40 Gallon offset build

[newtwoq]

Ended up not wining the Lincoln, so the Hobart Handler 140 it is!

 

[newtwoq]

This was brand new in box, I can't wait to pick it up from my buddy and try it out.

I will be posting my welding progression. I have already read a TON of information and watched countless youtube vids. I still prob won't be able to weld for anything for quite some time. I plan on running a TON of practice beads and just burning wire for quite sometime to come.

I also have a 80cf Argon tank on it's way to me! It should be in next week. I know it's right on the boarder for being too small for home use, but I know a guy that gets screaming deals on the tanks. $105 shipped to my door for a steel 80cf. The local welding supply wanted over $250 for the same tank.

 

[Bludawg]

Just drag the wire slowly in the grove and cant the gun 10 deg from 90

 

[newtwoq]

New toys, the welder will be here this weekend.

 

[4ever3]

Sweet!!!

 

[revkab]

Lookin' good! Don't be afraid to try out the flux core wire, either. There is a bit more of a mess (not that much), but I have found it has excellent penetration and does a great job. I used flux-core for my entire wood-fired trailer-mounted grill (with the same Hobart 140 you are getting), and never had a bit of problem with it. Matter of fact, you can ditch the large "mig" cone and use the "Flux-cored nozzle" (part #770487) which accumulates less splatter, and allows you to get into tighter places.

Which ever way you go, be sure to get some of that some Hobart 770074 Welding Mig Accessory Nozzle Gel. You dip your contact tip into it a couple of times during your welding session, and it helps keep the contact tip from getting covered or blocked due to splatter.

[/URL]

 

[newtwoq]

Well, I finally got my new toy!

I tried a few beads with it, the far left are fluxcore and the rest are MIG. The lower right two side by side were the last ones, the longer ones were the first ones I did.

And the backside, I got a bit of over penetration on some of them:

Then I played around with tacking two pieces together, should have cleaned up the metal first.

I had the settings set up for this thickness of metal but got no penetration and had an odd pointy ridge line of a bead.

I have a long way to go but man was that a fun 15mins!

 

[newtwoq]

Well, it's been 6 months since my last post, and absolutely nothing has been done in that time frame haha. I got the idea over the summer to try to get my dad's old boat back in the water and that took up all my free time. That and chasing my 15 month old son around!

The weather is getting cooler, the boat is going to be winterized and I'm back in the full swing of BBQ Comps and starting to get excited about picking this project back up.

I'm hoping to burn a little wire this weekend and I will post the results!

Now if I could just dig up my drawings for what I had planned for this thing! (now thinking about making it a RF, but not set on that as I still like the simplicity of a traditional offset)

 

[Badgoat]

First off congratulations on your progress so far. Its such a great feeling to build your own pit. I did my first ever build not too long ago. I highly encourage you to read it as it may offer up some suggestions and answer a lot of questions to things I encountered along the way. If you have any questions please feel free to pm/ask me.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229471

Dale

 

[newtwoq]

Hey Dale! Thanks for taking the time to read through my thread so far! I just read the first post on yours (going back for the rest after I type this up) and it looks like you basically started in May with the exact same knowledge I have and using very similar tools! I look forward to reading through it and I might take you up on that offer for advice along the way!

 

[newtwoq]

I know this may sound really elementary, but for the life of me I can't come up with good answers. In starting to lay out my tank cuts, how can I make the following marks accurately?

A straight line at TDC from one end to the other, best I have come up with is find the TDC and then measure up from an existing seam and make the same measurement at the opposite end. This assumes that the seam is straight and even.

Marking a horizontal line on the curved bell of the end of the tank to make the top of the firebox cut.

In general straight lines on curved portions of the tank.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bluetang]

I made a marking gauge out of 2x4's. L shaped, 2' x4'. On the 4' leg, I drilled holes to accomdate a sharpie for marking the lines by slowly dragging the jig on the shop floor.

 

[mnbadger]

I know this may sound really elementary, but for the life of me I can't come up with good answers. In starting to lay out my tank cuts, how can I make the following marks accurately?

A straight line at TDC from one end to the other, best I have come up with is find the TDC and then measure up from an existing seam and make the same measurement at the opposite end. This assumes that the seam is straight and even.

Marking a horizontal line on the curved bell of the end of the tank to make the top of the firebox cut.

In general straight lines on curved portions of the tank.

Thanks in advance.

I used a laser level on mine.
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/levels/16-in-laser-level-with-swivel-head-69259.html

I leveled the tank, then leveled the lazer. I figured out where I wanted the tank to attach and made a line by moving the lazer about .5" at a time along the tank. This resulted in a perfectly level attachment point between the firebox and cook chamber.

 

[newtwoq]

A couple more welds. The top one was me playing with settings and dragging instead of pushing and the bottom was me pushing.

 

[newtwoq]

Got the mounting bracket for the pump and motor removed and bungs removed from the top. I still need to get some grinding done to make it flush but making some progress. I learned that I will need many more cut off wheels haha. Went through one just doing the two things noted above!

Next step will be laying out the door and filing the holes for the bungs. The plan is to go 1" past 12:00 and 3:00 and most of the way to the end cap joints. Will leave about 3/4" from the joints for the overlap of the sealing edges of the door.

 

[Hillbilly BBQ]

A couple more welds. The top one was me playing with settings and dragging instead of pushing and the bottom was me pushing.

A quick recommendation for you on your beads, they are looking much better than before, but have a suggestion to make it easier. Think about getting your pool going and push it around.

For example, in a 90* weld, drag across the bottom, push back and up in a c fashion but run the bottom further than the top c. Hope that makes sense, but here is an example.

Depending on the welding surface and angle, try doing a C or Small circles (both forward and reverse). If welding 2 different thicknesses, put the heat on the thicker and push the weld to the thinner one.

Hope this helps, and keep it up :mrgreen:

 

[newtwoq]

Thanks Shane I appreciate it!

I have a long way to go with the welding and am aware of that! Your welds are impressive and I'm envious

 

[Hillbilly BBQ]

No problem Brian, practice and post up progress pics and status on your welding.