C Channel Splice

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Power companies use these galvanized cross-arms for heavy load situations. They are 4" x 1&1/2" galvanized channel about 5.5 lbs per ft, 3/16ths on the web and just over 1/4" at the beginning of the flange. Since they are only 1&1/2" inches wide on the flange they don't quite get a chance to taper to the 3/16ths point. They are shear cut and come pre-punched for insulator pins and mounting hardware then get double hot dipped. Some could be over 30 years old. Good stuff. Any red you see here is good old iron clay from the local dirt. Anyway being 4 feet long each I was thinking I could butt splice them to get sections in increments of four feet. The issue is that when butted and welded as is without trimming I'll end up with 3/4" holes on each side of the splice on the flange, top and bottom. Bigger holes on the web but far enough apart to not worry me much. Take a look. This could be potential trailer material if I can figure out how to deal with the narrow flange. Not a hot item just something I'm slowly working on. I've got maybe 70 or 80 feet of these and can get occasional ones as time goes on so I'd like to get something out of them if it doesn't end up being a complete pain.Here's two 4 footers put together. Attached Images
Reply:Then do what with them? Make stands, frames, bracing? Nice to have free metal !  John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneThen do what with them? Make stands, frames, bracing? Nice to have free metal !
Reply:Looks like cutting them off so they end up 3' 9" would be easiest,otherwise get some copper backing plate and weld them closed. None of us like to deal w/ zinc,but as a guy says on another site I frequent "If it's free, it's for me".            Good find,Sandy,                                  MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:If you beveled your end slightly and got 100 percent penetration then you don't have too many worries.  If the channel is going to be used on something critical then removing the part that has holes in the flanges.  I would cut the flange holes out , grind a bevel on the inside profile before assembly, and grind away the galvanizing for about an inch.  Do the inside profile weld first then grind the outside joint with the edge of a disc grinder until you reach sound metal.  There is no need to grind the inside profile flush and in many cases the outside profile reinforcement can also be left on.   You did a good job keeping things straight.
Reply:For just making stuff or something not strength-critical, weld it up just like you did Sandy.But for anything critical (and I would call a trailer or a gantry or a press a load-critical application), I would suggest chopping off a couple of inches of the channel to get rid of the holes near the welded splice area.  Chop the channel enough to get solid metal for at least a few inches on either side of your welded area.Any discontinuity in a piece of structure is a weak point.  Just by welding it up, there are or may be metallurgical discontinuities albeit small ones.  You don't need any further weak points from the holes.If you want hell-for-stout, butt-weld channel sections together after cutting off a couple of inches from the ends to get to solid metal near the weld, and then flip two sections back-to-back and stagger the splices and then weld the pieces together and make a BEAM out of it all.  Make your trailer, gantry, or press out of THAT.  Strong, and you would have staggered the weld discontinuities across different 'sides' of the made-up beam.Yeah, I often tend to over-build things.  It doesn't have to fly, so might as well make it strong.How -did- you score all that free channel, btw?  The power co didn't even dump all that steel at a scrap yard for salvage costs?  Or were you the salvage guy on a refit/whatever?
Reply:Thanks guys, You're telling me what I was hoping not to hear but pretty much expected. Desperation  question I guess. Coming out of this with nice little sections in increments of 4 feet even was too appealing not to try till I looked at those holes as they ended up. I'll be cutting them out from now on. I don't want to waste the time filling them. Four of those would be as much trouble as a butt joint. That heavy of galvy is a pain to cut. Glogs up the blade. I'll have to look around in my stache for a 10 tooth blade. I Veed them on the inside then back gouged from the outside and filled that in. Came out pretty good. The flux core cut in good and flowed through on the intial pass.My son is a lineman for a municipal power company. When they replace a pole they put up all new hardware. No since putting 20 year old stuff back in the air. It's already depreciated out. If I keep on him he'll set them aside for me. If not they go into the scrap bin. Thanks bunches guys.