You forgot fatigue cracking, aluminum is famous for it. If that table sits on a moving dock all day, especially if it is loaded it is going to suffer from fatigue cracking. Try some gussets if it comes back.
Besides the differences in sounds from the filler metal when you drop it on the table, you will also notice the 5000 series has a green tint to the arc because of the MG content. I went to a class years ago and they taught us that you should never weld 6061 t-6 to itself without filler metal, because it will always crack. For those that don’t know, that is most of your extruded aluminum shapes, angles, tubes, channels. They generally have it printed on them as well.
Non-welder here.. I stick weld as a hobby, but am fascinated with how much yall know.. can we get a follow up vid of it installed? So we can see what conditions it lives in.. cheers!
I always drill the weld first then hit it quick with the die grinder bit seems quicker and less chance of the bit gumming up depending on the previous fill material.
I think it's fair to say, likely, EVERYONE thought that the tilted angle of the legs was the MAIN reason this thing had cracks everywhere, being that it was weighted down and started to fail and bent all the legs. It wasn't util about half way through did it come to realization that it was FABRICATED with that lean. LOL.
I would agree, the moving of the doc and the legs likely on different boards shifting over time just wire it out. Im hoping using a higher tensile strength rod with a convex weld reinforcement will keep it from happening again.
Looking at where the legs wanted to be, rather than where they were, made me think that there was stress on the joints because the parts were pulled into place rather than being bent exactly where they needed to be. That’s a sign there’s built in stress which, by itself, can cause problems down the line.
hmm, I have always acetone, brush, re-acetone. I was taught you want to clean any oils out first, then brush so you didn’t engrain (SP) the oils into the base material. However I’m a hobbyist that needs all the help he can get.
absolutely, aluminum welds best clean as can be and proper brushing and acetone is usually the trick, especially for the heavy oxide on here. I will admit, it was pretty trashy as far as the puddle looked. but adjusting the machine balance and wave forms can help mitigate some filth if the machine is capable.
I'm a hobby welder. I have an AHP 200 (TIG/Stick) and a Vulcan 215 MIG. I can lay a pretty decent bead, but listening to you spit out knowledge makes me wonder if I shouldn't take some welding classes.
It most certainly help to know the "why" in order to become a well rounded welder in my opinion. you dont have to be the slickest or the quickest to be dangerous... its the knowledge that can.
What kind of aluminum do motorcycle parts have. I have a broken mirror n I want to weld it but don’t know what kind of aluminum it needs. Ima do stick weld bc that’s what I got. Any suggestions in how much amps I should start with?
A good ratchet strap to pull on the table to bring the leg to where you needed it would have been a good idea.Then you could grind and weld the entire thing at one time for a cleaner result.
That thing looks like it was run into with a pickup truck. It's all bent up. I would have cut it apart and straighten it out! I guess that was not in the plan... Anyway, excellent welding! I've welded a few times with my chin as well, hahaha
Aluminum is used in pots and pans. It's not universally food grade because it can react negatively with acids in fruits. Meats generally aren't that big of a problem on aluminum. The worst thing would be if he cut into the table with a stainless blade and got aluminum shavings in his fish. Either way not the most reliable table material choice. He probably mainly did it this way because it was so light
...and then there are the "employee doesn't know how to drive a forklift" cracks, which appears to be what we are witnessing by the looks of that "used to be" shelf.
Aluminum is just a terrible material. Unless you absolutely need to save the weight (an aircraft for example) you should use steel. All aluminum will crack and break eventually. It’s just a terrible material, and building a fish cleaning table out of it is absolutely insane.
i think thats a little dramatic. Aluminum has its place, and why not a fish cleaning table? I imagine if it was bolted on a less stressfull spot, instead of on the moving pier, there would've been no issues. Its a super light weight table that will never rust, perfect for being next to water. go to any cost, youll find more aluminum and stainless than anything else.
