What to use to weld a headache rack?

[Jeffg]

I am buying a 88 Chevy K1500 with plow. I want to build a headache rack for it to mount to aux. lights,amber plow warnning light, & my CB & Scanner whips. I am gonna be using square tubing, I was wondering what i should use to weld it together so it don't warp. I am leaning toward using the Tig gun even though i have no experiance with it,once it gets warm out i am gonna practice alot with it so if i decide to use it to weld the rack together the welds won't look like crap.

What do y'all think?
We also have two Lincoln arc welders a; 8,000watt & a 10,000watt one. I did not think it was practical to have them as options..
Thanks
Jeff

[TxRedneck]

definately the mig. You will be able to weld it up quicker, cover any holes. As far as warpage. Dont weld it all in one spot. Kinda weld like youre putting on lug nuts on youre car. A little here, a lil there till its all done

[TxRedneck]

oh yesah, with tig youll never get done

[Jeffg]

So basically when i weld it instead of doing a full bead down the seam,just do tack welds around the whole seam till i get it all covered. Correct if i am wrong.

Jeff

[zapster]

mig mig mig!...i tack weld it in 3 places on square tubing (corners) and then the 4th corner is the starting point for the weld itself...

start there and go all the way around and just run over the orig tacks..

on round tubing i do the same thing but with 2 tacks and #3 as the starting point..tack#1 is at 10 o'clock..#2 is at 2 and starting piont is at 6..

e-z huh?

...zap!

[TxRedneck]

No no,
you make a weld here, make a weld on the other side.
Go back and forth. But full welds. like one seam each.
Then you will go back and forth.
Now, one thing if youre worried. clamp to a solid surface like a table.
Leave it clmaped till its cooled
Good luck

[chopper5]

ok here is how i do square tube first tack up at the corrners jsut big enough to hold for welding

[chopper5]

next weld 1 & 2 this is to keep warping to a minimum

[chopper5]

then weld the last two welds all these welds are stick welds done with a V160 T

[zapster]

it aint going anywhere

...zap!

[Jeffg]

Thats how i weld square tubing anyway,I tack the corners and run a bead on each side. I will have to just find a place to clamp it down to.


Thanks
Jeff