Torker: How would you....

[TheAndroid]

Join two pieces of 1/4" wall 2" square tubes end to end? I am trying to replace a BBQ pit trailer which will have these tubes as the main rails.

Unfortunately, I can't get 20' sticks to my shop. Instead, I have to have them flame cut at the yard. I'd like to have the rails 10' long as I am building a platform which will be in front of the pit on the rig and I want that to be a reasonable size (4x4).

Since they are flame cut, the ends are nasty. So they will have to go. That will leave me way short. Would you join these or get them cut at a different length (12' and 8')? Transporting the 12' pieces will be a drag, but I could do it in "off peak" traffic hours.

[davidh]

bring your steel supplier your hack saw, or you do it, right at his yard. . .

most suppliers will be more than happy to help, maybe throw a few bucks at the guy for "special" cutting service...

just my humble opinion

[torker]

For low strength apps I'd bevel both ends (30*)...with wire I'd leave a small gap...with tig I'd just but them up(laying in an angle iron "jig") and butt weld them.
For higher strenth apps I either build a tight fitting box that slides inside...or use square tube if it fits tight enough.
I usually use plug welds on the inner "Box". Plug weld one end FIRST before you slide the two together. Ummm I remember once.. I slid all three together at once and the inner box support slid also. The one end slid right to where the weld joint was on one end....not good.
Leave a 1/8" gap between the two ends and weld it up hot.
This makes for a very strong joint.
(BTW.. I've done this a lot...scrounging used tubing out of the dump etc)
Russ

[Cheap Jon]

I have had the same problem, a couple of times I chained full lengths of angle iorn under my pickup. I have also put a pair of uprights in the rear stake pockets with a cross bar and padded the roof. A set of overhead racks is nice to have if you hall alot of steel. One time I halled 2X12X20' on top of my fishing boat.

Jon

[TheAndroid]

Thanks everyone for the input. Now, to hijack my own thread!!!

So how you would tee two pieces of 1/4" wall 2" square tubing? The corner radius on this stuff looks to be about 1".

Just weld the flat portions which intersect and then put small plates over the radiused corners where the end did not meet the side? Notch it out on the mll or drillpress? I have a bunch of joins to do and would like to know what approaches are available. Again, this is for the BBQ trailer and I'm pretty sure I don't want splashed water getting into the frame members.

Thanks!!!!

[torker]

Just weld the gaps up. You may have to run several passes in some of them gaps but filling with weld is most common.
You want gaps...try 6" or bigger HSS T joints...you get some whoppers to fill.

[Dawai]

By the way, to further hijack this thread..

I don't have a $6000 dollar saw.. My steel supplier does have a real nice one. FOR $50 he will cut all the parts for a real nice tilt car & equipment trailer.

I'd just stand there and label the parts according to the pretty diagrams so I could reassemble the puzzle at home.. This would save days of cutting and fitting up crooked cuts and trying to weld in cracks.. everything square, cut to length by digital saw. Plans cost $50..

Not had the extra $1500 for steel.. yet.. I have already gotten all the prices. It's a heckuva trailer.
I got a old homebuilt car trailer.. welded on house trailer axles.. I have had to reweld about half of it.. Don't you just love Dodge V10's and torque monsters? No springs and Unknown welder means breaking welds.. so far none critical.. None of mine have broken.. yet..

Don't cha just love them trailers that lay down thou?? And then... with the right tool trailer you can haul 20 foot steel home.. I tried.. I opened the lowrider sliding cab glass, stuck it the three feet into the cab, the six foot bed, that left about 11 feet hanging out.. and the last foot drug.. so. (cut it). I feel your pain..

I sent my wife to Lowes whilst I was building the house, with a 99 ranger, no cap.. she hauled a 16 foot 2x12 home.. HOW??? Magic woman trick.. I still don't know..

Really want a laugh?? I sent her to town to get a dozen 2x4s x 8 foot long.. I looked around and my lil truck was still here.. she took the car.. and they all fit.. all the seats lay down in this rig.. the perfect shop truck..

[Dawai]

Ohh yeah, on them big cracks to fill??

Take a old welding rod, bust the flux off and add it to the puddle like you are brazing. Double puddle.

[torker]

David..LOL! Funny stuff!
Just a side note on the square tubing and the usual gap you have where the tubing meets.
IF it is excessive...don't feel bad about putting filler scrap in there. As long as you leave enough room for the proper fillet size you are ok.
Actually...you have to be carefull with gap filling. You can really warp some pretty big steel with welds.
They have amazing pulling power.
I worked a penstock job for Hydro once.
we put in several hundred feet of 6 1/2 foot diameter 5/8" wall pipe (penstock). There where numerous weld joints. There was a lot of weld pumped into these joints. 3 to 4 days on each one.
This whole thing pulled so hard that it broke a complete joint apart where we started. It sounded like a cannon shot when it broke. It shook the whole hill when it let go.
Did I mention a lot of power???
We build a lot of big sawmill equipment...lot of it with 8X10 X 1/2" wall tubing.
I've seen 30 foot sections of this stuff turn into bananas because the weldor wasn't paying attention.
A lot of this stuff...the big tubing included....needs to be pre bent the opposite way before being welded. Then when the welding is done...it will spring back flat or true.
EG...the 30 foot long 1/2" wall HSS...we would put one on top of the other...put a 6" (yes..that's 6 inches) block in the center. Weld one end together then pull the tubes together with come alongs and weld that end together. That is a HUGE amount of pre bend...but that's what it took to counter the pull from the welding.
So...you gotta be carefull with filling too much with wire or whatever...