|
|
Hi everyone, I'm a beginner in welding and creating parts out of angle iron. This weekend me and some other ppl will be working on creating the structure that I designed in Solidworks. The structure is made completely out of angle iron, of only 2 different types. It is also highly symetrical, the left and right sides are completely the same.Now, before the construction begins I want to prepare for everything so when we start cutting up the angle iron, everything goes on without pause or questioning.However I have absolutely no prior experience in this and could only logically think of a couple things to do:-sketch all the individual angle iron pieces, write out its specs and give it a number to be used for ref-measure all the angles of the cuts-measure the angle of the angle iron's alignment to other parts-printout 1:1 scale of the shape that I used to align the angle iron(in my case, it's an oval), so i could use that printout for easy alignment. Note that this is a fairly big construction, I will need to printout a lot of paperanything else that I missed? or am I planning something redundant?thank you
Reply:Sounds like quite an ambitious project. Ovals are usually a PITA because of the changing angles. The big key will be in the accuracy of your cuts and layout. You don't list how you plan to cut these. Most abarasive chops saw are not very accurate especially with angles. Usually for precision cuts I do layout with a machinists angle square and cut with my bandsaw/ portaband. I get better control over exact length and can get much closer to the exact angles I want. Steels not much different than wood, except it's usually harder to get the accuracy you can with most woodworking tools.I seldom find I need exact paterns to work from. Usually a clear well dimensioned drawing will give me enough info to replicate the parts. It is sometimes helpfull to have a full sized patern to lay all the parts on to check the accuracy as you go. As you finish each piece lay it in position and leave it there going on to the next. This allows you to make any changes as you go if you need to recut a piece. It's usually best to start with the longer pieces 1st, so if you F one up, you can still get a shorter piece out of it and save material. I usually do layout on a steel table, concrete floor, or sometimes a large plywood table for welding. Paper makes for a tough surface to work near while welding. One thing I have done is get large prints made in some cases for other projects however. Kinko's, Officemax and so on often have large format printers/copiers. You may be able to get prints as wide as 48-60" at some places and as long as you want from the roll. In some cases I'll get prints and so on done on mylar rather than paper. It stands up to more abuse and is waterproof on the jobsite, but costs more to get printed..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:What I've done with angled pieces working with AutoCAD is forget all the rules about redundant dimensions. Dimension the assembly and each individual pieces as many ways as you might think you'll need in the shop. Each piece should be dimensioned from the horizontal or vertical plane then the assembly checked for overall angle. Set your dimensions to whatever units and precision you can use in the shop.Unless you're going to mill each joint to finished size, your fit up will not be 100% accurate using common shop cutting tools. That isn't a problem with welded joints since they will be filled. You'll want to have an accurate machinist type angle square to make sure the angles are correct when they are clamped for welding and again after any movement from the welding. The picture is a piece I cut for myself. Not a pretty drawing by any means but when making shop drawings for myself it is just quick and for me. Just remember paper is cheaper than metal and a lot easier to cut so use your cad program to help you. But I've never had any luck using templates in the shop...just adds one more variable to the process.Measure twice, cut once. Check your work as you go every step of the way. Tolerances are notorious for building up and biting you in the end. If you can clamp assemble the whole project before welding it might help you get the overall shape shape by fudging a little at each joint. Hope this helps...maybe not the best way to explain it. Al Attached ImagesA man is judged by what's between his legs...always ride a good horseMiller DialArc HFLincoln Classic 300DThermal Arc 181iPowermax 45Scotchman Ironworker(2) BridgeportsOkomota Surface GrinderAutoCAD 2010 |
|
发表于 2021-9-1 00:30:16