Jump to content
I Forge Iron

MiG welding a steel pipe to a perpendicular base plate


Recommended Posts

Will be MIG welding a 1" dia. steel pipe to a thin 1/8" perpendicular steel base plate soon and need advice on how to prevent the pipe from getting out of plumb if the welding causes some warpage of the base plate. Welding process and clamping of parts to prevent or minimize warpage from welding will be greatly appreciated. Been MIG welding for a couple of months, but still a "newbie" at it. Any advice will be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a pretty thin baseplate. I'd do some test pieces before the real one. I'd also consider drilling a through hole in the base, countersinking and chamfering both chunks from the underside, and welding it from the underside. the warp will work for you, setting the edges on the ground, slightly raising the center when it's finished.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Start your welds on the thicker metal and flow out onto the plate makin sure to not linger to long on the plate. Also work opposite sides if square and skip weld a few places if round and then fill in is how I would go at it. I'm no expert on the subject either. Also a rotating surface will help as well so you can turn the work and not your self. Tack welds should keep your plumb in place . Also make sure the surface is good and clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


That's a pretty thin baseplate. I'd do some test pieces before the real one. I'd also consider drilling a through hole in the base, countersinking and chamfering both chunks from the underside, and welding it from the underside. the warp will work for you, setting the edges on the ground, slightly raising the center when it's finished.


That's a really good idea. Talk about coming at the problem from a different angle!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the past, when it really matterd (which is not to often) I have drilled a hole in the base and used all-thread to temporarily clamp the pipe to the base. If you get a good true to square cut on the pipe, the pipe will be held in place and you should be good able to get a good square weld. If the cut is not exactly square use shims to square the assembly up, torque it down and weld away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do what r smith said but with the addition of a small shim say .015-.020" thick same diameter as the pipe. The shim is placed right where the pipe will be and clamped between a thick flat plate to create a hump and balance out the warp which it will "draw" up no matter what. Clamp around the shim as much as possible before any tacking and jump around with plenty of tacks before running a bead. Leave all clamps on at least 10-15 seconds after final weld. If it still draws up quite a bit, use a thicker shim next time. It may never go perfect but an 1/8" plate can be bent back pretty easy with a hammer. Good luck with your project. Spears.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...