Welding

[Mr Lefty]

anyone do any welding on their bikes? like making racks for luggage?

I'm thinking of making my own racks for some panniers, and maybe a new tail rack that doesn't require me to remove my seat to remove it.

I wanna save money, but also be nice to design it the way I want/need.



so anyone do any welding?

[derf]

Yeh what do you need/want?

I built a car and a bike, a few go carts and a bunch of other stuff.

Are you looking for a design? Of the actual work?

I built a plate holder for my bike and incorporated a quick removal bar for my tail bag so that I have a solid/non-plastic section to strap the bag onto. I'll take a photo in a few so you can get an idea of what I did.

[Mr Lefty]

just looking for someone to ask questions...

I wanna do the work myself, cause it'd be nice to not have to bug someone else to do any changes/fixes I need.

but yes I'd like to see your tail rack...

[derf]

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/1751/image482n.jpg

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6343/image483t.jpg

Thats the plate holder. All it is is a vertical pipe bolted to the subframe using existing bolt holes. That was welded to a horizontal pipe and the steel strip (plate mount). I have a small 2 foot aluminum bar that goes through the horizontal tube and is held in place with a pin and a cotterpin holding the pin in. I designed it so that all i have to do is pull the cotter pin out, th eretaining pin pulls out and the aluminum bar pulls out.

It's for this bag, there are 2 straps in the back that really don't have anywhere to strap on to, so the bag has a habit of inching forward.

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/4540/1000681.jpg

Eventually I want to build a set of hard bags and a quick release rack to drop them off.

[Mr Lefty]

yeah I want to create racks for a set of pelican 1430 top loading cases... but the racks I see set them too far back IMO... I want them forward of the rear axle, so that the handling of the bike isn't altered as much.

how hard is it to learn to weld?

[Cutty72]

yeah I want to create racks for a set of pelican 1430 top loading cases... but the racks I see set them too far back IMO... I want them forward of the rear axle, so that the handling of the bike isn't altered as much.

how hard is it to learn to weld?

Any idiot can weld, just a matter of having the materials and tools. To weld WELL takes a LOT of practice. I've been welding on and off since I was 8. My welds are strong and will hold, but quite often (especially with a stick welder) they look like bird shit. :lol:

[Amber Lamps]

yeah I want to create racks for a set of pelican 1430 top loading cases... but the racks I see set them too far back IMO... I want them forward of the rear axle, so that the handling of the bike isn't altered as much.

how hard is it to learn to weld?

Not hard at all. Welding is one of those things that are incredibly easy on paper but is difficult in practice. The best advice that I can give you is to either buy a small, cheap welder and practice, take a class or borrow a welder...

I could explain the theory of welding but you really need to get the stinger in your hands and go for it! There are innumerable videos and books on the subject. You may even be able to get someone from the motor pool to help you out.

[Mr Lefty]

I could care less what they look like. just as long as they're strong.

I think the hobby shop on base will give me a place to practice

Not hard at all. Welding is one of those things that are incredibly easy on paper but is difficult in practice. The best advice that I can give you is to either buy a small, cheap welder and practice, take a class or borrow a welder...

I could explain the theory of welding but you really need to get the stinger in your hands and go for it! There are innumerable videos and books on the subject. You may even be able to get someone from the motor pool to help you out.

cool thanks...

[derf]

Buy this book, it can be found in any Home depot or Loews, then read it

http://mittlerbros.com/images/Media/Weld%20%20Book.jpg


This is what a good weld bead looks like

http://www.sandtastictoys.com/Weld_Bead_2-.JPG


And a good diagram that I have taped to the side of my welder

http://sweethaven02.com/ConstructTech/Welding01/fig0712.gif



If you want to learn, buy a cheap flux core wire fed welder, and practice. practice, practice.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&q=campbell+hausfeld+welders&ved=0CDMQrQQwAw&cid=4964504702141014328&sa=title#p

I bought mine a few years ago, and my first project was a welding cart. built that and with the lessons I learned from the first build I built a 2nd one that wasnt so wobbly and warped. After that I just started to build stuff.

[Cutty72]

I could care less what they look like. just as long as they're strong.

I think the hobby shop on base will give me a place to practice

That's a great place to start.

First, just start making beads on a single piece of metal, to get the feel for it, and how it needs to flow to be smooth.
After you have that down, then you can move on to trying to make two pieces of metal stick together.

[Amber Lamps]

Any idiot can weld, just a matter of having the materials and tools. To weld WELL takes a LOT of practice. I've been welding on and off since I was 8. My welds are strong and will hold, but quite often (especially with a stick welder) they look like bird shit. :lol:

Mig ftw! Yea, when I use a stick welder, it's NOT pretty and will require extensive grinding! Also, you need to decide what materials you want to work with. Iron/steel is a lot easier to work with IMHO but because you are just starting out, perhaps you would be better served starting with aluminum.

[Mr Lefty]

cool shit guys... thanks!

[Mr Lefty]

Mig ftw! Yea, when I use a stick welder, it's NOT pretty and will require extensive grinding! Also, you need to decide what materials you want to work with. Iron/steel is a lot easier to work with IMHO but because you are just starting out, perhaps you would be better served starting with aluminum.

I've heard welding aluminum is hard... and don't want to use alum, for the racks anyhow

[Amber Lamps]

That's a great place to start.

First, just start making beads on a single piece of metal, to get the feel for it, and how it needs to flow to be smooth.
After you have that down, then you can move on to trying to make two pieces of metal stick together.

Exactly how I learned! FWIW I've seen welders for well under$100 that would be good for practice and small projects. I didn't bother to look at Derf's chart but I'd imagine that it deals with wattage/amp/metal thickness and possibly ac vs dc welding. Good luck bro! Oh and get a decent helmet, gloves and always wear long sleeves...I can post pics if you want. Nasty!

[Amber Lamps]

I've heard welding aluminum is hard... and don't want to use alum, for the racks anyhow

Okay, just a suggestion... my biggest problem with welding aluminum is the habits and techniques that I've learned welding steel...

[Mr Lefty]

Exactly how I learned! FWIW I've seen welders for well under$100 that would be good for practice and small projects. I didn't bother to look at Derf's chart but I'd imagine that it deals with wattage/amp/metal thickness and possibly ac vs dc welding. Good luck bro! Oh and get a decent helmet, gloves and always wear long sleeves...I can post pics if you want. Nasty!

oh trust me, I've seen what slag does to unprotected skin... :td:

[derf]

oh trust me, I've seen what slag does to unprotected skin... :td:

I got a great mask from harbor freight, on of the auto darkening ones, there truly is nothing better. I also usually wear an old BDU shirt and a pair of gloves.

[Amber Lamps]

I got a great mask from harbor freight, on of the auto darkening ones, there truly is nothing better. I also usually wear an old BDU shirt and a pair of gloves.

Yep $39.99 auto darkening ftw! hell, I saw a welder at Walmart. Buy it, practice with it for a month or two and return it. Otherwise, hf has some pretty good deals on small welders.

[Mr Lefty]

yeah I think I'll pickup a welder next month or so... don't have the $ at the moment...

though I do have tax returns coming back soon... so who knows.

[derf]

Check with the hobby shop first, they might have a welder you can use instead of buying one.

[Mr Lefty]

Check with the hobby shop first, they might have a welder you can use instead of buying one.

yeah will do.

[Phenix_Rider]

Something I've learned: welding sheet metal SUCKS! Anything less than ~1/16" burns through very, very fast. Pull the trigger once too often, or hit it with a stick, or don't move quikly enough, and you blast a hole before you know it.

Get a basic flux core wire feed- don't need argon or anything to begin with- and just start welding scraps. You'll need a few pair of old Vice Grips- but you won't be able to use them for other work. The heat from welding destroys the treatment on the jaws and they get soft.

[Mr Lefty]

I don't think I'll be doing much sheet metal welding... mostly just welding pipe and tubing together.

[derf]

Stumbled into these, thought it could spark an idea or 2. The guy uses the stock rear seat mounts to attach the rack to the subframe and then straps all his camping gear to the rack. It looks wierd until you realize how much shit you could attach to it.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3299/bagrack.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/5979/bagrack2.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/82/bagrack3.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3153/bagrack4.jpg

[Cutty72]

That actually looks pretty good.

[Mr Lefty]

the only thing I see that I'd change is how high the tail bag sits... and how far aft everything is.

I want most of my weight to be forward of the rear axle and as low as possible... to try and keep the handling of the bike as neutral as possible

[marko138]

Harbor Freight has a welder on sale right now cheap. Dont remember the details. There's a coupon in one of the newest MC mags...CW or Motorcyclist.