Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
(OP)
I know this is a kind of no brainer question for a welder, however I was wondering the best and most economical and possibly cleanest way to put an endcap on a square tube. I have included a link for a pic of the tube assembly. I know I could weld the cap in the pic onto the square tube, but you would see a weld joint around the part. I have seen 3d images of endcaps that are flush with all sides, but not sure how they could weld this without seeing a beed around the edges. The part in question is a 1.5" square tube, so could I just use a 1.5" square cap? what kind of weld joint would this be, and how would you make it look like there is no weld after....sand it?? or could you just insert a smaller cap into the hole through the tube to sit flush with the end of the tube and solder??





RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Cap fit flush to tube end, with some small gaps in the corners due to the inside radii of the tube. This flush fit usually requires ID grinding of the longitudinal seam of the tubesteel to allow the cap to slip in.
Then the flush seam is welded on the face, getting fairly good penetration and strength in the corner gap areas only. Remainder will have a small ammount of penetration [below the surface of the parts], being a 'face weld' only.
Then the weld bead is ground almost flush, taking care not to dish out the cap or excessively round over the end of the tubesteel.
Finally, the cap area is sanded to remove the grinding marks and smooth out the end, again taking care not to excessively round over the end of the tubesteel.
Slow, onerous, requires a Master Fabricator, not just a common welder, and thus expensive. But that's how it gets done.
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Regards,
Mike
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Structural strength required? Then you pick one of the details shown by SnTMan, and suffer.
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Regards,
Mike
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
http://www.mocap.com/tube-plugs.html
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
like you showed in your first post, a fillet weld all around requires almost no prep and takes less than a minute all-in.
The other options cost a whole lot more and require special tooling (band grinder, mill, perhaps a plasma or laser cutting machine if you have to do a whole lot of bevelling). depends on your application off course.
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
Both methods are used daily, and depending on the size either one method is actually being used.
Also, if you cut the end caps with a shear, it rests on the four corners (on the inner radii of the HSS), and you can weld it all around without problems.
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
http://www.mscdirect.com/product/80044712?src=pla&...
This gives an accurate flush fit. Please refer to "Master Fabricator". There is no 'cheap' way to make the weld disappear. Any way you have it build, there will be a LOT of grinding and sanding. And if you turn the finishing work over a laborer, plan on having to reweld about 10-20% of the items due to overgrinding. Archetectural finishes are difficult and expensive.
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube
SceneryDriver
RE: Welding Flush End Caps To Square Tube