14 Ga. Purlin

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Hey there, I am building a small storage building using 14ga.materials. I dont have 220v available. Will one of these 110v 80 inverter stickwelders do the job, or will it be more frustration than it is worth?
Reply:I would think a 110V mig would be a lot better for this application.Fireman BillHH 210 MVPMM 211 Spoolmate 100Lotas LTP5000D PlasmaOxy/Accet (Victor)Wards AC/DC buzz box30 ton old hyd pressA few brand name toolsA bunch of cheap toolsA wife to worry me and4 dogs to supervise me
Reply:Save the headache rent an engine drive or hire someone.Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:Depends.  Small cheap stick machines I don't think are worth spending the money on. However mid range units like the Thermal Arc TA 95S would do that just fine, assuming you can do your part.A decent 110v mig ( 130-140 amp class name brand) would also work, and might be easier if you aren't good stick welding thin materials. Not everyone can stick weld 14 ga and not blow giant holes in things. It's not that hard however for most guys to do semi nice beads on 14 ga with a good mig and a small bit of practice. Even running FC in a small mig tends to ba a bit easier than running stick for most guys.However the 110v mig tops out at about 1/8" under real world conditions. The TA 95 I wouldn't have too much issue with on material up to say 3/16"- 1/4" ( assuming you can weld)..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:X2 with what DSW said. If you'll get a bunch of small 3/16" plates sheared to fit inside the purlins you can use them w/ 3/32" stick by washing the puddle from them onto the purlin to make all your joints. Or you can use 3/16"x2" flat to make your own.                                    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 buy a crappy stick welder to weld thin 14 gauge you'll hate yourself in about 30 minutes.If your skill level is low, get a small mig. Curious, why weld a little building?Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Buy a tuff shed.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveIf you buy a crappy stick welder to weld thin 14 gauge you'll hate yourself in about 30 minutes.If your skill level is low, get a small mig. Curious, why weld a little building?
Reply:I've welded my garage, shop, and 9 buildings using Hobart gas driven and 6013 on purlins. Works exceptionally well. Welding purlins to purlin clips (5" x 7" typically) keeping most of the heat on the clip. The two largest building, 16000 sq. Ft. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255I firmly disagree. I think it will be less than a minute to hate oneself with a stick welder and that material. 14 gauge is around .075 , correct?  I've only been stick welding for two years now and wouldn't touch it with stick for fear of ruining the material. Buy or borrow a small mig.
Reply:Also welding the purlins' overlap, we used 6013 and that worked well too. I don't dislike any rod, but on thin stuff I've had great luck with the 6013. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by papasmirfAlso welding the purlins' overlap, we used 6013 and that worked well too. I don't dislike any rod, but on thin stuff I've had great luck with the 6013. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:what you probably meant to say was you owned a stick welder for two years, not that you have been stick welding for two years.  otherwise you would not have made such a stupid remark.do you even know what a purlin is?Last edited by injunctiverelief; 12-24-2013 at 10:15 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by injunctivereliefwhat you probably meant to say was you owned a stick welder for two years, not that you have been stick welding for two years.  otherwise you would not have made such a stupid remark.do you even know what a purlin is?
Reply:well, what needs to be said,  the guy made a silly statement and the 'handyman' concurred.
Reply:based on what i have contributed as opposed to you i would say i am way out in front.   you simply don't like what i have to say.   so math teacher,  why don't you factor through opus ferro's equation for determining a radius based on h and c and provide us with the answer.
Reply:Originally Posted by injunctivereliefbased on what i have contributed as opposed to you i would say i am way out in front.   you simply don't like what i have to say.   so math teacher,  why don't you factor through opus ferro's equation for determining a radius based on h and c and provide us with the answer.
Reply:I've done a little bit of 14ga rectangular tubing.  These were butt welded with 6010.  Surprisingly the 6010 worked better than 7018.  6010 and 7018 were the only types of rod I had on hand.  The 6010 will dig more than the 7018, but it runs at less current so it ends up being a little easier to control the burn through.Yeah.... this isn't going to be fun for a novice.Tight fitup is absolutely necessary.  Any gap is going to let all the heat go into one side only and cause a burn through.  With the two sides touching you have twice the material to draw out the heat.  If you blow a hole, stop and let it cool, clean it up, and then start welding again.  The thin material can only take so much heat before it all starts melting.  When you blow a hole, you are at the limit of how much heat you can apply.  The balancing act is to provide enough heat to get a good connection, but not so much heat you melt too much and blow a hole.Use the smallest diameter rod you can find.  I used 3/32 since that was all that was commonly available.  The smaller diameter will let you run less current, but still keep a stable arc.None of the tubes are bent exactly the same.  Use clamps, vice grips, or whatever to align the material.  Sometimes you can't get them to align at all points.  Tack wherever it does align, then reclamp to align the rest of it.  The outside dimensions are usually close, but the bend radius and the amount the walls bow out are different.  The purlin may be a little more flexible and easier to align.Get some scrap material and practice, practice, practice!Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:You can weld them easy enough with 1-8 inch 6011,thats what the amp adjustment is for. Its not gonna take a lot of weld to be strong enough on an overlap, most buildings are built with TEK screws to hold them together.Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:Originally Posted by M J D most buildings are built with TEK screws to hold them together.
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideThats usually what I see is TEK's. Ive framed curtain and demising walls with TEK's on 14 gauge. You need a slower speed screw gun like 2,500 rpm. The 4,000 rpm guns end up breaking screws or surface harden the steel but will work if you slow down.
Reply:We do quite a bit of structural framing (exterior walls) with 14-16ga steel studs and the engineer almost always allows us to just weld them with the wire feed and some flux core. We just use a small miller 130.
Reply:Originally Posted by novelle72I have experienced that, but did not know the cause, great tip thanks!I am planning to use the clips, I assume they are primarily used to make fit up easier than trying to fit the purlins directly to the support posts, is that correct or is there another reason?
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideThats usually what I see is TEK's. Ive framed curtain and demising walls with TEK's on 14 gauge. You need a slower speed screw gun like 2,500 rpm. The 4,000 rpm guns end up breaking screws or surface harden the steel but will work if you slow down.
Reply:Thanks for all of the input. I got started today, decided to rent an engine driven machine, due to the holiday I was able to rent a Bobcat for 2 days for 70 bucks, cant go wrong there. Started with with 6011, I could make it work, but I bought some 6013 and actually looked like I know what I am doing! Anyhow thanks for the feedback!Good luck to you. Be safeSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveI see you've showed up to try and start more arguments with members and failed to add anything constructive.Being consistent is not always a good thing.
Reply:Let us know how it works out please.  I know what a purlin is, I don't understand why welding .075 material as a purlin really differs.  Can someone explain?I've owned a stick welder for 10 years but only busted it out 2 years ago.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Finished up with all of the welding on Wednesday, here is a sample and a pic of what it looks like. I had been running the 6013 with some success, but after doing some research here on the site I found an old thread that recommended running the 6011 on DCEN, I tried that and wow what a difference maker, that made it much more manageable. As AndyA stated tight fit up is essential to success. Attachment 576301Attachment 576301 Attached Images
Reply:Looks like you are getting it done .  Congrats.
Reply:Yes, you are fersure getting it done...nice looking welds, too.After maybe 10 sticks of 6013, I threw the rest in the trash....I'm too danged old to deal with the aggravation.  I respect any man than can casually weld with that rod