welding thin 14 gauge metal

All the welding processes works well welding Sheet Metal, under 10ga (1/8") and down too about 16ga (1/16"), Oxy/Acet, Mig, Tig, carbon arc and stick.

Which welding process is best suited for an application is determined by gauge, joint design, joint preparation, electrode type and technique. With this is mind it take a book written on the subject to cover all the possibility's for a given job so we'll only deal with the task at hand.

14ga is approx .0745 thick average for carbon steel. The thickenss can vary from .0645 to .083 depending on the mfg and metal type to be with-in industry accepted standards.

6011 3/32" using AC is a good choice providing you keep a tight joint fit-up and use the back-step welding techinque.

6010 3/32" DCEN, DCEP or AC for galvanized SM, DCEP for mild steel SM, AC only if you don't have DC, again using the back-step technique.

6013, 7018, 7014, 7024 is a very poor choice as the flux is too heavy for the welding techinque required on SM.

The back-step techinque (welding from left to right) is where you deposit the weld puddle then quickly move out of the weld puddle to the right 2 rod diameters then return to the weld puddle for another weld deposit, thus repeating until a smooth bead is layed in.

What this does is allow for the molten metal to slightly cool before more metal is deposited thus a cooler weld is achived that helps limit warpage.

On a SM lap joint, to help control warpage, tack weld every 1-1/2" using 6010 3/32" at 20amps higher than normal welding amps. Skip weld vertical down if possible.

On a SM Butt joint tack weld every 1-1/2" leaving a root opening equal too 1/2 of the base metal thickness (for joint shrinkage) and use a chill block on the back side while skip welding vertical down.

A 1/2" standing seam joint is the best overall joint design for SM. Turn 1/2" of metal vertical on both sides of the joint then clamp the standing seams together, then tack weld, then weld.

You must skip weld, about 3" long then skip 14", most SM reguardless of joint design or welding process used or techique applied, to keep base metal warpage to a minimum.

Were having alot of wild fires here about 10 miles from the house and I really can't consentrate so I will finish this at a latter time but this should get you started.

T_Bone

Ultrasonic would be a good choice - just not sure where I'd get a unit big enough from or if it's even made. Did see someone weld two pieces of tin foil together and then weld that to a piece of glass. Cool stuff !

Allways knew zinc smoke was bad but didn't know of the milk trick. You learn something new every day - anyone know why milk actualy helps? Inquiring minds want to know?

Just curious,

Dug

Welding galvanized steel produces zinc oxide fumes. (Zinc oxide is the same stuff used in some lib balm and sunscreens). Inhaling excessive zinc oxide fumes can lead to "metal fume fever", which is the result of an overdose of elemental zinc and feels like a really bad case of the flu. While extremely unpleasant, and something to definitely avoid, it clears up on its own in a matter of 48 hours or so. There are no known long term toxic effects from a one-time zinc oxide inhalation. (Chronic occupational exposure can lead to forms of asthma and bronchitis.)

Drinking milk (or water) helps the kidneys to excrete the excess zinc from the bloodstream, thereby reducing the severity and duration of the fever episode.

All that aside, commercial builders that use steel studs use self-drilling screws, not welding, for fastening the pieces together.

Cut the tongue out of a leather boot (long cuff welding glove or buy some leather) then cut it too about 4" x 5" then use pop rivits and a 1/2" wide piece of thin SM, 24ga works, to attach the leather to the front bottom lip of your welding hood.

The leather does two things:
1) It keeps your skin in the V in your shirt neck line from getting UV burned and keeps dingle berries from going down the front of your shirt.

2) With turning your neck/hood at about a 10º angle while welding will cause the smoke to roll off your hood and not come into the inside of the hood. At the same time the leather helps seal the inside of the hood keeping the welding smoke to the outside.

Until you master the above technique use a shop vac with a 6" long metal hose extension to suck the smoke away from your welding zone. This keeps the end of plastic hose from melting from the welding heat.

Drinking a 1qt of milk 1/2hr before welding will greatly help with the zinc oxide fumes but is not as good as using the shop vac or a vacuum source. Fans blowing the smoke away do NOT help as much as a vacuum source. For some weldors you will need both the milk and vacuum as some people are very sensitive to zinc oxide gas.

Never make your wife planters out of galvanized metal as when she waters the plant the water and zinc off gas zinc oxide and kills the plants. Ask me how I know this! That was 35yrs ago and she still remines me of that as it killed every house plant she had, about 30 plants.

T_Bone