Welding Tips and Tricks

A little help please...

I am making some doors, 8' 8" x 3' 8" out of cold rolled square tubing 2" x 2" x .065.

I am using a Vulcan 215 set for 20ga steel, and .030 flux cored wire. The weld bead is satisfactory.

I am securely clamping the pieces on a flat plane. When I release the clamps, the door torks out of plane by 1/2" +/-.

I have sawed ( saw kerf 1/16") two diagonal corners, on three of their sides, in order to give 'relief'. This keeps the door square, and allows the door to "relax" and lay flat on the supports again. I weld again and on release the same torking out of plane occurs. I have done this twice.

What do I need to do in order to make the weld in such a way that it doesn't contract and pull the door out of plane?

Thanks, Skip

Can you post a picture of the joint configuration?

I'm sure more experienced folks will chime in, but there are times when you have to use small tack welds on one side, flip the item over and weld a full bead on the other side, then flip back to the first side and run full beads. Sometimes you can run a bead on an inside corner to keep sections aligned as well...it just sort of depends on the configuration and what you're trying to have as a finished product.

Yes Pictures please.
It sounds by your description You are welding the complete seam on each side.
The warping can be offset by welding incrementally, or by doing a second pass to pull to the side/plane You want.
GL

For large frames from square tubing, the sequence you tack and weld makes all the difference.

Small tacks on the outside of the corners FIRST. Then on the inside. Doing 1 corner at a time outside, then inside. Then one "face" of each joint, skipping around. Then flip the frame, and tack the last face.

Only after all 4 seams are tacked should you consider welding a full bead. And when you do, start on the outside, then inside. This pulls the frame open and closed (back and forth from square). Once you've done the inside, you can do one face, corner at a time. Keep it clamped down until it fully cools.

Flip it over. If it's not square and flat, cut-off wheel the weld on the seam that is causing it to warp. Then short stitches to finish it out.

0.030 wire for 0.063 tubing is pretty heavy. I get it, you've only got FC as a process. But knowing the impact and limitations of a process and the dimension of materials is only learned through "scar tissue". If you can switch to MIG, 0.024 wire would be my recommendation. But keep the frame clamped until fully cool and it should help.

I would guess you almost have to back step the welds. Especially the last ones.

Here's a couple of videos that should help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL98oE2NaQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-T8Xl3eaTs