New Welding Talbe... Finished!

[tasslehawf]

Did the Weld fail? or did the Steel on the caster rip away- the steel on the casters looks thin.

This was probably case. I don't remember for sure.

I'm going to have to say the weld held the caster on it a way that the plate was not designed. I believe the plate bent and broke away.

I assume there are plates that ARE meant to be welded.

EDIT: I'd like to see someone mfg. studded plates for casters you can weld to your piece. Actually I could make these.

[tasslehawf]

Bump. I don't want to loose you.

[Fishy Jim]

Caster plates typically are not meant to be welded. You cook the grease out of the bearings and possibly melt any seals that were present (cheap casters lack the seals, and some even lack the grease ).

That's not to say I don't do it too.

They wouldn't have bolt holes if they meant you to run a bead around `em.

[chrisgay@sbcglo]

Caster plates typically are not meant to be welded. You cook the grease out of the bearings and possibly melt any seals that were present (cheap casters lack the seals, and some even lack the grease ).

That's not to say I don't do it too.

They wouldn't have bolt holes if they meant you to run a bead around `em.

Just burn 'em in and get the show on the road. Anymore, depending on the application, I usually just weld castors on. I'm done in five minutes, no holes, no bolts, drilling, no assembly, no problems. Looking back, I've never had to service a single castor (assuming it was properly rated). It's not like they're spinning at 10,000 RPM.
Just my opinion, Fish.

I just checked out one of my welding tables. It's an old hydraulic lift table I picked up used. They sell them new at Grainger/McMaster but this one's probably 50 yrs. old. Are the castors bolted? No, they're welded. And they're only tacked in four corners. When I say tacked, I mean about a 3/8" long dab. The table alone weighs 400-500 pounds, and I don't even want to think about how much weight I've had on top of it. No worries.

[Fishy Jim]

I weld them more often than I bolt them - but that doesn't mean its the designed intent.

That's all I'm saying.

[chrisgay@sbcglo]

I right there with you. I used to bolt them everytime, now I make a judgement call. If I had a Scotchman to shear and punch out the holes, maybe I'd always bolt them; I have bandsaws and drill presses, so I know I'm much faster with a MIG than I am with a saw, a drill, some hardware and a ratchet. Besides, if it's for myself, I figure if something breaks ten years down, I can always cut it out- worst case scenario.

[tasslehawf]

I'm assuming you're welding the bolt holes?

[Fishy Jim]

Unless I'm putting it along an open side (where the caster base plate is longer than the pad on the frame), I rosette weld the bolt holes and haven't had any come off yet, otherwise I'll run a fillet along the plate.

[tasslehawf]

More and more good reasons to pick up a mig. Gotta fix my electrical dilemma first and also my money dilemma.

[mooseye]

One of the beauties of stick welding is that you can weld threw all kinds of crap including plating. It would be hard to think of anything that you cannot stick weld. Not to say that it will be as nice looking as tig or mig every time, but it is definatly the most versital and you can use it in wind,rain,snow what ever.