# Weld Test Stand



## erikmannie

I won’t have any pictures until this afternoon, but I am working on a weld test stand made mostly out of black pipe.

So far, I have spent about $150.00 on materials, & I need to go buy a few more nuts & bolts. I am incorporating some scrap on hand for the base & T-handles.

I will be able to do flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead on sheet & plate, as well as 5G & 6G on pipe & tubing. I cannot do 1G or 2G because there is no spool on this weld test stand. I have no plans to add a spool.


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## erikmannie

Yesterday I made 5 sleeves on my big lathe, faced 3 bolts using the 5C collet on my little lathe, drilled 1/2” holes in the sleeves & milled 3 nuts on my little mill, & welded 3 nuts & 2 plates on to 3 sleeves with 3/32” 6010 at 77A.

Today I will flap disk the extensive spatter off of the plates, get the last 2 nuts on the sleeves, shorten 5 bolts (the lathe is so good for this, getting bolts to exactly the desired length), prep & weld on 5 T-handles, weld the 3 “arms” on to their sleeves (including coping the pipe), & figure out how to attach pipe coupons to the test stand.

I also need to drill two 1/2” holes in the 3/8”  plate. At that point, I will weld on 4 nuts. These are used to clamp on rectangular welding coupons (either sheet or plate). This will necessitate the fabrication of two more T-handled bolts.

I am running out of mild steel round stock for the T-handles. I have some stainless (actually mystery metal) round stock & 309L stick electrodes; I will use those to weld the SS round stock to Grade 8 bolts.


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## erikmannie

I lied. Here is a picture now:


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## brino

I am "watching"..... looking forward to see how it comes together.
Brian


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## erikmannie

brino said:


> I am "watching"..... looking forward to see how it comes together.
> Brian


Thanks for your interest. I am off to the steelyard to buy more nuts, bolts and some proper round stock for my T-handles.


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## erikmannie

After spending the morning working with wood, I am happy to be working with metal now.

So far, I have faced down Grade 8 nuts and bolts because I’m going to weld on these.


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## erikmannie

Ready to have nuts welded on to them!


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## erikmannie

3/32” E6010 at 77A. I love 6010 because I don’t have to be so fastidious about cleaning the base metal, and it penetrates like no other!

Note that the slag is still on there.


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## benmychree

Are you planning on embarking on a new career?


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## erikmannie

benmychree said:


> Are you planning on embarking on a new career?


No. I will work as a UPS driver until I retire (9+ years more). I weld & machine just for fun. I definitely have nothing else going on!

It took an hour and a half to make 7 T-handles:


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## erikmannie

It is hard to balance the round T-handle on the round pipe to clamp it.

Still the same rod: 3/32” 6010 at 77A.

After welding, it wasn’t straight enough. I had to bang on it with a hammer to eyeball it straight.


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## francist

You have a milling machine don’t you, Erik? You might have milled a small flat in the centre of the T part to help stabilize it on the bolt head. Come to think of it, putting the T part crossways in your 4-jaw you could have made the flat on the lathe too. And I KNOW you have one of those!


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## erikmannie

Sleeves are coming along:


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## erikmannie

francist said:


> You have a milling machine don’t you, Erik? You might have milled a small flat in the centre of the T part to help stabilize it on the bolt head. Come to think of it, putting the T part crossways in your 4-jaw you could have made the flat on the lathe too. And I KNOW you have one of those!


Good recommendation. I will do that for the last two T-handles.


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## erikmannie

Tonight I used my PM-25MV to drill two 1/2” holes in two 3/8” plates. These holes are for the T-handled bolts that tighten the 1/2” bar that holds the plate or sheet coupons.

I used my PM-1030V to shorten the bolts to just the right length, & then welded on the T-handles.


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## Just for fun

Looking forward to the end result.


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## wachuko

Subscribed!


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## erikmannie

I went to the steel yard for the third day in a row to get supplies for this project.

Today, I bought a 1/2” thick, 10” square plate to use as the base. I also picked up 1/2” Grade 8 bolts.

I took pictures of the employee using the behemoth ironworker to punch the 9/16” holes.


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## wachuko

Nice.  Having them punch the holes saves you some time, bits, and frustration at your place….


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## erikmannie

I didn’t get much of a chance to work on this today because my friend came over, and we worked on his stuff for a full 5 hours! We made a gun mount for his tractor LOL. He loves his combination .410/.22LR.

All I was able to do was make the base. This base will either mount on my indoor welding table (TIG only indoors once the new mill arrives!), *or* my outdoor, wooden workbench (where it will see most of it’s use).

One photo shows the deep bezel I put on the bottom of the pipe. All of the weld beads are 3/32” 6010 at 80A: very hot welding!

I will clean up the spatter at a later time.


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## erikmannie

The weld test stand is really tall so that I can get plenty of overhead action. The top of it is 18” away from the ceiling.


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## erikmannie

I spent the last few hours milling the “backing strap” (this 1/2” plate is used to attach the coupons being welded on to the fixture), wire wheeling and flap disking the slag & spatter.

I suppose I should get some high temp spray paint on to that exposed steel.

Now I need to cope some pipe (two 90° & one 45°) to weld on to the sleeves.


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## erikmannie

I see that it took me 30 minutes just to cope one 90°. Of course, I will use painter’s tape to get a template for my next 90°.


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## Winegrower

erikmannie said:


> The weld test stand is really tall so that I can get plenty of overhead action.



I think this is about as far from having a good time in the shop as I could get.


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## erikmannie

Even with a template, this one took me 30 minutes, as well.


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## erikmannie

So a new friend came over as soon as I finished the second cope. The friend had 2 axle flanges he needed turned down. You will see pictures below of these axle flanges before and after.

He wanted to hang around and watch me weld the (weld test stand) sleeves on to the arms (the joint is the 90° miter). After I did a deep & hot root pass (6010, of course), he asked if he could do the cap pass. Although he had not arc welded (i.e. SMAW) in 27 years, about half of his beads looked better than mine.















EDIT: In the last photo, the 1/2” plate in the fixture is what you tack weld your sheet and plate coupons on to. You could also clamp a backing strap in there.


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## erikmannie

I had to clean up a big mess in the shop before I started work on this today. All that I have accomplished on the weld test stand so far today is buying high temp spray paint + more Grade 8 bolts (for the pipe/tubing fixture), & coping this 45° angle.

The mitering work took a very un-fun 45 minutes.


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## erikmannie

I had to have my grandson hold this down while I tack welded it. I tried to do it by myself with clamps and what not, but it was much easier with 4 arms.

This tack is ugly, but serviceable.


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## erikmannie

I put in a deep & hot root. Then I ground this root down flat. Now I am going for a hot pass (always with 3/32” 6010 at 75-80A unless mentioned otherwise).


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## erikmannie

I am not proud of this. I am going to paint it & move on.


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## erikmannie

Here are a bunch of pictures. Painted 45° joint, bottom half of fixture that clamps pipe (or tubing), weld test stand at 45° (6G) position as well as 2 views of horizontal (
View attachment 400389


View attachment 400390

View attachment 400392

View attachment 400391


5G) position, and a 3/8” flat bar that I am going to mill.

This 3/8” flat bar was made from two 1/4” flat bars (
View attachment 400393


View attachment 400394

View attachment 400395

ded together. This 3/8” flat bar will be the top half of the fixture that holds the pipe (or tubing).

I will include a screenshot from the YouTube video that gave me the idea for this fixture. In the picture, you will see Jason Becker with the clamp that holds the pipe (or tubing).

View attachment 400388


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## erikmannie

Here are a bunch of pictures. Painted 45° joint, bottom half of fixture that clamps pipe (or tubing), weld test stand at 45° (6G) position as well as 2 views of horizontal (5G) position, and a 3/8” flat bar that I am going to mill.

This 3/8” flat bar was made from two 1/4” flat bars (all that I had on hand) welded together. This 3/8” flat bar will be the top half of the fixture that holds the pipe (or tubing).

I will include a screenshot from the YouTube video that gave me the idea for this fixture. In the picture, you will see Jason Becker with the clamp that holds the pipe (or tubing).






Note the underfill in the beads below:


















Jason Becker, the man who thought up the weld test stand in this thread:


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## erikmannie

Looking at that underfill on both sides of that angle iron, I can see that I will have to redo that (2 stringers *or* 1 weave on top of it). Underfill is a safety hazard.


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## Magnett

erikmannie said:


> I am not proud of this. I am going to paint it & move on.
> View attachment 400347
> 
> 
> View attachment 400345
> 
> View attachment 400346


Thats 6010 for you!


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## stupoty

erikmannie said:


> I am not proud of this. I am going to paint it & move on.
> View attachment 400347
> 
> 
> View attachment 400345




The shallow angles on pipe copes are quite hard , no shame  looking good.

Stu


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## erikmannie

My wife just showed me this screenshot from one of our security cameras, concerned that I was shooting sparks into the neighbor’s yard.

Something to think about.


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## Shootymacshootface

What sparks?


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## MikeInOr

Not being a professional welder I assumed that a "weld test stand" would be a machine to tear apart welds to test them for their strength.  But a Google shows that a weld test stand is for holding a variety of materials at different positions to test a welders ability to make quality welds in a variety of different positions/circumstances???

I am guessing that I may not have been the only one that was not familiar with the purpose of a weld test stand.

Nice work!  I look forwards to seeing the end results.  Do you teach welding?  Are you involved in certifying welders?


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## aliva

Just a suggestion on your welds. It looks like your moving too fast when applying the rod. The overlaps are way too far a part . Looks like you might be digging into the work. Slowdown and reduce your amperage, there seems to be a lot of under cut on the edges. Your rod angle also looks to be off it should be 45 degrees to the work in both vertical and horizontal. Try some flat welds till you get the speed and angles correct, then move on to other positions. The root pass can be 3/32 6010 rod with the filler and cap being  1/8 7018, just adjust the amperage to the rod size. also be sure to check your polarity electrode is DC+ ground -. Although 7018 can be used with reverse polarity, I find electrode + results in better flow. 7018 is also ok for AC or DC. DC being better for overhead.


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## erikmannie

MikeInOr said:


> Not being a professional welder I assumed that a "weld test stand" would be a machine to tear apart welds to test them for their strength.  But a Google shows that a weld test stand is for holding a variety of materials at different positions to test a welders ability to make quality welds in a variety of different positions/circumstances???
> 
> I am guessing that I may not have been the only one that was not familiar with the purpose of a weld test stand.
> 
> Nice work!  I look forwards to seeing the end results.  Do you teach welding?  Are you involved in certifying welders?


I do not teach welding (for pay, anyway), & I am not involved in certifying welders. I have never even taken a certification test.

A weld test stand can be used for practice or certification. Another one of it’s highlights is that a weld test stand (or “fixture stand”) is very adjustable so the welder can get very comfortable.


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## erikmannie

aliva said:


> Just a suggestion on your welds. It looks like your moving too fast when applying the rod. The overlaps are way too far a part . Looks like you might be digging into the work. Slowdown and reduce your amperage, there seems to be a lot of under cut on the edges. Your rod angle also looks to be off it should be 45 degrees to the work in both vertical and horizontal. Try some flat welds till you get the speed and angles correct, then move on to other positions. The root pass can be 3/32 6010 rod with the filler and cap being  1/8 7018, just adjust the amperage to the rod size. also be sure to check your polarity electrode is DC+ ground -. Although 7018 can be used with reverse polarity, I find electrode + results in better flow. 7018 is also ok for AC or DC. DC being better for overhead.


Excellent tips, thank you.

I definitely need to turn down the amperage! The fast speed is definitely a function of the amperage being set too high (3/32” 6010 at 80A).

One reason I might be digging into the work is because I always wear 2.5X cheaters (and sometimes 3X or 5X glasses). If I were to achieve an optimal arc length, it would be magnified 2.5X (or 3X, or 5X) & look like a long arc. This is why I dip tungsten a lot; I need to remain mindful that what I am looking at is greatly magnified.

Same phenomenon (vis a vid the magnification) for “digging in”, which I am *definitely* doing. The magnification has me running a very, very short arc. With 7018, I sometimes catch myself dragging the end of the electrode along the bottom of the root; that is too tight of an arc!

I did check on Saturday night (when my buddy was having a *really* hard time striking an arc) that the machine is set to DCEP. It was & still is set to DCEP. I only use 6010 & 7018, & I always set the machines to DCEP.

I sure notice that things weld much nicer once the weldment is heated up.


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## erikmannie

Here are some pictures I found online. The pictures in this post are MIG welds.

Arc length:




Travel speed:




Amperage:




Also “Amperage”:


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## erikmannie

I am reminded that “the shorter the arc, the lower the voltage”.

Because a stick welding machine is a “constant current machine”, the fixed current will yield less power (“heat”) with the short arc (per Ohm’s Law, of course).

As an example of this, if you had your current set properly, & you used too short of an arc, you could end up with a cold weld.




In the post below, you will see the short arc is cold, & you can see that the long arc had much greater heat. Those 2 beads presumably had the same current setting; look what a difference you get by varying only one thing: voltage (by way of arc length).


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## erikmannie

Here is another picture that I found online. These are stick welds.


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## erikmannie

I *really* wanted to add a 1G (i.e. flat with rotation, see drawing) station to this weld test stand, so I bought this rollout kit:









						DIY Rollout Wheel Kit - H&K Fabrication
					

Don't overpay on a rollout wheel, H&K produces a high quality DIY Rollout Wheel Kit (welding positioner) at a very reasonable price. Our kits take about 30 minutes to fit and tack together. With 3 different functions (2G, 3G, 6G) and fine tune leveler for adjustments in between, our kit is a...




					hkfabrication.com
				




This was $250.30 delivered, which is $50.00 less than if you bought the same thing on eBay. It is a kit, so I get to weld it up.

In my experience, a welder gains good experience on *how to* weld root, hot, fill & capping passes using the rollout feature. That is, only welding from, say, 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock.

You can also use a rollout to always weld at 12 o’clock (if you are willing to (stick) weld one-handed & simultaneously rotate the wheel with your other hand). You can imagine what excellent practice this is, not having to worry about sagging weld beads.

This product (which mounts in a receiver hitch) can also be be used for 2G (horizontal welding beads on pipe with *no* rotation allowed, see drawing) or, less so, 5G (horizontally mounted pipe with no rotation). It can also be mounted at any angle for, as an example, 6G (45° angle with no rotation).

As it is built now, my weld test stand cannot mount a pipe in the vertical position (2G), so that is a problem for me.

My weld test stand is already very well suited for 5G and 6G (the positions which do *not* allow rotation). I will probably only use this fixture for 1G & 2G.


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## erikmannie

This quote is from the eBay description:

“You will need to supply:


8″ Lathe Chuck (Amazon or eBay)
4 Lug Trailer Hub (Tractor Supply SKU #19026199)
1 1/16″ Spindle (Tractor Supply SKU #19024599)”


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## erikmannie

Right now I have no money, but after about 2-3 weeks I can find a cheap 8” lathe chuck, plus the trailer hub & spindle.

Here is the recommended 4 lug trailer hub for $85:



			https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/carry-on-trailer-hub-assembly-4-bolt-1-250-lb-capacity
		





Here is The recommended 1 1/16” spindle for $60:



			https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/carry-on-trailer-spindle-kit-1-1-16-in


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## matthewsx

erikmannie said:


> Right now I have no money, but after about 2-3 weeks I can find a cheap 8” lathe chuck, plus the trailer hub & spindle.
> 
> Here is the recommended 4 lug trailer hub for $85:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/carry-on-trailer-hub-assembly-4-bolt-1-250-lb-capacity
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 400651
> 
> 
> Here is The recommended 1 1/16” spindle for $60:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/carry-on-trailer-spindle-kit-1-1-16-in
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 400652


I always got good stuff from Richfield.






						Trailer Hub Kit 1'' 4 Stud
					

Trailer Hub Kit 1'' 4 Stud: Kits Includes:. .     4 Lug Hub.     1"  Bearing and Race.     Seal.     Dust Cap.     Cotter Key.     4-Lug Nuts. . Hub,



					richfieldtrailer.com
				




Pretty sure you can make the axle on your lathe.

John


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## erikmannie

matthewsx said:


> I always got good stuff from Richfield.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Trailer Hub Kit 1'' 4 Stud
> 
> 
> Trailer Hub Kit 1'' 4 Stud: Kits Includes:. .     4 Lug Hub.     1"  Bearing and Race.     Seal.     Dust Cap.     Cotter Key.     4-Lug Nuts. . Hub,
> 
> 
> 
> richfieldtrailer.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pretty sure you can make the axle on your lathe.
> 
> John


I could definitely buy the castle nut & cotter pin, & then make the axle on my lathe, but I would need to know the dimensions. I could figure that out once I get all the parts.


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## erikmannie

It is pretty clear to me that it would be *safer* to make a dedicated stand for the rollout kit + 8” lathe chuck. With the pipe on there, the load could be over 100 lbs.!

The existing weld test stand has a friction lock 7/16” bolt which holds up a sleeve & arm. I would like a triangular gusset where all that weight bears down on the main mast of the fixture stand, & I don’t think you can add a gusset on an adjustable sleeve.

If I started from ground zero, I could weld the receiver hitch to a *larger diameter mast* (with a thick gusset welded to both the mast & the female receiver hitch).

I could have this larger diameter mast slip into a slightly larger diameter pipe (welded to a solid base) wherein this larger diameter pipe is of sufficient length to allow the main mast to slide up & down for height adjustment.

That height adjustment could use 1 (or even 2) friction locks (i.e. a bolt tightened on to a pipe), & those bolts would be larger than 7/16”. In this case, I would forego the T-handles & opt for a tightening which would require a wrench (either open end or 1/2” socket drive—something 10”-12” long for sufficient torque).

Don’t you guys think that the rollout fixture + lathe chuck + pipe is too much weight to put on a sleeve which is friction tightened to a 2 inch pipe mast (with no gusset)? Figure that the pipe itself weighs 29 lbs.

I would even make the base larger. The base of the weld test stand that I just made is 10” X 10”. When I chose that size, I was not anticipating the much heavier load of a rollout wheel mechanism + 8” lathe chuck!


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## erikmannie

I see that I can get a Chinesium 8” 6J chuck for $180 delivered.

I have found that both 3J and 4J chucks do distort Schedule 40 pipe. I plan to also do plenty of (probably SS) tubing, so I will plan on a 6J.

Note that I distorted the Schedule 40 pipe on a lathe where I was tightening the pipe for parting, turning, facing, & chamfering. One would not need to tighten the pipe as much in order to just hold the pipe in for welding.


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## erikmannie

After writing all that, I realize that I could weld the female receiver hitch to the very top of the mast. If I laid the receiver on either side of the top of the mast, I could use *two gussets*.

One of these gussets would be under compression, & one would be under tension by the weight of the loaded fixture.

There is nothing gained by welding the receiver hitch to the side of the mast. I would have had to miter the square tubing of the receiver hitch!


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## aliva

The key to welding is get the basics, then, practice, practice, practice.

You'll know when a weld is good when, there's no undercut, the overlaps are short, and the slag starts to lift off the joint. The ultimate test is a bend  test though.
If you get a chance pickup some 1/8 7024 rod. Its also known as jet rod. It's only good for flat but  will give a beautiful bead. Just strike the arc and drag the rod , the slag will fall off with minor chipping. A friend of mine who is actually legally blind tried it. The results were superb.


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## erikmannie

I will finish this fixture stand this weekend, with the exception of the new arm that I decided to add on.

The new arm will have a rollout wheel.

Today I got this plate, bolts, nuts & T-handles ready. This plate is the top of the clamp to clamp on pipe or tubing.


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## erikmannie

I had been stressing about how to support the weight (100 lbs +) of the rollout wheel, lathe chuck and (up to 8 or 10”) pipe welding coupons.

I decided that I am going to add the rollout wheel to an arm on this fixture stand, & just put a sturdy, stable height adjustable stand under it. This stand will be a post made of pipe.

The rollout wheel mounts in to 2” I.D. square tubing, like a trailer hitch. Pictured below is the sleeve that I will weld a 2” I.D. square tubing *arm* on to. Remember, there will be a post under it supporting all of that weight!


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## erikmannie

I had to stop progress for the day because I have to go work my night shift now.

When I start up again (first thing tomorrow morning!), I’m going to weld what you see in the photo into what you see in the photo with Jason Becker. Note that he uses 1 bolt, and I am going to use 2 bolts.


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## stupoty

erikmannie said:


> I see that I can get a Chinesium 8” 6J chuck for $180 delivered.
> 
> I have found that both 3J and 4J chucks do distort Schedule 40 pipe. I plan to also do plenty of (probably SS) tubing, so I will plan on a 6J.
> 
> Note that I distorted the Schedule 40 pipe on a lathe where I was tightening the pipe for parting, turning, facing, & chamfering. One would not need to tighten the pipe as much in order to just hold the pipe in for welding.



Have you tried making a plug from ply wood to hammer inside the pipe to stop distortion when clamping it (outside hold) or a ring if holding on the inside(ring might need to be metal).

Stu


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## erikmannie

stupoty said:


> Have you tried making a plug from ply wood to hammer inside the pipe to stop distortion when clamping it (outside hold) or a ring if holding on the inside(ring might need to be metal).
> 
> Stu


I had not even thought of anything like this. Such a creative idea!


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## Manual Mac

Jason has a cool beard.
looks like he could benefit from a flap on the bottom of his hood.


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## erikmannie

This morning, I used my PM-25MV to drill the 2 holes larger (I had to run larger hardware in order to obtain bolts that were threaded all the way up the shank).

After that, I welded the root where the upper bracket meets the pipe. There is a huge difference in the thickness of the plate and the pipe.

I included pictures of the root weld ground as much as I’m going to grind it before I put on the fill pass.


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## erikmannie

I am off to a family obligation. When I get back, I will also address the underfill where the angle iron meets the pipe.

I want to finish welding this joint today, & then paint all the places on the fixture stand where I welded.

At that point, this weld test stand will be done, save for the rollout wheel arm & it’s support stand.


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## erikmannie

I have decided to do the capping passes with 7018. I might only have 1/8” sized electrodes, but I hope to improve the weld bead appearance by switching to 7018.

I should really get in the habit of welding beveled joints as follows:

(1) root pass with 6010,
(2) grind the root,
(3) weld out the rest with 7018.


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## erikmannie

I have 1/8” 7018 (Lincoln Excalibur MR) warming up in the rod oven.

I ground the roots down a little deeper because I’m using 1/8” rod.

I am going to have the material extremely clean for the 7018.


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## erikmannie

I worked on this for 3 1/2 hours this afternoon. I have a lot of pictures to post.

Here are most of my 7018 weld beads before angle grinder + file work. These may not be in chronological order.

I was very careful to not post any duplicates. If it looks like a duplicate, it is the part flipped over.


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## erikmannie

Here are more pictures. T-handles (round stock welded on to bolts), nuts welded on plate, & one example of post-welding angle grinder + file work, aka “grinding your welds”:


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## erikmannie

Here are pictures of most of the fixture stand being painted with high temperature spray paint.

I ran out of spray paint, & I still need to paint the other side of a few of these things.


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## erikmannie

Last pictures for tonight. The rest of the spray paint work:


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## erikmannie

Here it is assembled. Now what I need to do is:

(1) finish paint
(2) assemble rollout wheel
(3) fabricate 2” I.D. square tubing arm for rollout wheel (the sleeve for this arm is already done & shown at the top of the mast in the photo below), &
(4) fabricate the height adjustable stand that supports the weight of the rollout wheel assembly.


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## aliva

I see your getting a much tighter overlap on the weld. Slow down a little more.


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## Manual Mac

Man, your test stand is MUCH better than the one they had when I certified with E7018.
i use 7018AC with my Hobart 295 at home.


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## erikmannie

I got off on a major tangent (almost 3 weeks!) making a “rollout wheel arm” for this fixture stand.

The stand is finally done (except for paint touchup), & I still need to build a base to bolt the fixture stand to the floor.


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## AGCB97

Really nice-looking tool!  I hope to see how you get to use it.
Aaron


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## erikmannie

AGCB97 said:


> Really nice-looking tool!  I hope to see how you get to use it.
> Aaron


I will probably start with 1F & 1G, all carbon steel, moving on to 2F & 2G, etc. up to 4F & 4G. I am currently equipped for MIG, TIG, stick & gas. One day I will add FCAW.




When I get bored with sheet & plate, I will work with pipe & tubing, in ascending order of difficulty: 1G, 2G, 5G & finally 6G. This is to include socket welds.

Note that the rollout wheel is fixed (it has a brake), except for 1G (pipe).




Beyond stringent practice for weld tests, the rollout wheel makes for quick work with pipe & socket welds.


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## erikmannie

Here are all the parts that got the final coat of paint. I’m going to let them cure for 5 days (I have to work anyway) before I reassemble it.


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## erikmannie

Here it is all finished, & going into service. The materials were only $1,250, & it took me 6 weeks of weekend labor.


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## Manual Mac

Eric, are you going to hook up some kind of power (chain & sprocket?) rotisserie to your 3 jaw so you can weld while it’s turning? Or did I miss it?
last place I worked we had something like that for welding augers.
What # electrodes & sizes do you have in all those canisters?
looks like you’re having fun, good for you  
cheers


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## erikmannie

Manual Mac said:


> Eric, are you going to hook up some kind of power (chain & sprocket?) rotisserie to your 3 jaw so you can weld while it’s turning? Or did I miss it?
> last place I worked we had something like that for welding augers.
> What # electrodes & sizes do you have in all those canisters?
> looks like you’re having fun, good for you
> cheers


No motor for the rollout wheel. I will turn it by hand for stick & MIG.

I really only use 3/32” 6010 (Lincoln 5P+) and 1/8” 7018 (Lincoln Excalibur MR). The only exception is a small amount of 3/32” and 5/32” 7018 (Lincoln Excalibur MR), & the occasional 1/16” 7014.


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