Post by William McCormick on Sept 27, 2012 17:58:53 GMT -5
Many years ago, I used to make railings as a job. I still make them today for friends.
I have some neat computer tools I use, that make it a bunch of fun to create and bend pipe.
I used a macro within the General Cadd drawing program to create the points to start and stop bending on the straight unbent pipe, for all the bends in the railing, while the pipe was still straight.
I also marked for all the spokes, on the pipe while the pipe was still straight. Then I bent it up and welded it together.
It is amazing how accurate the computer is. I only wish I was as accurate.
All and all they came out good.
I used a very small tig cup, to weld around the spokes. It had about a 5/16" opening in the cup.
I penetrated very deeply and then filed and sanded the welds down. I would not recommend filing and sanding the welds unless you plan to spend a couple days sanding them. I made these for a fellow I work with, so I took the extra time to grind off all the welds.
It is very hard, not to undercut the half inch rods. Both while welding and while grinding.
When I was making the rolled pipe that makes the quarter circle on the bottom of the rail. I actually added an extra hole by mistake. I had to cut off one of the welds, and cut a relief slit on the other side, to bend it down. After I cut out the extra hole.
I had just miscounted, ha-ha. It only took a few minutes to repair.
These are the shop drawings I made to build the rail.
These are the rails after they came back from a local powder coat company, Action Powder Coating in Farmingdale New York. They really did an exceptional job on them.
Sincerely,
William McCormick
I have some neat computer tools I use, that make it a bunch of fun to create and bend pipe.
I used a macro within the General Cadd drawing program to create the points to start and stop bending on the straight unbent pipe, for all the bends in the railing, while the pipe was still straight.
I also marked for all the spokes, on the pipe while the pipe was still straight. Then I bent it up and welded it together.
It is amazing how accurate the computer is. I only wish I was as accurate.
All and all they came out good.
I used a very small tig cup, to weld around the spokes. It had about a 5/16" opening in the cup.
I penetrated very deeply and then filed and sanded the welds down. I would not recommend filing and sanding the welds unless you plan to spend a couple days sanding them. I made these for a fellow I work with, so I took the extra time to grind off all the welds.
It is very hard, not to undercut the half inch rods. Both while welding and while grinding.
When I was making the rolled pipe that makes the quarter circle on the bottom of the rail. I actually added an extra hole by mistake. I had to cut off one of the welds, and cut a relief slit on the other side, to bend it down. After I cut out the extra hole.
I had just miscounted, ha-ha. It only took a few minutes to repair.
These are the shop drawings I made to build the rail.
These are the rails after they came back from a local powder coat company, Action Powder Coating in Farmingdale New York. They really did an exceptional job on them.
Sincerely,
William McCormick
