First project help. BBQ grill

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Hello all,I have never welded before and want to tackle this project.Question 1.  My junk dealer has 4'x3.5' 1/4" sheets for $20 a sheet.  Is this thicker then it needs to be?  I am not trying to retain heat like a smoker.  He also has for the same price a 4x8 sheet 1/8", is this thick enough?  My concern is not of money, I just don't know the best way to cut 1/4.  I only have grinders.
Reply:1/8" will work just fine for this project. 1/4" would make it pretty heavy (a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/4" weighs about 325 lbs).What kind of welder will you be using?GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:Originally Posted by Gravel1/8" will work just fine for this project. 1/4" would make it pretty heavy (a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/4" weighs about 325 lbs).What kind of welder will you be using?
Reply:Originally Posted by Michael Fld KonrathLincoln mig pak 15
Reply:Originally Posted by Michael Fld KonrathHello all,I have never welded before and want to tackle this project.Question 1.  My junk dealer has 4'x3.5' 1/4" sheets for $20 a sheet.  Is this thicker then it needs to be?  I am not trying to retain heat like a smoker.  He also has for the same price a 4x8 sheet 1/8", is this thick enough?  My concern is not of money, I just don't know the best way to cut 1/4.  I only have grinders.
Reply:Originally Posted by Michael Fld KonrathHello all,I have never welded before and want to tackle this project.Question 1.  My junk dealer has 4'x3.5' 1/4" sheets for $20 a sheet.  Is this thicker then it needs to be?  I am not trying to retain heat like a smoker.  He also has for the same price a 4x8 sheet 1/8", is this thick enough?  My concern is not of money, I just don't know the best way to cut 1/4.  I only have grinders.
Reply:You can cut the 1/8" with a Jig saw and bi-metal blades Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:How many of those 4x8 sheets of 1/8" can you get for $20 each? Just one, or many? Last one I bought that size was about $60 and that was more than 10 years ago.You can cut the 1/4" with a jig saw too, but it will take 4 times as many blades, and 6 times longer to do it than the 1/8".
Reply:Thanks all.  I went with 1/8.  Cut all pieces with one 6" disk.  This metal was painted so I sanded about a 2" perimeter around each piece for cleaner weld.  Is that enough?
Reply:Your talking 200 Lb.
Reply:Yep, gonna be heavy but much better than if he used 1/4" plate.Be sure to put big enough wheels on it to keep it from being impossible to move on grass.What size tubing are you going to use?GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:For $20.00 a sheet you better buy as many as you can.
Reply:Originally Posted by johnrbauerFor $20.00 a sheet you better buy as many as you can.
Reply:Originally Posted by johnrbauerFor $20.00 a sheet you better buy as many as you can.
Reply:Painted on both sides?  Is this used metal?  Be careful with unknown coatings!
Reply:OK.  Pretty ugly so far but strong.  So I need to start building the frame that lifts the grate.  All I can think of using is unistrut which would be perfect but it has a galvanized coating.  What are my options?
Reply:Originally Posted by Michael Fld KonrathOK.  Pretty ugly so far but strong.  So I need to start building the frame that lifts the grate.  All I can think of using is unistrut which would be perfect but it has a galvanized coating.  What are my options?
Reply:Its okay to laugh at the beast.   Buy hey, i'm learning.
Reply:You are doing fine.  It's nice that you aren't starting out building trailers and over-head lifting devicesLooks like the grill you are copying used tube for the verticals and maybe a channel or maybe a tube for the top brace with a rod running through that pulls the grate up by some cables.  What I can't see in the picture is how they keep the grate from tipping, unless the idea is that it does tip up to give access to the coals.  That would be much easier to do with a hinge so my assumption is that the idea is to all adjustment of the cooking height.  So something would need to guide the grate.  Perhaps there are pieces of steel welded to the bottom of the grate that follow the vertical tube with enough clearance to move up and down but not so much to make the grate tippy.  To prevent binding those should be about twice as long as the tube is wide (2 inch long if 1 inch square).I say go back to the scrap yard to see what they have for sticks of tube, channel, angle, or solid.  Buy what looks about right and figure out how to use it when you get home.
Reply:Made my own channels and added a old rotisserie
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Reply:You're doing great! Keep it up!GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:His first project and he is already customizing it. Keep the pics coming as I can't read. :-)Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkQualified & experienced at welding scrap metal
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Reply:Either you enjoyed a dinner or that grill surface rusted a heck of a lot in a short period of time!30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press