When The Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie . . .Cart Repair

[duaneb55]

Well one thing's for sure - I need ALOT of thin aluminum TIG practice in addition to general practice altogether!!!

Picked up some 1/16" 2% Thoriated tungsten yesterday to attempt a repair on a thin wall tubing pizza tray cart that belongs to one of the local Dominos and I'm thinking it should have been pure instead. I know many experienced TIG welders use red on AC aluminum but. . . ?? It proved really hard to get the inside of the tube very clean with a small SS brush and I'm sure that contributed to my problems. Buffed down the outside of the tubing and the end caps with a new softpad.

Syncrowave 180 on AC
Balance @ 5 (started out on 2 but increased to 5 after a bit)
100% argon (of course) @ 10CFH
1/16" 2% Thoriated tungsten balled end
#6 cup
1/16" 5356 filler rod (only have 1/8" 4043 or I think I would have used 4043)
Foot remote as needed

This is what it looked like when I got it. The bottom tray 'track' welds broke on both sides allowing the whole end to swing out which in turn broke the welds on the top rail end caps resulting in the end assembly falling off. Pizza crusts all over the place!:rolleyes:
36064


Top rail with end cap broken off at welds.
36065


The 'not so good but left alone after welding' beads. These were the last ones and I think I was beginning to get a feel for it but the job was almost done at this point.:(
36066


The REALLY not so good welds that I had to clean up with the softpad to make presentable.
36067


And in spite of all that, back together and standing on its own again. End assembly was missing one tray track so I removed the corresponding one in the center to help avoid sliding a tray in on the slant on that side.
36068


Thanks for looking.

[7A749]

Well one thing's for sure - I need ALOT of thin aluminum TIG practice in addition to general practice altogether!!!

Picked up some 1/16" 2% Thoriated tungsten yesterday to attempt a repair on a thin wall tubing pizza tray cart that belongs to one of the local Dominos and I'm thinking it should have been pure instead. I know many experienced TIG welders use red on AC aluminum but. . . ?? It proved really hard to get the inside of the tube very clean with a small SS brush and I'm sure that contributed to my problems. Buffed down the outside of the tubing and the end caps with a new softpad.

Syncrowave 180 on AC
Balance @ 5 (started out on 2 but increased to 5 after a bit)
100% argon (of course) @ 10CFH
1/16" 2% Thoriated tungsten balled end
#6 cup
1/16" 5356 filler rod (only have 1/8" 4043 or I think I would have used 4043)
Foot remote as needed

This is what it looked like when I got it. The bottom tray 'track' welds broke on both sides allowing the whole end to swing out which in turn broke the welds on the top rail end caps resulting in the end assembly falling off. Pizza crusts all over the place!:rolleyes:
36064


Top rail with end cap broken off at welds.
36065


The 'not so good but left alone after welding' beads. These were the last ones and I think I was beginning to get a feel for it but the job was almost done at this point.:(
36066


The REALLY not so good welds that I had to clean up with the softpad to make presentable.
36067


And in spite of all that, back together and standing on its own again. End assembly was missin gone tray track so I removed the corresponding one in the center to help avoid sliding a tray in on the slant on that side.
36068


Thanks for looking.

Looks like that did the trick. I like that orange band Ceriated tungsten. Works nice & on the + balance side, doesn't ball up real big, at least it didn't for me.

I have fixed a lot of kitchen stuff, including many pizza racks. They usually are covered with dough remanants & oil. I clean them with acetone & a SS brush. They usually turn out OK.

If you don't clean the crap out of the area you're repairing, they'll weld terrible.

I do them for a local place & get a credit for pizza. Works for me. :drinkup:

[gizzardgutz]

I've never attempted aluminum with anything other than stick, and that was 25 years ago. Needless to say I was so unimpressed I don't do aluminum. I did work in a shop 5 or 6 years ago where they welded it with MIG, but I only fabbed the pieces and played fitter. As much as aluminum is used today it is probably a good idea to be profficient in all diciplines. Good job Duane, you proved practice makes perfect (enough) with one small job!

[duaneb55]

This is the third or fourth item I've repaired for them with this being the most involved job so far. I'm beginning to think 'Large Deluxe'?:laugh:

[7A749]

This is the third or fourth item I've repaired for them with this being the most involved job so far. I'm beginning to think 'Large Deluxe'?:laugh:

I'll tell you, from my experience, small jobs where I can get $50 in tax free credit turns out a lot better than just billing them. They are close by & it's nice to have a little "in the bank" when cash is low & I don't feel like cooking.

Take all those repairs you can get Duane. Just clean the piss outta that 'loooooooinum before you weld it. :laugh: :laugh:

[farmersamm]

Hey Duane:waving:

Just how is that thing held together? Some sort of weird bolt thru the cap arrangement?

Don't understand why you couldn't just butt, and fillet, weld the joint where the tubing meets.

Those things are designed weird:dizzy::dizzy:

[farmersamm]

Shame it wasn't Little Caesars:drinkup:

[duaneb55]

Just how is that thing held together? Some sort of weird bolt thru the cap arrangement?
It's a carriage bolt that goes thru the end cap and both sides of the end upright. Top rail is only three sided and open on the bottom so you can get to the lock nut for the bolt.

Don't understand why you couldn't just butt, and fillet, weld the joint where the tubing meets.
I was thinking that myself Sam wondering why the manufacturer didn't just weld it all together as one unit. Maybe they made(make) different sizes and keeping it 'bolt together' would allow them to assemble as needed. ??

[farmersamm]

That's probably it. They can sell a single, or gang them together to make a REALLY BIG MESS when they collapse.

[7A749]

The thrills of mass production. :laugh:

[farmersamm]

Could have been an engineering oversight.

Probably designed before the popularity of stuffed crust pizza.

Can you imagine the additional torsion, shear, and tension loads:D:drinkup:

I think we might have the beginnings of a class action lawsuit here:p:drinkup:

Duane will be disqualified as a witness when the plaintiff's attorney finds evidence that Duane was bribed to give favorable testimony with a lifetime supply of thick crust pepperoni pizza, and unlimited bread sticks.:laugh::laugh:

Perjury for Pizza, oh the shame of it all:drinkup:

[duaneb55]

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Sam - you leave me speechless.

Do you think they'd serve the jury pizza for lunch?

(side note) currently watching Papa John's Pizza commercial.:D

[farmersamm]

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: