Steel Rack for my Truck

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Hey guys!! Well, this is one of my first projects, and the first time ive gotten to post in this forum (WooHoo!!)... I'm a high school welding student, and I decided to try making some things at home and attempting to earn a buck or two, but first I needed to get some steel... There are three local yards here, and when I sent off for a quote, one of them never bothered getting back to me, another doesn't offer delivery, and the thhird charges $75 for it. So, I built this thing, for $60 in steel and some more for welding rod and paint. Im happy, because I can say that I built something cool like this, and it will have paid for itself the second time I use it.I used 1/4 inch thick 2x2 square tubing, and 2x2x1/4 angle for this. It was my first time doing a square groove weld outside of school, and doing that with hobart 6011 on an old lincoln tombstone was way harder than runing 5p 6010 on the nice millers at school, but i got the job done, and covered it with 7018. In the other two sides of the square tube, I just ran 7018 in a weave. Also easier on DC. And here it is... The invoice from the steel yard claims this load weighted 509 lbs, but I'm not so sure that it was that much. It held just fine, and diddn't appear to bend...[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUwXU2f8rU4[/ame][Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Good job! I like the fact that you used 1/4" wall tubing instead of the thin stuff like the store bought models. And great call on the sturdy tie down ring, and hi visability yellow paint. I just may have to make a rack like yours this summer. Two thumbs up for chop saw safety ( eye and ear protection). Keep up the good work!IAMAW Local 330Airco 300 AC/DC HeliwelderAirco Dip-Pak 200 with Profax spool gunPowr-Kraft AC225Everlast PowerArc 200stBuffalo Forge No.21 drill pressSpeedglas 9100xxAirco, Oxweld, Purox, Victor torchesLincoln Ranger 8
Reply:A little wider and you could have fit a canoe into it. We all love going down the crik in a canoe!Classic 1D 200SAE 30086 SA 200Hyperthem 45Jancy Mag Force O/A Victor-GossCable's remote2-12" Mathey Dearman bevelersLN 25Miller Auto Set 211Wendy's Pancake/Jackson PipelinerNew Holland LS 180Great story man....tell it again!
Reply:Good job bro. Keep building and posting pics.
Reply:When a breaker trips you may have to let it cool down for a few minutes.Keep the rpm's up and the breaker will not trip.When cutting steel in a chop saw IT MUST BE CLAMPED DOWN !!! or you can get seriously hurt.If you have to make an extreme angle cut they you will have to use a different tool.It is NOT like a wood chop saw.Better keep that oxy-actyelene torch away from the chop saw.Round off the corners on your angle iron so you do not snag your clothes on it and those sharp corners can hurt if you bang your knee or something on them. Always round them off.You are going to paint it right? OK...I saw it YELLOW. Make sure to wipe it down with some acetone before painting. Steel is shipped with someoils on it.Good luck on your projects.Last edited by Donald Branscom; 03-03-2011 at 07:29 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:When a breaker trips you may have to let it cool down for a few minutes.When cutting steel in a chop saw IT MUST BE CLAMPED DOWN !!! or you can get seriously hurt.If you have to make an extreme angle cut they you will have to use a different tool.It is NOT like a wood chop saw.Better keep that oxy-actyelene torch away from the chop saw.Good luck on your projects.What does that rack get used for?AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:nice job.  might want to get a chisel and hammer to knock off those BB's around those beads.  will make those beads look even better.  x2 on rounding off those corners.  i always round them.dave.
Reply:very nice job. flap disk works good for smoothing the bb's off also. gota love dc huh. corners have to rounded. i keep threatening to dip my hitch in rubber till it is about 2" thick.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Nice job Lanse.  I see those racks at the local PA store selling for around $200 IIRC.  Your rack looks better built than they are, nice to see you got around to it before the tailgate on the truck got bent. May not be a concern where you are but when I build one of these, I would angle up the bottom support from the hitch receiver, to the bottom of the rack.  Just so it wouldn't hang up on curbs and ditches and such.  You could modify yours easily.As for the chop saw that is a good score.  The Makitas are just about standard in construction and industry here.  BTW, I've fixed many chop saws and usually it is the switch that fails.  The only suggestion I would make is to wear a full face shield in addition to the safety glasses.  Failing to wear it after being warned to do so on the job will get you run here.  Also never stand in line with the blade, stand to one side so if it fails most of the shrapnel will not hit you.  I hang a full face shield on my chopsaw handle in between uses so I never forget it or have to look for it.You are doing great for a high school student, you should have bright future as a welder and fabricator if that is what you want."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:Nice job Lanse, I do have to tell you that all of us on the Allis Chalmers page do  miss you.   TEDMI.
Reply:Looked to me like the steel was clamped down in every video and picture shot he took? One suggestion is to move the car out of the garage when working with the chop saw and paint.
Reply:Nice job, Lanse.I'm in school too and its great taking those new skills home and creating with them.Just one thing, $60.00 for a few feet of 1/4" 2X2 and some angle???Man, that sounds like a lot. Don't you have a scrap yard within like 30 - 40 miles of you? Even with gas prices you'd be saving some money.Keep up the good work.E.