1" x 16 ga sqare tube

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i have some 1" sqare tube with 16 ga wall thickness... i've heard some people say that square tube is difficult to weld due to the corners... anyone have any input ad to why that is?thanks in advanceLater,Andy
Reply:I've never found it especially difficult, 1 inch square is pretty small to be honest. I guess some people have difficulty with corners due to technique? You'll be all right though...Metaltrades.co.uk
Reply:If you are talking about miter corners, it can be a little difficult to weld the leading corner but I havn't had to much problems with keeping the joint square. I guess it is all how you do it. I must say that 16 gauge isn't going to be much fun to well though.Miller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:yea... i figured it wouldn't be easy, but it was cheap and it's plenty strong for what i want to do (BBQ Frame). i don;t plan on mitering the joints tho... too much work for what i am doing... maybe on the next ones (i have 3 more after this one). i plan on just butting them against each other and laying a few tacks to set it sqare (check after each tack) and then lay a bead on one side, let it cool, do the opposite side's bead, let it cool, etc. i have about 20-30 joints i will be doing, so i can keep working on another while i wait for the other to cool...i jsut want to minimize warpage and burn-thru.thanksLater,Andy
Reply:Just concentrate your heat on the heaviest part of the metal.overlap your welds at the corners so there are no pin holes.  Pinholes are great places for rust to start and water to enter the tubing.  I have most success with running individual weld/side rather than trying to run a continuous weld around 2-3 sides.However, why miter.  Butt square, cap end and grind.  Check as you go and cold set to maintain squareness.  16g is not difficult, I make a living welding the stuff.  That is probably why I rarely miter the thin stuff.Last edited by tapwelder; 11-21-2007 at 03:00 PM.
Reply:Outside mitered corners are easier with GMAW vertical-down.  I didn't see what process you were going to use.  I miter and weld this stuff all the time.  I used GMAW and FCAW almost exclusively for this stuff back in the US, but here I even do it with 3/32" 6013 with no problems.  Just takes some practice.Put a flap disk on your grinder and the corner will look like it was born there, except for the nice bead on the inside of the mitered corner.
Reply:i jsut plan on butting them up... i'm not good enough to miter them yet... i'd have to free-hand it with a sawzall or grinder and a perminant marker... my dad woudl kill me if i brought home another tool to fit into HIS garage... hoepfully in a month or two i will be in my own house with my own garage... then i jsut have to fight with my woman over it... hehehehehe... plus, i'm not 100% positive on the EXACT sizes that i need... i plan on this grill to be my "test grill" that i can go and measure everything off of. i cut all the stock about 1/2" to 1" longer than it needs to be so i have some room to play... plus i have plenty of scrap to fix my mistakes... but i know i'm perfect so i don't make any mistakes... YEAH!!! RIGHT!!!! hehehehehe thanks for the tips too... i really appreciate it all.Later,Andy
Reply:I agree with Mac, for this thin stuff, weld flat, and downhill. You may want to start a little in from a corner, and carry the weld through the corner by 1/4". It seems to make it easier, especially with thinner material. Start and stop on the flats, not right in the center of the corner. Hope this helps! Paul.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Shouldn't be too hard to weld a corner. WHere did you hear/read/see that from?Love welding?  http://industrial-tools-equipment.com
Reply:The other "corner" I can think that might be asked about is the slight radius on the corner of the tubing itself.  When another tube is flat up against it, there will be a significant gap and raw edge which will like to melt before fusing.A few minutes with a good file or care with a grinder can put a slight fishmouth in the end of the one tube and cause that gap to close, making it easier.  Also (and don't tell anyone I told you this) you can put a nail or something in the gap and fuse it all together.That's not to say you HAVE to do anything about the gap, either.  Be your own pulser and keep most of the heat on the straight tube, washing the puddle into the raw edge of the other tube.  You'll get the hang of it and look like an expert in no time.Oh, and there's no need to let it cool before welding the opposite side.  In fact, the less time between welding opposite sides the better.  It's what the other side does during the first weld that causes problems.
Reply:Check and Maintain squareness as you build.  Don't wait until the end to try to make things square.  You can also be creative your tubing and taper the tubing at the ends to make caps.
Reply:In a shop that I used to work in back in my high school days, we welded 16ga square tubing almost exclusively to build stands for musical instruments.  With a good MIG, the right wire size and gas dialed in properly, it's easy as cake.  No worries with the corners, don't miter, or do miter, it's up to you.  I would recommend some sort of jig to keep it square though.  Best of luck to ya.Contact me for any metal polishing needs you may have, my avatar is a pic of a standard, painted fire axe that I ground, sanded polished and buffed to a mirror finish.
Reply:thanks for all the tips guys... i got the BBQ almost done today... it's looking great. i hope to get pictures tomorrow... it was too dark tonight when i got done, plus i'm gonna bead-blast it tomorrow to get the paint/mill-scale/slag/other crap off. some of the welds look like poo, but i think it's mainly from being out of position... i didn't think everything thru before i started welding it all, so some of the joints made me get bent into positions that no man should/woudl ever bend. hehehehehe. long story short, there are reasons why a 5'9", 200 lb guy should never be shoved into a 24"x36"x28" opening... and be forced to weld a joint without an AD hood... i really got to get one. thanks again!Later,Andy