well that sucks i reckon....makes it hard to link people to good 4x4 tech. i better shut my mouth before i say too much

what are you talking about, this forum is good and wholesome, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside

 

I've never heard of using an ARC welder on this sort of things, I've heard that a TIG welder is the best for a clean and uniform weld.

But the MIG is the best for getting it done quickly and still having a strong weld, again this is what I've heard.

I've read that DOM is the only way to go when it came to building cages like this.

Does this mean the cage will be full of bugs if you use a plain wire feed?

 

until recently, arc has been the standard for high presssure pipelines, but most welders are moving toward the tig wellding, as stated, it has a more uniform bead, and imo a better weld, but im sure thats probly out of this guys abilities and price range, so id say either a good mig, not one of them 100 buck ones, or a arc.

 

i am sure with enough triangulation and supports that a pipe cage will work, no doubt about that! but a roll cage (in my book) is not something you want to skimp on. it seems like it would cost about the same when you figure in you would have to use more materials (for more supports) and thicker materials it seems to me it would come out to be about the same price.

MIG TIG or stick will work fine, its not the process that creates a strong weld, they all will work perfectly... its the hand that guides the electrode.

just b/c a few people have run pipe cages doesn't mean anything unless you copy their exact design. once again a roll cage is not something that can be just thrown together with lesser quality materials and be expected to hold up. i am surprised there is any question about this!

-cutts-

 

No, if you use a good flux coat wire, it will weld just fine.

 

It is all about stress and design. A tube/pipe has the strongest strength per pound of any other shape or form and if the proper size is used it will not fail. If it is a full sized vehicle I would use 3/16 th wall though. No need to over engineer it as it is not that hard to build a good strong one.

 

SnoMan=Randy=troll

 

i read that post ivan... and you're right pipe may not be as bad as i thought. i guess when i think of pipe i mostly think of exhaust, lol. i really really like the idea of pipe costing so much less per foot then DOM or even HREW... and from what I gathered sch40 pipe so closely resembles HREW that it is practically the same thing.

i'll be looking into this much more extensively as i will need to build a cage very soon.

sorry for the blind posting guys!

BTW... here are a couple of posts about pipe cages
pir ate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416112&highlight=pipe+cage

pir ate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=342992&highlight=sprinkler+pipe

(delete the space between the R and A )

-cutts-

 

What does everyone think they built stuff with for all the year before the fancy MIGs and TIGs? Yes, you can use an ARC welder to do this. TIG is always the best choice as it will give you a consistent weld and you're guaranteed good penetration. That being said, most people do not have TIG welders at home. The flux wire that SnoMan recommends is crap and is notorious for having poor penetration. This is the stuff that every POS DIY 110 volt Walmart welder uses. If you're welding sheet metal, body panels, etc it's great. I'd never in a million years use it for building a cage which is why I said if someone doesn't have a proper gas shielded MIG welder (220v) then ARC would be the best choice because you'll see proper penetration, provided the welder knows how to weld. If you look at cage FAILURES over 90% of them are due to a broken weld, not a bent/broken tube or pipe. I don't care how well you design your cage it won't do you any good if the welds are inadequate. This is the same as people trying to build custom spring hangers, etc and welding to their frame with a welder that is not up for the job.

I'm not arguing that DOM isn't the "ideal" material for a cage, I'm just saying that for our application (i.e. trucks that may roll over, not race cars that may hit a wall at 200+mph) pipe is plenty strong enough. If you've got the $$ to shell out for DOM then by all means. Just seems kind of funny to me that the people who always whine about being on a tight budget and not being able to afford things they need will throw out more $$ than they need to for a roll cage when there's an inexpensive and effective alternative.

 

All I have to say, is that i HATE poor penetration

 

this i agree on 100%

poop pipe, as they call it on pirate, can be just as strong as dom tube. However, dom tubing can be used to make lighter cages. (ie chroMo).

There is nothing wrong with flux core wire, except that it makes a heck of a mess. flux core wire is very similar to arc welding.

110v walmart welders [non-gas] are great for welding light gauge plate. (1/16"-3/16"). You can't weld sheet metal efficiently with flux core (burns through and leaves all kinda of mess). 220V welders with flux core can burn thick metal (3/8"-1/2"+). With that said, 220 welders with gas produce the best welds on thicker metal.

 

dont we all, dont we all.

 

maybe so but is 15-20 pounds lighter really worth the extra $500? i am saying that unless your rig is on a strict weight designation doesn't seem worth it to me.

damn i love learning

-cutts-

 

Always has to be a clown somewhere

 

Yep, and if you check your user name you'll know who he is.