Angle Iron Welding Projects
Angle iron is made from mild steel, and is very strong for its weight. It is a ready-made corner, and is useful for making machinery stands, shelving, welding tables, storage racks, bed frames and fire-safe staircases. Angle iron can be painted if it will not be exposed to high temperatures.
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Welding Table/Work Bench
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Make welding tables with open sides and no shelves or racks below the work surface. This prevents accidental storage of rags, boxes or flammable items on or under the table. It also makes it easier to spot hot metal fragments so they do not smolder and cause a shop fire later.
Lincoln Electric recommends using a square while assembling the frame, tack-welding two opposite corner joints in place, and checking that the corners are flush and square before completing the weld. If the corners are not square, it is much easier to break a tack weld without causing structural damage to the frame.
Add an extra support rail every two feet for any table longer or wider than four feet. This prevents the work surface from bowing in the center, which will cause welds to fail. Crossed center supports should be mitered at the corners and intact at the cross point. Space them an inch or so apart between the table surface and the floor. Add a support made from tube steel or black iron pipe if the cross point is more than three feet from the table's legs.
Shelving
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Space shelves according to storage needs, with the longest, widest and deepest shelves closest to the bottom. Space shelves closer together as you near the top shelf, to prevent accidental overload. Add an L-shaped wall mount to the shelf unit to secure the shelf to the wall for any shelf more than three feet tall, to prevent accidental crushing due to tipping. Use a power drill with a titanium-coated bit to drill one to three holes spaced evenly along the underside of the top shelf edge to accommodate the bolts or wall anchors needed to attach the wall mounts.
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Automotive Repair Ramps
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Measure a set of existing auto ramps and mark the measurements onto pieces of angle iron. Adjust the width of the ramp frame to the width of your vehicle's tires. According to Mike Bumbeck of AutoMedia, "Do not use ramps if the tires on the vehicle are wider than the ramps."
Use a chop saw to cut the pieces apart. Miter the edges of the rails that create the sloped part of the ramp for a smooth transition between it and the floor to prevent tire damage. Weld diamond skid plate to the angle iron frame instead of smooth plate to provide greater traction. Be meticulous when grinding away any burrs, beginning with a coarse wheel and ending with 00 fine steel wool.
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