Weldless Steel Brew Frame...is It Possible?

[Maple]

There's a few threads kicking around where people have purchased bolt together kits from Bunnings and such that have worked out for them. I just cant remember who they were

Brewstand from BigGreenWarehouse

 

[Carbonator]

Old bed frame angle is cheap when it comes to Curb-Side clean-ups. Just need a design, good drill for holes, grinder to cut and wheels from a shopping trolley (just kidding about leaving a shopping trolley on bricks, kids could get hurt or killed if they played on it and it fell on them!)

Better still, go visit your local scrap metal yard and you may find something to modify to your design. I saw some beautiful SS benches going to a scrap yard the other day. They like to rip you off and even say it's against the law to sell scrap to you (some think they are GODS!), so be prepared for failure or success!

 

[HoppingMad]

Brewstand from BigGreenWarehouse

Goat herder used a Bunnings shelf unit too.
Goatherder's Brewstand

Hopper.

 

[floppinab]

Thanks yardy and jakechan (and others)....me thinks i will go down the welding path as I've always wanted to learn to weld...did a bit of arc welding at high school 20 years ago....thought it was pretty cool.

Whats the best entry level equipment CIG/MIG/Arc or are they all of the same?

I was in exactly the same position GF. Last welding I did was as High School (oh,.......except for when Barra helped me fix up me colourbond gate). I picked up a cheapie MIG and put together a shelving setup for the back of me 4WD for a recent trip around Tasmania. As others have said around 130/140 amp is heaps for smaller jobs but I've also needed that grunt to fix a problem on my spare wheel carrier again on the back of the 4WD.
Go for it.
Now for that brewstand..............after I paint downstairs........ and recon the pool table................and do some upgrades to the camper trailer......................and clean up the garden................


EDIT : Oh BTW if don't have any luck at the scrap yards I got my steel for here :
http://www.edconsteel.com.au/
Very helpful with small jobs and will cut to size cheaply if you want that as well.

 

[boingk]

Antone else thinking that a wooden frame would be quite nice? 2 inch hardwood should do it, then whack it together with some corner braces and perhaps a few nicely done traditional joins and dowel. Although, as somone mentioned before, using a gas burner would mean this is probably a bad idea.

My vote, aside from the hardwood, would be welding. Not a bad skill to have and the equipment, although it might set you back a few hundred dollars, should stay with you for years to come.

Cheers - boingk

 

[yardy]

Thanks yardy and jakechan (and others)....me thinks i will go down the welding path as I've always wanted to learn to weld...did a bit of arc welding at high school 20 years ago....thought it was pretty cool.

Whats the best entry level equipment CIG/MIG/Arc or are they all of the same?

how did you go Gruntus ?

any joy finding a welder ?

Cheers
Yard

 

[gruntus]

how did you go Gruntus ?

any joy finding a welder ?

Decided to go the welding option...Found out my brother has a stick welder and thought I would get a couple of lessons off him. I also want to do a welding course at TAFE but have to wait until the second half of the year. There are three courses to choose from (similar to the type of welding) STICK, TIG or MIG.

What is the better choice if I eventually want to get into SS welding?

I will probably have a bit of a play around with the stick welder before attempting to build a brew frame. Anyone recommend a brew frame design....I want to go down the march pump and possibly HERMS route.

Gruntus

 

[bozzy]

What is the better choice if I eventually want to get into SS welding?

im pretty sure the majority of SS is welded with tig or mig

im looking at doing the courses myself and was planning to do both mig and tig

 

[Carbonator]

TIG ,MIG or stick for SS, depends on the finish you want.

With welder ownership, TIG, you will need a TIG welder and rent a gas bottle of Argon for ever. With MIG, you need a MIG machine with wire feeder (expensive) and you can get gas-less wire for mild steel (welds look crap), but if your welding SS, you will need to rent a gas bottle of Argo-shield for ever. With stick, you just need the sticks (welds look crap until your a legend welder).

If your creation is indoors and you don't need to earn a living from the equipment you will need to buy, I suggest a mild steel frame, stick welder, then grind/sand welds and paint mild steel frame with gal paint.

Other option is to just find a place that does the SS welding and pay them in cash or grog.
This is what I made then got it welded together for a few bottles of my brew;


Probably wont need to get anything else welded together in the next few months/years. I call it "cost effective" compared to buying a welder and renting a gas bottle.

 

[gruntus]

Its pretty good value for only $214...at last my tax is being useful

 

[yardy]

Decided to go the welding option...Found out my brother has a stick welder and thought I would get a couple of lessons off him. I also want to do a welding course at TAFE but have to wait until the second half of the year. There are three courses to choose from (similar to the type of welding) STICK, TIG or MIG.

What is the better choice if I eventually want to get into SS welding?

I will probably have a bit of a play around with the stick welder before attempting to build a brew frame. Anyone recommend a brew frame design....I want to go down the march pump and possibly HERMS route.

Gruntus

nice one, go with stick and mig TAFE courses for the present and have a crack at tig later on down the track, depending on what you want to do with the SS, mig and stick are still the best options imo.

plenty of brewstands on here to pinch ideas from..

cheers
yard

 

[PostModern]

Comms or server racks like these are very strong and versatile. Many have power panels in them too. Better if you can get them free tho.

 

[gruntus]

TIG ,MIG or stick for SS, depends on the finish you want.

With welder ownership, TIG, you will need a TIG welder and rent a gas bottle of Argon for ever. With MIG, you need a MIG machine with wire feeder (expensive) and you can get gas-less wire for mild steel (welds look crap), but if your welding SS, you will need to rent a gas bottle of Argo-shield for ever. With stick, you just need the sticks (welds look crap until your a legend welder).

If your creation is indoors and you don't need to earn a living from the equipment you will need to buy, I suggest a mild steel frame, stick welder, then grind/sand welds and paint mild steel frame with gal paint.

Other option is to just find a place that does the SS welding and pay them in cash or grog.

Thanks for the info.

I think i will attempt to make my brew frame with the stick...brew frame is in my back shed and i am guessing that the mild steel will be cheaper than SS.

Eventually I would like to be capable enough to handle SS....hence the TAFE courses.

 

[yardy]

Thanks for the info.

I think i will attempt to make my brew frame with the stick...brew frame is in my back shed and i am guessing that the mild steel will be cheaper than SS.

Eventually I would like to be capable enough to handle SS....hence the TAFE courses.

SS isn't out of reach, it's really not that different to MS (won't enter into any arguments on the finer points of SS vs MS before all the metallurgists get their knickers in a twist ) the boss tends to yell a little louder when you a f!@#up is all....

yeah, just go with with the MS and burn a few rods on scrap before you have a crack at building anything

cheers

 

[Jakechan]

GF, I knew I had forgotten something, I said I would post a pic of my newbie welding project. There's also a close up of the welds but the pic didnt come out very well (thank goodness ).





Cheers,
Jake

 

[gruntus]

thanks for showing us the pics....looking good so far....cant wait until i get my hands on a welder.

did you base you frame on any existing plans?

 

[Jakechan]

Thanks

Nahh, just making it up as I go along.

 

[Jazman]

by some seconds angle iron from a savalg yard or some water dtained stuff easy to clean just cut and dril and bolt easy as but i can weld mine out of 50 x 50 shs galv and was water stained but a wire cup brush on the gringer sorted that out quickley