expanded steel and square tubing

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Greetings! I've been lurking for a while and I am finally ready to show my ignorance.I'm fabricating a front cargo basket (40" by 18" by 8") for my utv and am using standard 3/4" square tubing for the frame. I've mig welded that together and seems strong/solid.I am going to be attaching a very light weight stretched/expanded flattened steel (1/2" #16)  to the frame to create the basket.  I paid about $60 for a 4x8 sheet at the local steel company. Much lighter weight that the stretched steel I am familiar with that can be used to make trailers and ramps and the like. Much lighter.How do I attach the stretch steel to the frame? Welding two very different density steel materials together I've never done before. The tubing is maybe a 16 gauge and the expanded steel seems to be a good bit lighter than that. Mig, oxy, other?thanks,RAJ
Reply:MIG it.  Start welding on the tube and wash the puddle over to the expanded.My name's not Jim....
Reply:The other thing you can do is make a second frame that fits inside the first from flat stock or light angle and weld the 2 frames together with the expanded mesh sandwiched in between.  I have had to do that on very light wire mesh.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Your #16 expanded is lighter than 16 awg, or it just seems like it because it appears more like wire than solid and flat?  Even if they are the same I suppose it can be problematic.  Can you use .023 solid wire?
Reply:This #16 is .050 thick which makes it almost 18 gauge as I understand. It certainly seems very flimsy like wire mesh (think vaporize) any time the MIG gun gets anywhere close to it.I'll check on  the .023 wire. Why do you ask, Sandy?I can try the "puddle wash" strategy for sure. That may take some practice but can do.The "sandwich approach" certainly has intuitive appeal. That may be my fallback/bailout option and it certainly should work. It might actually be my easiest option.RAJP.S. Sandy... I am using .035 flux cored wire but can use down to .023 solid wire.Last edited by RAJ; 10-15-2009 at 11:43 PM.Reason: clarification
Reply:Originally Posted by RAJThis #16 is .050 thick which makes it almost 18 gauge as I understand. It certainly seems very flimsy like wire mesh (think vaporize) any time the MIG gun gets anywhere close to it.I'll check on  the .023 wire. Why do you ask, Sandy?I can try the "puddle wash" strategy for sure. That may take some practice but can do.The "sandwich approach" certainly has intuitive appeal. That may be my fallback/bailout option and it certainly should work. It might actually be my easiest option.RAJ
Reply:Many, many thanks guys. I ended up using a combination of the splash technique and the sandwich method.The sandwich using a piece of 1/2" flat with the 3/4" square really gives me something substantial to weld "together". Hefty! Probably overkill.The splash took a bit of practice and is something I probably was trying to do yesterday without really thinking about it. Once I actually tried to splash to incorporate the expanded metal, it worked probably 90% of the time. Prior to that, my welds were holding about 25% of the time by accident.My basket isn't pretty but let me get out my grinder, my needle scaler and my aerosol paint and it will be out little secret.RAJP.S..... Where is that darn spell chekker!