Steel working question??

[BigRAWesty]

I might be getting my info mixed up. Annealing the steel with welding to remove its weaknesses or stresses (oxygen is a weakness in steel) and slowly cooling it to make it stronger?? Thats my understanding but i could be wrong lol.

Yes to a point, your not actually removing anything, but changing the properties by heating and cooling the material.

Would 4mm plate be thick enough for the front bar??

Yes, you could use 5 for the centre part where the winch sits, but if given some shape like the bigger named bars 4 will be plenty again.
Again big named bars are 3mm.

Which joint are you saying to use ??

Attachment 26821

Finishing off the project is easy i have flap discs, grinding and cutting discs and a few different die grinding dremals (stone and steel) its just the fine technical details are what puzzle me ATM.[/QUOTE]

No.1 mate. Lots of tacks on the inside, full weld the outside, but stagger the welds...

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[Alitis007]

My front bar is gona be a flat face and if i used 4mm to make the outer skin then made some sort of winch cradle then joined it on the inside and integrated the two maybe?? Or made the face with 4mm then the cradle and body mounts from 5mm??

I better start drawing up ideas hey lol

[BigRAWesty]

If you used a design like this


4mm will be heaps as the folds add a lot of strength...

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[threedogs]

George pop over this week , Fold up a "C" section from 4mm then cut and taper ends to style use my Sheetie, as Kallen suggests flap disc welds.
We can even laser cut mounting brackets if need be , Not a hard job But needs to be visually easy on the eye
I did this on my other 4x4 using only hacksaw , a 4" grinder and a file. Here to help

As for front bullbars of the Big 3, most do two types a 4mm and a 3mm I was talked out of the 3mm
even though IMO it looked better, they said could not handle decent animal strike M2Cw

[benno77gu]

hi alitis007, dont worry yourself the metallurgy of steel(only need to worry about this stuff on higher grade steel such as bisalloy) ,your only using mild steel just tack the whole job together first and stagger the welds around so it doesnt pull out of shape, cheers

[Alitis007]

@ Kall - i don't have a bending machine so thats my problem lol but i'll tackle the bash plate for now and see how i go.

@ John - yeh i'll come round mate but i got the 4" grinder and hacksaw but i got a plasma cutter too and i luv playing with it lol just to think a spark and some compressed air can blast away 16mm thick steel like nothing haha FANTASTIC

@benno - cheers for the advice mate i'm just chasing thicknesses for the bar ATM later on when i decide which way i'll go with it

[BigRAWesty]

No need for bending, just a little more welding...

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[Alitis007]

Might aswell put more welds on the bar then the sydney harbor bridge hay lol

[BigRAWesty]

hi alitis007, dont worry yourself the metallurgy of steel(only need to worry about this stuff on higher grade steel such as bisalloy) ,your only using mild steel just tack the whole job together first and stagger the welds around so it doesnt pull out of shape, cheers

Yea sorry to confuse people. I do tend to over explain a bit.. wife's always telling me to shut up, so please if I get off track feel free..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories