Which joint is stronger?

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When welding up rectangular tubing, which is stronger, a butt weld - one tube ending on the face of another or a mitered corner weld?Fixed thanks, MikeLast edited by chopnhack; 02-25-2012 at 11:43 PM.AC-180 Lincolnwelder circa '50's
Reply:I think you mean corner, not edge.If you're talking about making a 90 degree angle with 2 lengths of square tubing, I'd say mitering the ends at 45degrees is probably stronger.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:I find coping the corners is stronger.   Miters don't work out too well because the outside corner is a bitch to weld. DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:The more weld length you have, the "stronger" the joint is because the forces are spread over the largest area possible. As David mentioned, a coped joint usually has the largest joined area, hence it's "stronger" than many others. That said, the joint is only as strong as the weakest point, and often that is the base material itself if the joint is welded up properly. Tube can be a bit harder to cope well, and miters tend to simplify things.Last edited by DSW; 02-26-2012 at 08:17 AM..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:how would you cope square tube or angle?  given both pieces are the same size
Reply:Originally Posted by HOBARThow would you cope square tube or angle?  given both pieces are the same size
Reply:even in a coped joint you have an outside corner.  The coped joint doesn't seem to pull as much to me.  also if you don't have an very accurate means of cutting 45s then coping is quicker and more accurate.  You don't have to wast time fiddling with your saw.
Reply:Here is a good tutorial on coped joints:http://www.newmetalworker.com/Howto/copejnts.html
Reply:A little bit of everythinghttp://weldingweb.com/attachment.php...4&d=1214169045Try againhttp://weldingweb.com/attachment.php...4&d=1214169045Got it!  one more.  I built this for a customer.  June of 08.  Still running around.I think the shape of trailer dictated mitered joints.  It was fun to build.Last edited by David R; 02-26-2012 at 05:40 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:thank you DSW and morgaj1.  i like the looks of those way better than a butt joint or a miter.
Reply:Thanks for the input guys. David, that cart came out awesome, I read the older threads when it was still being made. Looks good in orange. Don't know if I would leave copper on a reel with wheels if you know what I mean!AC-180 Lincolnwelder circa '50's
Reply:If it's welded well i doesn't matter. The less weld the better.
Reply:I worked in a fab shop that made custom nursery equipment meant to drag through the dirt behind large tractors by mouth breathing knuckle draggers. We butted one tube into the edge of the other and put a scab plate covering the open tube plus extended onto the side of the butted tube. 2X in length in relation to the tube size. Very strong.You could make the plate longer, past the end of the tube for an attachment point if needed also.Two turn tables and a microphone.
Reply:I build a good number of racks and such using square tubing. I use my Milwaukee 14" metal saw for coping the corners. When I set it up I use a square head of my combination square to set it up on a 45 and then back to 90. Works great and gives nice tight joints. I use a set of 45 clamps, like picture frame clamps, to secure it together to tack it up. Has worked well for me so far.
Reply:Originally Posted by Pangea mouth breathing knuckle draggers.
Reply:Well, not too bad, but I think I have to practice on the miter joint that is vertical, I did manage to poke a hole through one section of the 11 gauge steel...heh, go figure my best weld is blurry the second to last shot is the mitered corner ground down, the light made the center look dished, but its not it comes to a point.The square came out square, but its a small square only about 6.5".Thanks for the advice. Attached ImagesAC-180 Lincolnwelder circa '50's