Good video, I have done tons of what you are doing. For pins if you get 1/2 inch round bar you can make lots of pins for pennies. Grinding the groove to get around the flash does not cause significant weakening because creative steel builders tend to over build anyways .If you could get tubing with the flash removed and use it for the receiver it saves a bit of work. I'm curious about why with these youtube comments , there are always people that come across as non constructive negative commentators instead of suggesting ideas from their own experiences. Maybe they just don't have any experiences. ED
Dinging each end and scribing a line between only works if weld seam is in the middle of the tube. Sometimes these seams are to one side. If you're looking for a pin, look for a hitch pin. Welding the seam hardins that part of the tube, so plan for your holes so you don't need to drill the seam.
I've got a patent pending for a piece I've designed that uses the 'slip-joint' type fit- though in 'heavy guage'. I personally used square-clipped lock pins for ease of takedown; if you're working on is semi-permanent(if it was permanent,you'd just weld it), I'd use adjustable Clevis pins w/ cotter pins in them. Contrary to what's been said, making the small groove in 'mild' steel' WON'T weaken it !
If you listened and watched you would realise that the groove cut was very shallow so wouldn't weaken the tube by a significant enough amount to matter. Great tip. Thanks for posting.
Great tip I'm new to fab. The pins your talking about are redly available at Ace/ lowes/ home depot & some have multiple pin holes. I used them on a Bar stool racer I just finished didn't want to weld seat steering up rights so I could ship ups if I sell it later. Just pushed through pined cut off looks great & smaller head than bolts. Good luck!!!
Use a cap screw and thread the inside piece. Easy to make and take down. It would also prevent any vibration and that loose sound if you were able to screw it down tight. Great work around if all you have is square tube with the inner bead.
I wouldn't ding both ends. Do one, and then use a combination square to mark the other end. Otherwise if the weld isn't dead centre, you'll get a diagonal line.
nwimpney I was thinking the same thing. If the weld is off center, as it often is, you have to follow that. Otherwise, you’ll get a line that goes from one side to the other.
If you ding both ends, your line could wind up as a diagonal. Secondly, the integrity of the insertion tube could be maintained if you route out the seam line on the surface. The inside has a build up from the seam weld that you could take advantage of....re; JR Helicopters
You can remove that weld flash from any length tube. make a tool that you pull through any length of tubing with a little HSS lathe bit bolted in place that removes the weld flash. Use some all thread and a power drill to pull the tool through the tube. Once you make the tool for any goven size tube it can be used over and over. This way you won't be weakening your tubing with that groove.
You might have already solved this - but in case you haven't: I've seen the kind of pins you're talking about near the end of the video. Look for "ball lock pins" or "T Handle lock pins". I know Grainger carries them, but they're pretty expensive, like 25-30 bucks. But I've seen them as low as 11 bucks elsewhere.
Nice tip! Only one little problem, if the seam weld is off center, your marking technique will only work on one side, no big deal, it just means you gotta double check by measuring the mark. Cheers for the upload!
Good tip if you're stuck but my local metal supplier sells 0.100" wall square tubing so the 1" fits into 1.25" fits into 1.5" and so on. No dinging needed.
how would you weld 2 end plates on a square tubing ? a fillet weld would be used but how would you clamp for welding ?? would you only use the weight of the tube as a clamping force ? then just tack weld , and then proceede to do the all around weld ?
instead of welding the face of the outer tube in a lap weld, would it not be nicer to take your grinder, and cut a slot on each side face, so when the inner tube is slid inside, you can fill the cut with bead, and penetrate into the inside tube. Grind smooth for finish. what this also does, is leave the face square so it won't peen open the removable piece, and save you from having to pound it off when it flares and jams
most steel manufacturers publish a table of "telescoping" tube and RHS along with the clearances. You can pick how tight you want it by selecting thicker wall thickness of the outer tube.
Is the weld bead on the outer piece always gonna be centered? If it's not, wouldn't it be offset when you flip the inner piece to put marks on both sides for your scribe line, in which case your scribe line would be diagonal?
Hi Like your video.. can you provide an explanation about how slider in any Exercise Machine with adjustable Pully with squire tube work... .? I am interested to make such on my own..
So I want to make a Swedish ladder. It's exercise equipment. I will use 4x4 lumber for the uprights. The horizontal rungs are traditionally wood, but they eventually snap and need replacement. So I want to use metal/steel for the rungs. What do you guys recommend? Considerations: - 39in length; roughly 1.25in diameter - rust resistant - strong enough to hold 400+lb safely (people, punching bag, etc.) - strong enough on which to swing, jump, stand, bounce - not too expensive; will be using about 60 feet worth of tubes/pipes Thanks!
If all you need to do is make a socket type assembly, you can use a hammer and piece of round rod or blunt chisel to pound a concave surface into the area that needs to fit into the socket.
That's about as clear as mud. A few more visual aids could help make this understandable to us mortals, but where you end up is a great idea, I just don't understand how you're getting there. Hope I'm the only one with this problem though. Thanks, JD
You can also make/buy a tool with a hardened cutter bit(like a brake lathe has), and hammer it through to cut off the welding flash from the inside. Then, you won't have a grinder stripe on it.
Good tip, but I agree with the mark only one end commenters. Also if you have a mill a 1/8" std. or round end mill it does a real nice looking job on the groove
I hate to knock you off you high horse, but I'm currently working with a batch of RHS which does have a weld seam about 1/8th" off centre, so JD's point is quite valid.
Clamp your square tubing to the table from the inside, that way you don't have to take it apart and reclamp. It will also allow a much tighter clamp because you cannot collaspe the tubing. Then drill that hole through, and another through hole on the ajacent side, then just slide in your stub and weld the holes shut. If you wish to retain adjustability just weld a nut over the hole and clamp with a bolt. To make the adjustment a one hand deal weld another (longer) bolt crosswise atop the bolt head as a hand hold. Good video...
If you plan ahead, you can also grind out the weld flashing from inside of the larger tubing. Use a 1/4" collet die grinder mounted with a 6" long shank carbide burr. Its a snap to reach in 4" deep from each end before the sleeve is welded on. If the male end is 2" square tubing? Just buy the special size tube made for trailer hitch receivers. It has no weld flash inside, plus, it is 0.030" oversize, inside and out (2.030" inside dimension). The 2" insert will never get stuck in there.
Think how they manufacture the steel tubing and ask the question again. Okay, they form the square tubing in a factory, with a robot welder to make the splice. Straight down the one seam. If the bead was off center or ran at an angle, I don't think it would look square to you.
+Dave Smulders I had observed the same thing. He only needs to mark one side then extend that mark down the side of the smaller tube. His marking method would not work if say the weld bead was offset. In marking both sides, he would end up with a diagonal line on the smaller square tubing. Good stuff otherwise!
Been using your method for years when joining to 2 pieces of SHS together. Anything structural I always use an insert, plug welded into place before welding the 2 lengths of steel together.
Nice tip Thankyou very much i had tried the other approach. Of grinding the inside out with a Rotary tool knowing there had to be a better way BTW i am a retired Woodworker that Knows enough about metal. To Be dangerous to myself my Grand father was a professional Welder and my Father taught me some basics although he was more of a Carpenter than a Metal guy
+Bruce Kennedy Exactly what I was thinking. They usually bead the outside of that tubing and then grind off the bead for you. One less thing to worry about, meaning a quicker job.
nice trick. If it wasnt critical, I would do that. If it was, I would use a die grinder and remove the burr from the female piece. I am sure this will save me time sometime, thanks.
I googled Dynafile - several sources listed them @ $485! (Also googled "Bazinga" - not a thin belt sander). Pls tell me where I can buy a dynafile for ~ $50.
If you have to do a tonne of these I would put a wide grinding wheel in an old table saw or a cheap table saw. Then I would just run the pieces with the wheel sticking out of the slot a smidgen.
If you can't find a pin to fit your tube,you could buy a steel rod grind a taper,and drill a hole on your drill press,and put a circle clip in it so you can grab the pin and pull it out.
why use a cutoff wheel? you could do it easier with a regular grinding wheel. Also if you put the tip of the clamp into the tubing when you clamp it to the table you can do the grind in one motion.
What are the sizes of those square tubes in the video? I want to use this system for a personal project and I was wondering if you can give me the size for the small tube and also for the big one(it seems a perfect match) Thanks!
That method only works if that weld is exactly in the center. Otherwise you cannot mark both ends facing up; you'd have to mark one end, then spin the tube vertically to the other end, putting the first mark on the bottom of the tube, then get a square and transcribe the mark from either end to the matching surface containing the other mark... Or sumthin...$
GREAT IDEA!! thanks. do you have a follow-up video showing the rest of the process? i know you kind of explained it a little with the bolts/pins, but i'd like to see a kind of start-to-finish of the project even if its on multiple videos. thanks again. this is what i've been searching for.
I don't know if it was just me but I am sure you guys saw this coming what he was going to do before he told us in the video. Anybody who has welded and fabricated in the past or has put any time into welding or fabrication already knew what he was going to show everyone on this video. Nothing new in the welding trade or any other trade. It's called using your head and this is a no brainer.
Thank you for the correction. It just seems they are being lazy with the quality, if it is off center. As in, did a carpenter design that square tube machine. I have been out of the steel field since the early 1980's,,, so I am a bit behind.
Or you could just buy square tubing that has the flashing (inside weld) removed. That's what they use for receiver hitches so they slide together nice.
Sorry jackleg but you cant just flip the piece over always and in most cases because the weld seam is not centered therefore the scribe line would not line up or be centered.
Good video, I have done tons of what you are doing. For pins if you get 1/2 inch round bar you can make lots of pins for pennies. Grinding the groove to get around the flash does not cause significant weakening because creative steel builders tend to over build anyways .If you could get tubing with the flash removed and use it for the receiver it saves a bit of work. I'm curious about why with these youtube comments , there are always people that come across as non constructive negative commentators instead of suggesting ideas from their own experiences. Maybe they just don't have any experiences. ED
Dinging each end and scribing a line between only works if weld seam is in the middle of the tube. Sometimes these seams are to one side. If you're looking for a pin, look for a hitch pin. Welding the seam hardins that part of the tube, so plan for your holes so you don't need to drill the seam.
I've got a patent pending for a piece I've designed that uses the 'slip-joint' type fit- though in 'heavy guage'. I personally used square-clipped lock pins for ease of takedown; if you're working on is semi-permanent(if it was permanent,you'd just weld it), I'd use adjustable Clevis pins w/ cotter pins in them.
Contrary to what's been said, making the small groove in 'mild' steel' WON'T weaken it !
Am I the only one who gets scrap steel for my home projects? I save a lot of money and I get what is available, so thanks for the tip! Liked!
If you listened and watched you would realise that the groove cut was very shallow so wouldn't weaken the tube by a significant enough amount to matter. Great tip. Thanks for posting.
Great tip I'm new to fab. The pins your talking about are redly available at Ace/ lowes/ home depot & some have multiple pin holes. I used them on a Bar stool racer I just finished didn't want to weld seat steering up rights so I could ship ups if I sell it later. Just pushed through pined cut off looks great & smaller head than bolts. Good luck!!!
Good tip man. Sometimes you can't always get seamless tubing. Great trick, thanks for sharing.
best tip ive seen in a while, i once worked on pop up cars for winow washers, and they didnt know this one
This actually works really well! I saw this video last week and tried it last night. Had to come back and leave a comment. Great tip!
Use a cap screw and thread the inside piece. Easy to make and take down. It would also prevent any vibration and that loose sound if you were able to screw it down tight.
Great work around if all you have is square tube with the inner bead.
I wouldn't ding both ends. Do one, and then use a combination square to mark the other end. Otherwise if the weld isn't dead centre, you'll get a diagonal line.
nwimpney I was thinking the same thing. If the weld is off center, as it often is, you have to follow that. Otherwise, you’ll get a line that goes from one side to the other.
Well, there it is... I could have saved 3 minutes of my time by not repeating what is already said here :-D
If you ding both ends, your line could wind up as a diagonal. Secondly, the integrity of the insertion tube could be maintained if you route out the seam line on the surface. The inside has a build up from the seam weld that you could take advantage of....re; JR Helicopters
You can remove that weld flash from any length tube. make a tool that you pull through any length of tubing with a little HSS lathe bit bolted in place that removes the weld flash. Use some all thread and a power drill to pull the tool through the tube. Once you make the tool for any goven size tube it can be used over and over. This way you won't be weakening your tubing with that groove.
I've always done this to join the left over pieces of steel together to make one long piece and it even works well with the round steel.
You might have already solved this - but in case you haven't: I've seen the kind of pins you're talking about near the end of the video. Look for "ball lock pins" or "T Handle lock pins". I know Grainger carries them, but they're pretty expensive, like 25-30 bucks. But I've seen them as low as 11 bucks elsewhere.
What size square tubing to go inside a 2 inch square tube?
Nice tip! Only one little problem, if the seam weld is off center, your marking technique will only work on one side, no big deal, it just means you gotta double check by measuring the mark. Cheers for the upload!
@Moon shiner amperaje adecuado para soldar con varilla 7018 3/32
Good tip if you're stuck but my local metal supplier sells 0.100" wall square tubing so the 1" fits into 1.25" fits into 1.5" and so on. No dinging needed.
how would you weld 2 end plates on a square tubing ? a fillet weld would be used but how would you clamp for welding ?? would you only use the weight of the tube as a clamping force ? then just tack weld , and then proceede to do the all around weld ?
This method works... better if your grinding wheel is thicker than the width of the weld.
@1970chevelle396 ..Yes, they sell that for trailer hitches and receivers...called skived or 'no-flash'..
Hey, is there anyway to make a fit better if the tubing is too loose?
instead of welding the face of the outer tube in a lap weld, would it not be nicer to take your grinder, and cut a slot on each side face, so when the inner tube is slid inside, you can fill the cut with bead, and penetrate into the inside tube. Grind smooth for finish.
what this also does, is leave the face square so it won't peen open the removable piece, and save you from having to pound it off when it flares and jams
very good and fast explanation. You are talented.
most steel manufacturers publish a table of "telescoping" tube and RHS along with the clearances. You can pick how tight you want it by selecting thicker wall thickness of the outer tube.
Is the weld bead on the outer piece always gonna be centered? If it's not, wouldn't it be offset when you flip the inner piece to put marks on both sides for your scribe line, in which case your scribe line would be diagonal?
Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. EXCELLENT tip!!!
Hey pawpaw 👋, what are you doing over here. LOL
Hi Like your video.. can you provide an explanation about how slider in any Exercise Machine with adjustable Pully with squire tube work... .? I am interested to make such on my own..
Very good tip.
Grooving along the length, could be done better - to ensure a perfect linear grove.
So I want to make a Swedish ladder. It's exercise equipment. I will use 4x4 lumber for the uprights. The horizontal rungs are traditionally wood, but they eventually snap and need replacement. So I want to use metal/steel for the rungs. What do you guys recommend?
Considerations:
- 39in length; roughly 1.25in diameter
- rust resistant
- strong enough to hold 400+lb safely (people, punching bag, etc.)
- strong enough on which to swing, jump, stand, bounce
- not too expensive; will be using about 60 feet worth of tubes/pipes
Thanks!
Plz reply me
How much that tube 50x40???
love the chirping birds in background lol great tip BTW
If all you need to do is make a socket type assembly, you can use a hammer and piece of round rod or blunt chisel to pound a concave surface into the area that needs to fit into the socket.
That's about as clear as mud. A few more visual aids could help make this understandable to us mortals, but where you end up is a great idea, I just don't understand how you're getting there. Hope I'm the only one with this problem though. Thanks, JD
You can also make/buy a tool with a hardened cutter bit(like a brake lathe has), and hammer it through to cut off the welding flash from the inside. Then, you won't have a grinder stripe on it.
Good tip, but I agree with the mark only one end commenters. Also if you have a mill a 1/8" std. or round end mill it does a real nice looking job on the groove
I hate to knock you off you high horse, but I'm currently working with a batch of RHS which does have a weld seam about 1/8th" off centre, so JD's point is quite valid.
Good video. One tip use a magic marker for the line. It’s easier to see when grinding. The Old Goat.
1 1/2"- 1/8th inch wall and the smaller is 1 1/4"- 1/8th inch wall.
Don’t take for granted that the wildling line on the larger tube is centered.
Clamp your square tubing to the table from the inside, that way you don't have to take it apart and reclamp. It will also allow a much tighter clamp because you cannot collaspe the tubing. Then drill that hole through, and another through hole on the ajacent side, then just slide in your stub and weld the holes shut. If you wish to retain adjustability just weld a nut over the hole and clamp with a bolt. To make the adjustment a one hand deal weld another (longer) bolt crosswise atop the bolt head as a hand hold. Good video...
If you plan ahead, you can also grind out the weld flashing from inside of the larger tubing. Use a 1/4" collet die grinder mounted with a 6" long shank carbide burr. Its a snap to reach in 4" deep from each end before the sleeve is welded on. If the male end is 2" square tubing? Just buy the special size tube made for trailer hitch receivers. It has no weld flash inside, plus, it is 0.030" oversize, inside and out (2.030" inside dimension). The 2" insert will never get stuck in there.
Think how they manufacture the steel tubing and ask the question again.
Okay, they form the square tubing in a factory, with a robot welder to make the splice. Straight down the one seam. If the bead was off center or ran at an angle, I don't think it would look square to you.
You either have to ding only one side and scribe from there, or this only works if the weld is actually exactly in the middle.
+Dave Smulders I had observed the same thing. He only needs to mark one side then extend that mark down the side of the smaller tube. His marking method would not work if say the weld bead was offset. In marking both sides, he would end up with a diagonal line on the smaller square tubing. Good stuff otherwise!
No.
Hey Stephen what size are these tubes?
Good job Junior, you have just presented a massive stress riser in the material. use the correct material or take the time to do things properly.
Been using your method for years when joining to 2 pieces of SHS together. Anything structural I always use an insert, plug welded into place before welding the 2 lengths of steel together.
Hi, is this a way string way of adding length? For example to widen a table frame? Thanks
Nice tip Thankyou very much i had tried the other approach. Of grinding the inside out with a Rotary tool knowing there had to be a better way BTW i am a retired Woodworker that Knows enough about metal. To Be dangerous to myself my Grand father was a professional Welder and my Father taught me some basics although he was more of a Carpenter than a Metal guy
What size of square tubing are using here to get one to telescope into the other?
You can buy tubing that is used on trailer hitches w/o the seam.
+Bruce Kennedy Exactly what I was thinking. They usually bead the outside of that tubing and then grind off the bead for you. One less thing to worry about, meaning a quicker job.
DOM
Is there such thing as square DOM? I've never heard of it. Maybe it exists???
+Jacob James it does. check your local steel supply
Bruce Kennedy and I would also get pins from there.
I used a file sander without issue. If it were over 5 or 6 inch depth it wouldn't fit inside thou.
nice trick. If it wasnt critical, I would do that. If it was, I would use a die grinder and remove the burr from the female piece. I am sure this will save me time sometime, thanks.
i have always created a crease on one side with a hydraulic brake if you have one, just enough to make it concave enough
just a random thought.
If you are worried about looks the receiver part should have put on with weld seam down and you won't see it !
I googled Dynafile - several sources listed them @ $485! (Also googled "Bazinga" - not a thin belt sander). Pls tell me where I can buy a dynafile for ~ $50.
If you have to do a tonne of these I would put a wide grinding wheel in an old table saw or a cheap table saw. Then I would just run the pieces with the wheel sticking out of the slot a smidgen.
Dude…. Sick video. You’re v skilled
Okay.. so I am assuming the outer tube is 2" thin wall??? WHat are the two tube sizes?
If you can't find a pin to fit your tube,you could buy a steel rod grind a taper,and drill a hole on your drill press,and put a circle clip in it so you can grab the pin and pull it out.
Thanks for this tip, I had this problem before and now I know a better, and easier way to deal with it. Great Video
would you be able to just file the welding bead down in the tube?
why use a cutoff wheel? you could do it easier with a regular grinding wheel. Also if you put the tip of the clamp into the tubing when you clamp it to the table you can do the grind in one motion.
That "weld line" is called a "seam" where the steel was forged from flat to square . You could spend a little more for seamless tube.
The pin could be from a trailer hitch. Auto parts store in your area?
Sir,
How to calculate square tube load capacity and breaking load capacity. Pls guide me.
Shrinking is ok sometimes stretching won't work It wi'll distort and bow and over a distance won't be worth it
Anyone know if this HREW stuff is what people would use for square driveshafts?
so why don't you plug weld the led part
Thanks for the tip! It is just in time!
What are you building?
John
What size tubing did you use? It seems like you had a good fit .
could u plz mention the tubing sizes
Any auto parts store has pins for hitches. Come with keepers and predrilled to boot. Or make em outta round stock
What are the sizes of those square tubes in the video? I want to use this system for a personal project and I was wondering if you can give me the size for the small tube and also for the big one(it seems a perfect match) Thanks!
You could have ground only the length of the insert and not the whole tube. then you could have the high polish look if so desired.
pasquale parente. I agree , what I did before welding was strip off sandpaper on a wood board and push pull until gone.
Isn't there square tubing available without the inside weld line? I've seen DOM round stock without it.
Thank you for the information, but why not USE a grinding disk not a cutting disk? Just asking cuz that "Grind" disk is what 1/32 wide?
You only need to groove the depth of the socket.
Nice tip. can you Tell me the dimentions of both square Pipe, please?
how much did it cost ya to file for that patent?
What size, and gauge are those square tubes?
What size of tubing are you using??
Friend. Please. What are the measures of both tubes? Excellent video and very good your explanation. Thank you very much!
That method only works if that weld is exactly in the center. Otherwise you cannot mark both ends facing up; you'd have to mark one end, then spin the tube vertically to the other end, putting the first mark on the bottom of the tube, then get a square and transcribe the mark from either end to the matching surface containing the other mark... Or sumthin...$
use round heavy wall tubing or pipe, for the inside joint connector.
just like on scaffolding frames.
much easier to assemble and disassemble
You can buy that square tubing without the seam in it. Its more expensive for that kind.
GREAT IDEA!! thanks. do you have a follow-up video showing the rest of the process? i know you kind of explained it a little with the bolts/pins, but i'd like to see a kind of start-to-finish of the project even if its on multiple videos. thanks again. this is what i've been searching for.
Sand interior pieces first before welding. Strip of sandpaper and flat surface.
Excuse, large piece interior seam
I don't know if it was just me but I am sure you guys saw this coming what he was going to do before he told us in the video. Anybody who has welded and fabricated in the past or has put any time into welding or fabrication already knew what he was going to show everyone on this video. Nothing new in the welding trade or any other trade. It's called using your head and this is a no brainer.
Thanks mate - very helpful tip!
exelente stephentu idea me a servido de mucho gracias por este video saludos desde monterrey nl mexico
what are the resizer profiles?
Thank you for the correction. It just seems they are being lazy with the quality, if it is off center. As in, did a carpenter design that square tube machine.
I have been out of the steel field since the early 1980's,,, so I am a bit behind.
it's called a chamfer my friend, good vid
That could be a lot of work. Why not just use "Flash Scarfed" square tube?
Or use a hammer and a blunt chisel and slightly dent in where the weld is that way your not loosing strength in the tube.
Or you could just buy square tubing that has the flashing (inside weld) removed. That's what they use for receiver hitches so they slide together nice.
thanks Mr. Marchio for square tubing tip.
I guess i missed it. Why dont you just hit the weld with a grinder or chisel or sander"?
Sorry jackleg but you cant just flip the piece over always and in most cases because the weld seam is not centered therefore the scribe line would not line up or be centered.
+Kay P Funny it worked. Got a video rigger?
If it's not center just measure it and use a combination square and slide it all the way to the end of square of tubing ...it's not that difficult.
Good job some of the old crows here don't like competition they forgot they at one time wore diapers.