Welding Tips and Tricks

Well folks the time has come at last for me to build a sphere fire pit. I will start with two 30" hemispheres and go from there. I am in the process of building it right now and am taking plenty of pictures. I will be keeping you all posted frequently.

I can't wait to see the progress!!!
-Jonathan

Progress so far!

First problem! After doing some grinding and finessing to get the two halves to fit up just right. I took the good ole 3M rust and paint removing wheel to prep the joint. THAT IS WHERE I RAN INTO A PROBLEM! Where do I hook the ground clamp? I don't have a magnetic ground, I cannot weld a lug onto it either, the customer is a cheapo who wouldn't pay extra for me to get one (just kidding) so what do I do? BREAK OUT THE PINK FLAMINGO!!!

you might feel funny if your customer shipped you a ground
-Jonathan

No I have tried to deal with this guy in the past he is crazy. He thinks you can weld sidewalk cracks using nitrogen. Oh well some never learn.

mcoe wrote:No I have tried to deal with this guy in the past he is crazy. He thinks you can weld sidewalk cracks using nitrogen. Oh well some never learn.

I was welding a new flange and some gussets on a 100HP fan, because the rodbusters put the re-bar in the wrong place. An electrician helper was waiting on me, so he could tie in the flex-conduit. He's at ground level, and I'm on a slab about 5' above grade.

He says, "WOW! I didn't know you could weld it to the concrete!".... I told him it was 387 Mortar rod...

I'm pretty sure he believed me.

Steve S

I thought this was going to be a description of shaping plate into a dome, and then I saw the photo labeled "spheres unboxed". Where did you source the hemispheres from?

It was a metal forming company. I honestly cannot remember off the top of my head because I contacted so many people trying to find them. I will find out and let you know.

Steve, that is funny! I love confusing people with things like blinker fluid and diesel spark plugs.

They were purchased from Commercial Metal Forming out of Youngstown, Ohio. If you order any please note that there are many sizes and to get a complete "ball" one needs to order two hemispheres.
http://www.cmforming.com/
-Jonathan

Wow Jonathan it is like you have ordered from there before

mcoe wrote:Wow Jonathan it is like you have ordered from there before

We better come clean, members will wonder what's up.
-Jonathan

Jonathan decided that he would have the best welder he knows make him a fire ring for a gift for his wife. So I gladly accepted the challenge. We set this thread up to keep him and all of you posted on my progress and since this is the only place his wife can't look, we thought this was the best place. THERE I feel better

To be more accurate, it's part of our 8 year anniversary present. This is the one place she does not look. Works out great, get to see the progress and everyone gets to see Matt and Alison's talent. While I can weld and fabricate, I am not a artist so I commissioned them to make one for me.
-Jonathan

I like my version best

Superiorwelding wrote:To be more accurate, it's part of our 8 year anniversary present. This is the one place she does not look. Works out great, get to see the progress and everyone gets to see Matt and Alison's talent. While I can weld and fabricate, I am not a (Should be *an* you clown boy) artist so I commissioned them to make one for me.
-Jonathan

You also don't have a grasp on basic grammar and spelling

GreinTime wrote:

Superiorwelding wrote:To be more accurate, it's part of our 8 year anniversary present. This is the one place she does not look. Works out great, get to see the progress and everyone gets to see Matt and Alison's talent. While I can weld and fabricate, I am not a (Should be *an* you clown boy) artist so I commissioned them to make one for me.
-Jonathan

You also don't have a grasp on basic grammar and spelling

Hay spelling and grammer is knot my strongest subject. And I do try my best, to please the well educated hear but sometimes I miss the Mark. please bear with me as I struggle a long. Do not you have a truck to service or something?
-Clown Boy

We make fire pits out of the ends of 500gal propane tanks that we make culvert out of. I'll try and take a photo of then and the scenes that are cut in to them with a Plas. (Deer hunters in mind)

Nice work to the OP!

Shannon

What does a hemisphere like that cost? I think I want one. never have a large enough pot to cook with

They were about $125 a piece. It takes two obviously to make one ball.

that shipped? if so that's not a bad price at all

gamble wrote:that shipped? if so that's not a bad price at all

That is only the piece, shipping is extra.
-Jonathan

Well the designs are on it finally. First attempt got washed away in the rain. Literally, soap stone and rain don't mix. Finally on in paint marker. Pics will follow soon.

NICE project you have going there.

Can you spec out the wall thickness of the spheres and the mating surfaces there?

Is one a female and the other male? Do you have to grind one mating surface off and tack 'em up to keep them, square, as it were, you get where I'm going.

Post as much info as you can, then post the stuff you thought was boring. Cause it ain't.

Wall thickness is 3/16". They were both male ends if you want to say it that way. I had to take the plasma and cut one of the bands off. They both had bands where they could sit inside a pipe flush so I had to cut one off so the other band would sit inside of the other hemi. It took one whole grinding wheel just to clean it up and dress up the joint. I will post pics soon. Going to start cutting today SO EXCITED!!! And it gets the customer off my back