metal vs wood

[bernard S]

Hi all, I have been asked how hard is it to weld and what was my learning curve... here goes the answer this is my personal view on the subject.... Save a tree.... I find wood hard to work with but that does not answer the question... my base frame is roughly 24ft long by 16ft wide and 4ft 5 inches tallong and all weld using structural steel 1/4 inch thick ..yes it's over kill and here is reason why ..its?easier to weld ... dont buy thin wall metal you will only put holes in it

I opted for metal over wood because I can purchase it in 24ft lenghts and it's always straight try getting number one grade wood at a hardware store ..it's all exported ..

tools required there is not any difference really in tooling except the chop saw make sure it can accept a 14 inch metal blade and has a lock on it for 45 degree cuts ..the welder go to "that place" and purchase a welder thatvrequires gas and wire make sure it is 240 volt as this will give you clean welds and does not spit leaving beads all over the place.... the mask get a full face welding helmet don't go for Sexy with flames and crap on it ..cool to look at nightmare to see out of ..get a helmet with biggest viewing area possible with automatic dimming .. tips and wire make sure get large spool of .35 wire and extra .35 tips ...now the gas.. buy your own bottle the bigger the better ..and a cart to make it all move able

hand tools .. you want clamps a small level and a welding pencil .. so thaus the tools out of the way..

next ... get some scrap metal ..don't bother with u tube videos they will only intimidatend you .. crank that puppy up    try this as your first setting ... 10-15 lbs of gas.. wire speed 4 heat C  okay got that?

next have about qtr inch of wire sticking out of the nozzle and place that wire at the top of where you want to weld ....then Dink your hand 45 degrees to that start point it feels odd at first .. now start welding as you go down try to make little happy faces little left and right curves whist maintaing the 45 .. see pictures ..any questions?

[blueskydriver]

Hi Bernard,

Your work looks great! I need a platform like that for my B727 cockpit, just a bit shorter...lucky me my next door neighbor is welder, but he wants payment $1,500 (for labor and metal) which is okay...still a little bit pricey. However, what you've shown me is too buy the metal myself and let neighbor do the labor or give it go like you've done.

How much did the metal cost you, not counting welding tools? I'd like to get at least ball park idea of the costs...

Again, great work and thanks for posting your progress. Telling the story and posting pics is awesome, plus it helps the new guys like you and I once were 

John

[bernard S]

Okay Mr Bluesky i am going to help you out of a huge mess and save you big bucks ..but first answer a couple of questions you may like to pm on a couple i dont mean to come across as rude either

If i  recall you have a mobility issue what is size of your chair and what is a comfortable arm length for you left and right also what is comfortable reach for you height wise plus overal weight  not that your a fat barstard its for cross members ? for support

2nd    what is the weight your hanger floor can support without dispersment plates

post a pic of your current set up externally and from underneath if you can

dims of your working area and how far from 240 power feeds

what is height of hanger from floor to ceiling

and finally id your proposed base unit going to be self supporting and who is going to be servicing your sim when it throws a hissy fit and refuses to fly ?

the more details of what you have in mind the better..

so tag your it lol

[sagrada737]

Bernard,

Thanks for you post on the welding setup.  MIG welding is certainly a nice way to go for such steel tubing weldments.   Your welds look perfect - a testimony to your experience welding with MIG.   Nice work!

Mike

[bernard S]

not getting on a oh i am so talented which i am lol... it takes 15 mins to learn on scrap metal .. once you master it ..you will find metal much easier..people are just afraid to give it a go .i never touched a welder prior to this ..if you are unsure if weld is strong enough wack the crap out of it with 25lb sledge... now you know why to use thick steel as it does dont dent when ya wack it ... now aluminum on the other hand   thats a skill

[sagrada737]

Hello Bernard,

The wood vs. metal consideration is certainly a subjective one.   Having built many composite structures with experimental aircraft, I can appreciate the use of both metal and wood in an effort to construct various kinds of designs.   I used a material called honeycomb nomex, with both carbon fiber and fiberglass/e-glass skins.  The honeycomb inner core was essential impregnated paper, but when laminated to carbon fiber, it became extremely strong, and of course, was very light in weight.   

Metal vs. wood is not really the issue, rather building according to what the design requirements call for.   Some design approaches are just more elegant than others....   And as you pointed out, sometimes it is as simple as beating things into submission with a sledge hammer 

As for metal...   I like to use a TIG welder for most all of my welding.   TIG is a bit more controllable and less likely to distort the weldment.  Nonetheless, it is all subjective in most cases as to the best approach to building something.

Once again...   For that framework you are working on - one could not ask for a more beautiful job of welding.

Mike

[bernard S]

i would have loved go faster kevlar