welder for crossmember

[mike69c10]

Just a few things to think about before attempting to weld a frame, cross-member, mounts, basically anything beyond sheet metal. Your welding skills could put your life, the life of your family and friends and the lives of those on the road with you in danger. If you are new to welding practice practice practice. Check out the local community colleges/tech schools for an introductory class. The above weld isn't bad but it could and should be improved on. Vertical down does not give you the penetration of vertical up, should be a consistent width. I will give the poster a big hand for grinding the metal clean. Prep of the weld area is half the battle. Clean clean clean it makes any weld no matter the base material better. The haz doesn't necessarily mean you achieved full penetration just that you put a lot of heat into the weld. Before welding anything that could end up on the roads just ask yourself Do you have the skills to do this and is my wallet big enough to survive a lawsuit if it fails.

[lowrodderchev]

still no luck. sorry man I ask my buddies but they aren't big on the trip from Visalia to Bakersfield. I like working on cars in fact I love it so for me a welder was a good investment. if you've got one project then your done maybe not a good investment but I will say my welders came in handy for stuff around the house and garage stuff fabricating some tool I may need maybe a craigslist add asking for help on welding your frame would help

[Donaldo]

I'll stand by my opinion of the frame weld.

I'm retired and so are my certs, aws-D1.1 3g & 4g. w/ 3g downhand any thickness/position.

Frame welding is a learned skill, and as was previously pointed out, failed welds can be catastrophic.

[yossarian19]

I've got an HF 90 amp flux core.
It doesn't penetrate 3/16". Probably 1/8".
I can weld both sides of the seam most of the time and make myself happy enough for what I'm doing, I can bevel things & weld two passes, etc.
I wouldn't weld a cross member with less than 120 amps, though.

[jjzepplin]

I used a lot of You tube videos to make my self a better welder. They help a lot to understand what your looking at and why you should start over if it's not that good of a weld. Practice makes better I always say. Welding with gas is awesome compared to flux core but as mentioned flux has it's benefits like windy situations. Portability is also an issue with gas. Not easily moved from spot to spot. Flux can yield some good welds though but gas has the ability to make you look like a pro. Structural welding is scary as it could be a loss of life issue. A shock mount or something is not so critical. You must also use the correct gas for the metal you are welding.

[lv2tri2]

I really liked this welding discussion. Some of the advice is good. I didn't see the reverse side of any welds or any inspection that would prove penetration or no inclusions. If you want to build a project, like those pictured here, buy a good machine and learn to weld, it's not that difficult, or expensive.

[Donaldo]

I think the thread was started by a welding inexperienced person.

It is obvious what an experienced welder/fabricator can do, even with inexpensive machines.