Offical Bead thread. Show off your beads

[99gst_racer]

Mo beads. .083 chromoly capped with .120" mild and done in a positioner. Crossmember end pieces.

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[Gamble97]

Looks great, how do you like the positioner? Using just a regular hole saw to cut out the ends?


Edit: I also finally got to use a pyrex cup at HTP. Honestly I didn't like it on mild steel but on aluminum I liked it. I probably won't buy one though.

 

[99gst_racer]

Looks great, how do you like the positioner? Using just a regular hole saw to cut out the ends?

Those are Todd's beads too. He pretty much uses the positioner any chance that he can. It really speeds up the run of multiple pieces.

I buy the end caps already stamped out to 1.5" OD. I bevel the edges, pop a 1/2" hole through the center, align them to the tube, and tack them in place. Then Todd does the final welding in the positioner.

 

[Gamble97]

Damn Paul, looks like someone is stealing your thunder.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/vendor-announcements/428471-bulfab-1g-dsm-crossmembers.html

 

[turboglenn]

Paul your pieces look great, although i'd probably tighten up the beads on the 90* fittings in the pic above, what you have wioll serve well.

As for heat treating, relieving I have to agree with paul on that as well, pretty much what he wrote isspot on, however in aircraft work (small prop planes) it's almostconsidered a must (at least around here by the local clubs) even when using ER70s-2 they like to know the whole part was heated and cooled evenly and cycled a few times like that before they becomewilling to buy any largers structures you're making, but in something like a cross meember for our cars is purely just added cost as the stresses the part will take are no where near as vital or as sensitive to vibration and torqueing of the part from it's basic position like you would fine in an engine mount on a small prop plane.


just tossin in my spare change for the night

as for the copy'ing of the x-member, unfortunately something that's unavoidable and what will seperate the two as well as keepsales on one side or the other are overall quality, customer service, fit and performance as well as cost... Things like this are what have killed many ideas and parts i've taken into manufacturing in the past in variouse genres of items from RC cars,to motorcycles and real cars... The main triumph i had was on my 12 bars for motorcycles where i didnt' have the "looks" of my competitors using CNC machinery but what i had was a good price,a a great part that performed well and didn't have the issues that arose from epople trying to "complicate" the part to make it look nicer or "seem better" in the end simplicity, durability and a fair price kept me on top for about 5 years until i quit making them (and i still make a few by request here and there) But due to china and their blatent disreguard for patents and copyright infringement, now i'm looking into the next step 12 bars have taken and that's into what' is called a "round bar" all you stunters on bikes look forward to the T-bars successor the "t-round"

 

[____Kurt____]

I just started taking this welding workshop class at my local votech school at night and I now have an addiction for tig welding. Each class is 3hrs once a week. I'm working only on fusing right now because I want to get that down before holding a rod. I think it might make my learning curve a lot shorter. You should learn to crawl before trying to walk IMO.
What do you guys think? Picture is of week 2 work

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I'm going again tonight so I will post more pics of updates of week 3

 

[Gamble97]

You need closer pics. Looks like lots of undercut but I guess that is to be expected without a rod.

 

[____Kurt____]

Yes that bead did have an excessive amount of undercut. I didn't grab pics of the other beads but tonight I will post up more. I will attempt to do something with to small pieces of alum. IC piping. Let's see how it turns out.

 

[Bo0sTdTsI]

Good looking beads guys.

 

[____Kurt____]

Got some fresh pics from last night at class. IMO not too bad for 4th session holding the torch. I finally picked up some filler rod. This is stainless. I did some aluminum but I think it turned out pretty bad.

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[Gamble97]

I like it. For T joints do you move the torch from one piece to the next and go up/down motion?

 

[Bo0sTdTsI]

Id do up and down motion or kind of lik a sideways zig ag to tie in to both sides a little better. As long as your torch is at the right angle to melt both sdes.

 

[UGOT8UP]

Here is some stuff from back when I bagged trucks for a livin, MIG is a Lincoln Power Mig 220, TIG is a ESAB.

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[____Kurt____]

I like it. For T joints do you move the torch from one piece to the next and go up/down motion?

Thanks, this SS is just under 1/8". I actually just pulled the tungsten out far enough so its the right distance from the corner to the electrode. Then I used the cup as a "stop" to maintain the distance. I did try aluminum really quick at the end of class but that will be next week. I'm pretty happy with how far I have come and I'm excited to keep learning. Any tips and tricks you guys have for me I appreciate. Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info FTW

 

[99gst_racer]

I was trying to teach a buddy how to TIG weld tonight. I did a butt weld on some 1/8" mild plate to give him an idea of how everything works. Welding mild plates is about as easy as it gets.

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[Gamble97]

You are getting good.

 

[UGOT8UP]

I love me some mild, aluminum gets me some times when its been awhile between jobs, stainless sucks and I hate cromo!

Nice butt there ^^

 

[99gst_racer]

Thanks guys.

 

[99gst_racer]

Getting better at 4130 every day I practice with it. I welded up these triangles tonight. They're part of a stress relieving project. I plan to stress relieve one and not the other and then I'll make a cut through both and see which one has more tension than the other (if any on either).

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[Gamble97]

What filler are you using? Per Covell he says that regular ER70S-6 rod doesn't need to be stress relieved and it only does if you use the high strength chromoloy filler.

 

[99gst_racer]

What filler are you using? Per Covell he says that regular ER70S-6 rod doesn't need to be stress relieved and it only does if you use the high strength chromoloy filler.

Using ER70S-2. I agree that I don't think it's nessacery on thin wall materals (this is .065") using this filler. I'm hoping to prove it with this experiment.

 

[Gamble97]

Can't wait to see some results.
So i played around tonight welding up some DOM tubing. Awesome. Welds like butter. Tight spots, not awesome.
I got some 3/32 lanthanted tungsten 2% and it was not cheap ($30 shipped for 10) but my welds look a lot better from it, however it does seem to burn hotter and I can burn a hole easier. not sure if that is just me or what.
Finished another box

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And broke down and got the pyrex cup. Not really cheap, $38 for the 3/32 kit. Honestly at the HTP class I didn't like it, at home it's totally different. Just wish the cup would fit more snug.
And full length tungsten + short pyrex cup = long stick out.

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[99gst_racer]

Just wish the cup would fit more snug.

I hear that. Mine fell out on Friday and hit the ground and shattered.

 

[Gamble97]

That sucks that's $15 wasted.

 

[turboglenn]

30 bucks for 10 tunstens isn't bad.. I pay on average locally between 3 and 7 dollars EACH (which my cheapest equals what you paid ) And it varies dependging on what thickness and what alloy i go with.

I am jealouse of your pyrex cups though, i brokethe one i had and never replaced it(i'm a bit too rouch for something that doesn't thread securely onto the torch ). I spend most of my consumables money on "gas lenses" (honeycomb like collet holder that directs that gas MUCH betterthan a standard collet holder) and the ceramic cups to fit them. They make the Long reach welds much nicer because the argon doesn't just flow off and awy fromthe bead likeit does on a standard setup