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Hello. I'm wanting to create a modern outdoor table. The legs of the table will look like unequal angle iron (something like 6" x 2"). Since I can't find unequal angle iron the size I want I need to make it. I thought of buying the closest size and then taking the plasma cutter and trimming the one size but that seems so wasteful and expensive. I then thought I'd just buy flat bar (3/8 thick) of the widths I want and weld them together. Being I have about 20' of these legs I want to build, that would be a lot of welding and I worry about warping. Also, since it's to look very modern the edges should be pretty crisp. So my new thought is to buy the flat bar stock and then in the wider piece drill a series of holes about 4" apart and then use plug welds to hold them together, grind the plug smooth, and I'm done. However, I've never done plug welds (mig welder) and not sure how things like warping and strength would be. These are legs for an outdoor 7 foot long picnic table so we're not talking about putting thousands of pounds on them.I'd love to hear your thoughts on my idea or if you have others or any plug weld technique tidbits to help me along.Thanks.Darren
Reply:Use 3/8" cold roll flat bar. Very crisp edges. It's not cheap but its pretty. I use it alot. On my fixture table, I'd jig/clamp the cut pieces and weld the inside only with 1-2" long welds evenly spaced. I doubt you could package a plug weld on the edge like that. Even if you did, it would act like a pivot. You could always shear and press brake the legs. I laser cut and shear 90* all the time. Looks nice.
Reply:thanks for responding. How does it look with the welds on the inside of the corner? In my design I have the angle "turned around" where the inside corner is actually the side facing outward. Do you think if I did a butt joint, beveled the outside of the joint with my grinder, and then welded the entire outside seam and ground it smooth, and didn't weld the inside corner that it would warp all over the place? I wouldn't want to weld your typical corner joint as the outside corner wouldn't be crisp.Thanks again.
Reply:Just get some plate sheared and bent on a press brake. Real clean and no welding. And press brake work like that is dirt cheap. |
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