We have made the follower beam last week. (see figure 1) We used 1x1 inch square tubing to make it. The gauge of the tubing was thin. When we tried to weld it there would be areas that either melted or flash rusted. A couple factors can be traced to the argon gas feed for the MIG welder. The regulator for gas feed could have been broken. Since the material is inexpensive it would be better to remake it. It needs to have solid welds since it will be holding the entire assembly. We can use a thicker gauge of 1x1 square tubing so that it will be stronger and easy to weld. In addition, we can use a different MIG welder to prevent flash rusting while welding.
Figure 1 : Follower Beam
This week we will check with Campbell Metal Supply to see if they have the flat stock that we want to use in our build. Once we get that we can finish the links for the tilt mechanism and the mechanical suspension. Already have the square tubing for the lift mechanism. We need to weld together the tilt mechanism cradle piece as well.
I didn't know that you could get "Flash Rust" during welding. I thought it happened when moisture came into contact with metal. I am assuming if this happens the piece would need to be redone or the weld wouldn't hold up. This will be some good information for my husband as he is just learning to weld.
ReplyDeleteBrandi Bradley @ Rotax Metals