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7/8/04

Rotisserie Construction

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I laid out the main "T" of the base and shimmed it so that the pieces met perfectly square to each other, then tacked them together. I'm going to tack the whole assembly together so I can make any last-minute adjustments to the plan, then finish weld all the joints later.

Weld Joint 6432.jpg (65963 bytes)
I welded the main "T" together first.

You'll notice in the photo above that the top joint is fully welded. That's because I noticed the upright would cover the joint completely, and I wouldn't be able to get full penetration with the weld if I covered it up. So I did a triple pass weld and finished it. I ground it smooth with the die grinder so that the upright would fit flush. This is another important tip for welding: make sure you can get full penetration before you cover any joints with another piece of metal.

Weld Joint 4327.jpg (59504 bytes)
The quality of my welds has definitely improved. They need to be
as good as I can make them for this project. This is a triple-pass joint.

Adding the upright was easy. I positioned it and used a level to make sure it was straight and a metal ruler to make sure that it was flush with the base "T" then tacked it in place as well. This steel is heavy enough and thick enough that I don't really have to worry about the weld "pulling" the part as I would when welding lighter parts. Pulling is when you're tacking one side of a part and the other side separates because of the heat. This 3/16" thick steel doesn't have that problem.

Weld Joint 987654.jpg (65926 bytes)
Tacking the upright in place.

Attaching the outriggers for the rear wheels was next. These joints need to be very strong since they'll be carrying all the weight of the assembly. Fortunately, these welds will be very strong because of the rounded corners of the tubing which makes a perfect trough for multiple passes with the welder. It should be plenty strong once it's all said and done. I just tacked them in place for now, however.

Outrigger 2561.jpg (43130 bytes)
Outriggers tacked in place. On a structure like this, it is critical
to get a good weld on every single surface you can reach.

 

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E-mail me at toolman8@sbcglobal.net

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Last modified on 02/06/2005

Thanks, Fidget!