding...  Plus we can't really critique a bead that isn't there anymore.
Reply:Thanks for the feedback, I forget thickness on the pipe as it was mostly leftover scrap donated to me but it's pretty thick stuff, hence the grind down.  The welds weren't especially ugly or anything I just did it to give a smoother overall appearance (didn't want the stacked dime look on the joints - preferred a smooth finish).  I capped the weld then ground it back down as flush as I could.  I welded a few scrap pieces together beforehand to ensure proper penetration before I went at the final bar.  It's got lights on it now and I've used it many times in the dunes at night.  I also use it as a footstep when working under the hood and have hung from it on many occasions.  Seems to be holding up just fine to me but I'm no pro.   You think I should go back over those welds or is the risk of them failing minimal?.Sorry I didn't have any other pics of the welds, I always forget about the camera once I get into the middle of everything.  I'm about to make a small quartz top table for the patio in a few hours, I'll try to remember to grab a few pics of those.Last edited by eponator; 06-20-2012 at 05:33 PM.
Reply:Man!!That gate/door must be REAL fun to open.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Slides open and closed with the push of a finger.  Good hinges were key   It's all made out of mild steel not cast iron and it's hollow 14gauge so it's lighter than you think.  Solid back was a must as privacy is very important to the homeowner and hard to obtain in the CA suburbs...Again, I'm a newb at this stuff, any recommendations should I ever make another one?  Keep in mind all cuts are made with 4.5" angle grinder variable speed with a variety of blades so everything here is freehand.  No $ in the books for extra toys at the moment.Edit: You can kind of see some untouched welds on the mounts where they bolt to the bumper.  I didn't have any L channel so I welded two pieces of flat stock together.  I'll try and weld up some coupons too for you guys to critique tonight with bend tests, cuts and etching with muriatic if you don't mind.  I'd love to get some pro opinions on the welds themselves.Last edited by eponator; 06-20-2012 at 06:35 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterMan!!That gate/door must be REAL fun to open.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by eponatorI joined here back in April last year when I was looking around for a welder and ended up with a HF Dual Mig 171.  Honestly the forums here combined with my limited budget (and the fact that I'd never welded before) led me to this welder and I can't be happier.So far I've burned through 3 10lb rolls and working on my 4th.  Below are a couple of my  projects I managed to grab pics of.  Feel free to critique my welds as this is the first time I've ever posted pics on here (go easy on me I'm self trained).  First one is a light bar I made for my F350 - it holds a total of 7 8" HID lights and can easily carry my fat 250lb a$$ without flex.  I built with the intention of adding a winch mount later on and yes this truck is used offroad quite extensively.  Second project is a side gate I made for my sisters house.  First crack at ever making a gate and considering I only had a cheapy HF tube bender to shape with I think it came out well!  Thanks for any input
Reply:Just got home and measured, the tube used for the lightbar was 2" ID 3/16" thick steel.  You think that's good enough with another pass on the welds or should I just give up on the winch mount idea and use it as a light bar?  The steel used for the brackets is 1/4" thick beveled with multiple passes.  These use the factory bumper bolts to mount directly to the frame on each side (fully boxed front end) just like the bumper would normally be mounted.Thanks for clueing me in Bist, that one went over my head...  I blame the long workday.Here's a few picks for your critiquing.  These welds are on a small work table I put together a few months back.  This is 10 gauge square tube welded to a 2'x2' plate 3 /16 thick.  Sorry for the crappy cellphone pics, it's all I've got. Attached ImagesLast edited by eponator; 06-20-2012 at 08:21 PM.