Garden Arch

[Onoff]

Can you draw it out on the ground first and follow that? Concrete drive or something (no one has that much workshop floor space)

Unless you have a big bench. I draw things out on a 3mx1.5m bench

An very uneven patio is the best I've got!

It's drawn on CAD and each part cut accurately to the drawing. Plenty of clamps next time.

What's best for cleaning this paint / powder coating off without removing metal? Flap discs seem too aggressive as the box is only 2mm.

 

[Shedendman]

Just put an order into Weldquip.

who are they?

 

[Shedendman]

An very uneven patio is the best I've got!

It's drawn on CAD and each part cut accurately to the drawing. Plenty of clamps next time.

What's best for cleaning this paint / powder coating off without removing metal? Flap discs seem too aggressive as the box is only 2mm.

poly wheels
For eg

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[steve t]

It'll soon be overgrown. Here's one I did out inch box a couple years ago

 

[Onoff]

It'll soon be overgrown. Here's one I did out inch box a couple years agoView attachment 394688

Nice how did you roll it?

 

[steve t]

I've got a section roller

 

[Onoff]

I've got a section roller

Galvanised too is it?

 

[steve t]

Galvanised too is it?

Yes came back ok considering.

 

[Onoff]

I'm going to buy some long M8 studding later today and set the uprights exactly apart as a start then probably find a bit of ply to mark out on at the facetted end.

 

[Onoff]

I strapped the uprights together with M8 studding. Then marked out the arch on a bit of scrap MDF.

https://flic.kr/p/2ov4XAq

Tacked it up, then clamped the second arch to that and tacked that.

https://flic.kr/p/2ov71BF

https://flic.kr/p/2ov21vF

The two "halves" still don't quite match! Better than my first attempt but still not great.

That's as good as it gets though. Infill with 300mm "rungs" next.

 

[Onoff]

What am I doing wrong?

The only welding I'm having any luck with is with the bits butted together and doing it vertically down.

https://flic.kr/p/2otGuAJ

Trying in this plane though and it's like it's "bouncing off"? I'm holding the torch at 45 deg to the joint.

https://flic.kr/p/2ov2SAa

https://flic.kr/p/2ov863f

 

[Onoff]

Well...I'm unhappy!

Been at this for a few weekends and it's not looking great. I scrapped the first attempt (well, hid it) and cut fresh metal. I can measure, cut etc but it's the welding that's inconsistent.

Rather than having nice, neat, visible welds I'm having to dress them with a grinding disc as best as. If I carry on with this one I'll be getting some body filler to try and tidy the link of the welded joints up. A couple of joints spayed with some handy etch primer to show up the inconsistencies better (more to come but this phone battery keeps dying if it gets a sniff of cold air outside):

At the point of scrapping this one too!

 

[Dessieb2022]

If it were me, I'd just use it as is. As long it stays together it will do its job.
But I know how you feel, I welded a box section frame for a stool with 6013 and had to grind down every fillet weld. Even then it still didn't look great lol.
I changed to a blackline mig not long after, but without a settings chart it's a guessing game for me who isn't a full-time welder.

 

[Richiew]

It'll be fine. I expect you'll be growing plants up it? No one will notice the welds unless they're a member on here.

 

[Blobber]

If its stuck together that would do me, brush paint it and you can splodge plenty of paint in the holes/porous weldy bits, it will look fine get it up and move on to something else!

 

[h-dom]

In my opinion it's either leave welds alone or grind completely flush and blend after, the worst look is the one in the middle where it's partly ground down.

But just use it as is, it's fine!

 

[Onoff]

If its stuck together that would do me, brush paint it and you can splodge plenty of paint in the holes/porous weldy bits, it will look fine get it up and move on to something else!

I've got to make 2 more, surely by number 3 I'll have it sussed?

 

[Mark 2]

I'd be tempted to use something else for the horizontals, if only for contrast.
12mm round bar perhaps.

 

[Onoff]

I'd be tempted to use something else for the horizontals, if only for contrast.
12mm round bar perhaps.

The 25x25 was free.

Got a load of 25x5 flat came with it. That could work. Maybe in an X pattern between the uprights? Learn to weld first!

 

[Onoff]

That's it, done. I'm doing no more. Next we paint! I've hit every joint with a grinding disc followed by a flap disc. I might treat it to some filler primer. Can I etch prime first then filler primer?

Atypical joint: