Building a double 14' gate.

[crazyrog17]

The only thing I see is that the frames should be swapped or flipped, bearing the weight of the gate from the top of the center to the bottom hinge. The way it is should still work fine because the frames are metal (they take tension or compression fine), but PVC and wood gates will sag in that configuration.

[neanderpaul]

[neanderpaul]

[DriverOne]

Oh now you've got my gears grinding!

[freshtiva]

Nice gate ! All you need now is an in ground concrete arc for the wheels to roll on and a solar powered gate opener.

[neanderpaul]

That's a great idea on the concrete track for the wheels. I'm going to follow that advice! I thought for years about using the most bulletproof electric motor I've ever heard of, a Festiva starter, to make a powered remote control gate opener.

[zoom zoom]

4th encounters of the 3rd kind!

Turned out good for a beginner!

youtube mig welding, and how to set the wire speed. It's really not hard after you do it..
There should be a chart on the welder somewhere telling you how to set it for different thickness metals, what I do is only pay attention to the high/low setting, but that's pretty easy, thick(er) stuff you want it to be on high, thinner.. The wire speeds will differ every time you turn on the machine, maybe your not getting the same amount of juice if you have an extention cord, are you inside or outside w/ or w/o wind, it will all contribute to the speed you need.

This weld, you had it set too fast and went too slow, on high. you tried to burn right thru, but you did penetrate, and it will hold!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll101/neanderpaul/photo22.jpg

These welds, you didn't have the speed set right, it wasn't feeding fast enough!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll101/neanderpaul/gate5.jpg

Also note the little spots all over after your done welding?! You'll have to get used to it, it's the difference between clean welds with a real mig (gas) welder, and a flux core (no gas) welder. A flap disk on a grinder is your friend, and will clean alot of those off!

Setting the speed is easy once you do it a few times, after that everything just kinda falls into place. Have a piece of scrap metal, preferrably a piece cut from the same piece your welding, and hold the lead on it, don't even watch it, just keep one hand on the speed knob. squeeze the trigger and adjust the knob until it has a constant crisp pop, almost like bacon frying in a pan, but when you feel the lead jumping back at you, it's because the speed is set too high, and the wire doesn't burn before it hits the metal. After you get that set, set the hi/low, and try to run a bead, then flip it over and see if you are penetrating by looking at the heat marks, if there isn't any heat marks, or they're really thin, you didn't penetrate, turn the heat up and adjust the speed you move your hand while your welding. if the bead is protruding through, or you put a gaping hole through the metal trying to weld, it's too hot, turn it down.

Try to keep the lead at a 15*(-30*) angle with the weld, when you want to stop, bring the lead up to a straight up and down position before you let off the trigger, that way you can continue the same bead seamlessly..after you practice a lot :p

Watch the puddle! The puddle is the key! Practice makes perfect!

Really tho, that's not a bad job!

Oh, when you buy wire, just get .035 flux core, you can weld anything with it. Really thin stuff (like a metal broom handle ^.^) is tricky, but you'll get used to it, and you don't want to not be able to weld a 3/8" piece of metal because you bought .030


When it's all said and done, your weld should be stronger than the metal your welding, if you butt two flat pieces together, and weld a bead down one side, you should be able to bend the steel before the weld breaks.

[neanderpaul]

:?:

[neanderpaul]

4th encounters of the 3rd kind!

Turned out good for a beginner!

youtube mig welding, and how to set the wire speed. It's really not hard after you do it..
There should be a chart on the welder somewhere telling you how to set it for different thickness metals, what I do is only pay attention to the high/low setting, but that's pretty easy, thick(er) stuff you want it to be on high, thinner.. The wire speeds will differ every time you turn on the machine, maybe your not getting the same amount of juice if you have an extention cord, are you inside or outside w/ or w/o wind, it will all contribute to the speed you need.

This weld, you had it set too fast and went too slow, on high. you tried to burn right thru, but you did penetrate, and it will hold!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll101/neanderpaul/photo22.jpg

These welds, you didn't have the speed set right, it wasn't feeding fast enough!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll101/neanderpaul/gate5.jpg

Also note the little spots all over after your done welding?! You'll have to get used to it, it's the difference between clean welds with a real mig (gas) welder, and a flux core (no gas) welder. A flap disk on a grinder is your friend, and will clean alot of those off!

Setting the speed is easy once you do it a few times, after that everything just kinda falls into place. Have a piece of scrap metal, preferrably a piece cut from the same piece your welding, and hold the lead on it, don't even watch it, just keep one hand on the speed knob. squeeze the trigger and adjust the knob until it has a constant crisp pop, almost like bacon frying in a pan, but when you feel the lead jumping back at you, it's because the speed is set too high, and the wire doesn't burn before it hits the metal. After you get that set, set the hi/low, and try to run a bead, then flip it over and see if you are penetrating by looking at the heat marks, if there isn't any heat marks, or they're really thin, you didn't penetrate, turn the heat up and adjust the speed you move your hand while your welding. if the bead is protruding through, or you put a gaping hole through the metal trying to weld, it's too hot, turn it down.

Try to keep the lead at a 15*(-30*) angle with the weld, when you want to stop, bring the lead up to a straight up and down position before you let off the trigger, that way you can continue the same bead seamlessly..after you practice a lot :p

Watch the puddle! The puddle is the key! Practice makes perfect!

Really tho, that's not a bad job!

Oh, when you buy wire, just get .035 flux core, you can weld anything with it. Really thin stuff (like a metal broom handle ^.^) is tricky, but you'll get used to it, and you don't want to not be able to weld a 3/8" piece of metal because you bought .030


When it's all said and done, your weld should be stronger than the metal your welding, if you butt two flat pieces together, and weld a bead down one side, you should be able to bend the steel before the weld breaks.

Thanks for all the info!