2 thinner plates vs 1 thicker plate?

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I am in the process of building some wheel adapters to fit some telehandler wheels on a grader. Talking with the owner of a shop with a CNC plasma, he agrees 3/4" plate should have sufficient strength. The adapters will bolt onto the cast center discs using the 15 5/8" studs that use rim clamps to hold the OEM rims on. Looking at it today I realized I can't use press in studs in the adapters because there isn't enough clearance for the heads of the studs. Wanting to build these adapters on somewhat of a budget I was thinking I could use 2 3/8" plates plug welded together to get the required strength. Then the studs could just go through the outside 3/8" plate and be basically countersunk. All the holes could be cut on the plasma table and I wouldn't need to get any machining done at greater expense. If the 2 3/8" plates were clamped and plug welded together I thought could be a more economical way to build the adapters. Curious if this would be a viable option? The hubs are the same as these and the new wheels have about a 7 1/4" smaller bolt circle. 1/2" and 1/4" plate plug welded together is another option. http://www.vannattabros.com/10-7/brake2.jpgLast edited by Welder Dave; 1 Week Ago at 10:11 PM.
Reply:I plug weld plate together to make dies for my tubing bender, but that's about it.  It's only under whatever stress stainless/carbon tubing places on the die.For load bearing, I rely on perimeter beveled welds.  It's the way I make the bars that hold the balls on my bumper hitch.  Works fine.  I laminate 2 pieces of 1/2 to make 1".If you're dealing with press in studs, it's sorta critical to determine the knurl diameter, then size the hole accordingly.  Depending on the knurl design (fine/coarse), the interference fit should be between .007, and .010 .  Finer teeth can fit a tighter hole.  Knurl diameter is generally given in the stud specs.  Be sure to chamfer the holes, or the studs won't center properly.Last edited by farmersammm; 1 Week Ago at 11:17 PM.
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Reply:A plug welded assembly.  Laminating 2 pieces of 5/8 plate.


Reply:Instead of studs, can you drill and tap the 3/4” plate and use bolts to attach the wheels?Miller Trailblazer Pro 350DMiller Suitcase MIGMiller Spectrum 2050Miller Syncrowave 250DXLincoln 210MP
Reply:considering all goin on, i'd say ur hard at it (A+).      u may of explained it well, but i cant grasp it all.     but, if load/force is a side to side/shear type thing, plug welds are nice. something to think about, would be if a weld process w/ minimal/no slag.     i'm probabaly mentioning things ur aware of.       i've made oversize holes/slots , and not filled  centers them, but did more of a internal circular fillet weld - sorta.  i easier/might get better tie-in.       the other night i plug welded a splash guard on side of stainless sink w/ mig.  after  grinding/buffing/polishing flush and pretty, i had to go back and zap quite a few spots that just didnt get filled/fused right.     i think them inadequate plugs happens quite more than we think
Reply:The problem with tapping the holes is cost. The holes would need to be drilled and then tapped and would be about $20 per hole. There are 10 wheels studs on each adapter. If the CNC plasma can cut beveled holes for plow bolts would be a lot less expensive. A rough estimate for the adapters was around $250 each plus $110 for drawing the program which I thought was reasonable considering they need 25 holes in each. The plasma can cut square holes for plow bolts so hoping it can also cut bevels. If it can I can use a single 3/4" plate. It's a high definition plasma with true hole technology. The adapters are 21.5" dia. with an 11" inside hole. Of coarse the price of steel has doubled in the last few weeks. These are the kind of hubs I'm dealing with. I think there is just enough room for the wheels to miss the studs on the hub when bolted on. I'm going to make a template to be doubly sure. http://www.vannattabros.com/10-7/brake2.jpg
Reply:I'd have the plates cut roughly, and do the rest of the work on a drill press or mill. You'll wreck drill bits on plasma cut holes if you have to drill anything out, so better factor that in. I've never seen a commercial plasma do bevelled holes, even a Hi def. The technology is there on the best tables, but the bevel cuts just aren't smooth enough unless its for welding to afterwards, so no-one really bothers. I wouldn't be sandwiching two thin plates either. Lots of stress on a few plug welds from big wheels on a big grader.IMHO do it right, or don't bother... Probably cost $400 each for the adapters at a machine shop and save you all the headaches.Murphy's Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.