Bridge building 101

daniel_peck · December 16, 2011, 1:23am

OK for those who ask how do I build a bridge, 1st you need a print of the bridge…

Thanks Gary for the OK on the print… Not steel BUT Square Aluminum Bar - 6063-T52 Now Off to the saw…This stuff makes a mess…all over the shop and me

Got the top and bottom rails cut then the vertical sides and cut the angle ends and the cross pieces Welding on saturday so stay tune…

Gary_Armitstead · December 16, 2011, 2:44am

Looks great to see a plan come together! It DOES look a little messy there!

Are you still going to use 1/4" round for the top or did you come across 3/16"?

daniel_peck · December 16, 2011, 9:20am

Looks like 1/4 round for now… 3/16 will bend very easly…

dawgnabbit · December 16, 2011, 2:01pm

Daniel,

I’m following this thread with much interest. Did you get the email I sent you recently?
Steve

Gary_Armitstead · December 16, 2011, 3:17pm

daniel peck said:
Looks like 1/4 round for now... 3/16 will bend very easly....

Sounds good to me:)

mf5117 · December 16, 2011, 11:44pm

why key stock and not square tubing . price ,or burn threw when welding ? seems like it would be awful heavy or is it ALUM .

Gary_Armitstead · December 16, 2011, 11:57pm

mark fuller said:
why key stock and not square tubing . price ,or burn threw when welding ? seems like it would be awful heavy or is it ALUM .

Mark,

The truss Daniel just delivered to me IS steel tubing and powder-coated.

THIS bridge is ALL aluminum.

daniel_peck · December 17, 2011, 1:56am

On the Alum bridge the sold square stock does not have the warpaged effect as tubing would. If this was just steel I would used square tubing.

daniel_peck · December 18, 2011, 11:26pm

1st side getting welded up.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00418.JPG)

2nd side clamped to the 1st side getting welded

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00419.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00420.JPG)

getting left and right side square

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00421.JPG)

Top cross bars welded in

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00422.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/daniel_peck/_forumfiles/Bridge%20build/DSC00423.JPG)

Have to let the metal cool down before I can weld some more…

Rooster · December 18, 2011, 11:31pm

…:)…

Would like to own a TIG someday

Gary_Armitstead · December 18, 2011, 11:58pm

Thanks for the progress report Daniel. Lookin’ great!

You know you can NEVER have TOO many clamps!

daniel_peck · December 19, 2011, 12:49am

thats only about 1/2 of the clamps I normally use on a project. Never can have too many clamps…

Rich_Niemeyer · December 19, 2011, 3:29pm

Daniel,
It’s great watching this. Like I said in my email to you. After the holidays I’ll be in touch about one of my own. Will be fun to watch this to finish.

daniel_peck · December 22, 2011, 8:02pm

Got the round rod in today and got some more welding done on it. Looks Like I should finish tomorrow. Using aluminum builds a lot of heat on the parts so I have to let ic cool down to handle to keep from getting burned. Taken longer than I wanted but LOOKING GOOD!! Updated Pics tomorrow.

Gary_Armitstead · December 22, 2011, 8:25pm

Thanks for the update.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

daniel_peck · December 27, 2011, 2:13am

I should have the finished pic upload tomorrow and out the door wensday. This Bridge only weighs in at 16 LBS, not too bad. what is really taken time is like I said when you weld on this it builds so much heat you can not even touch the bridge to weld on the other side if you wanted too. Been another learning process but fun. People stoping by the house ask were is it going? and they realy like it be made out of something different.

Gary_Armitstead · December 27, 2011, 2:31am

Merry Christmas Daniel:)

Thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing the pics of the finished bridge. 16 LBS…not bad.

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Took a couple of shots just before Christmas of my steel truss outside with a couple of 1.20.3 pieces of rolling stock on board. This is one taken late in the day.