Welding Rig Pictures

[precisionworks]

The engineering tables state that the size I-beam (and span) will support 4000#, although my chain hoist is only rated for 2200#.

Horizontal 'foot' beams & vertical beam are 4x4x .250"

Angle braces are 3x3x .125"

Gusset plates are 12x12x .250"

I-beam is 5"x5" (25#/foot)

Casters are 8", all four locking, 800# capacity per caster.

Probably have $250 to $300 in mine (the casters cost about $120 of that )

Just make sure the width between the uprights is as wide as your trailer or truck plus 12" more on each side.

For height, if you select your trolley & hoist first, you'll know how much headroom they need. Mine are Ross brand from http://hoistsdirect.com/ .

Good luck & post some photos!

[Portable Welder]

Nice welding rigs Adams welding and Shield arc to name a few, My F-550 weighs 16,680 LBS before I put steel on the rack or decide to haul my John Deer tractor with two 4' x 8' x 1/2 " thick steel road plates out to the job.
I estimate that I haul around 26,000 lbs at times and my F-550 takes it pretty well ( even with the small frame) Im just not very fast off the lights.
As for fuel economy, I dont want to know it already hurts enouph when I shell out $ 75.00 every time I stop for fuel.
My buddy Vern said he gets about 6 miles to the gallon with his new 4500 chevy with a gas motor and his rig weighs the same as mine.
The pictures are good, it gives the new guys ideas on how to build a truck and of course we all think that our truck is set up the best.
That big Blue 500 looks good sitting on that truck, does it do a good job of running hard wire, back in 1989 I bought the Miller Big 40 with the constant voltage option and a couple years after owning it I decided to run wire and found out that it was strictly a arc and tig machine.

[fun4now]

and of course we all think that our truck is set up the best.
i think you all do have your truck set up best for that persons dayly use

that being said with all thease ideals to work with the new guys starting out will have the combined nolage of all the rest to hopefully get it right the first time or at least close enough there are only miner modification needed as they will likely be made ongoing as the jobs dictate. being welder modifying is just part of the job.

lots of great ideals to work with here.

[Coalsmoke]

or at least close enough there are only miner modification needed as they will likely be made ongoing as the jobs dictate. being welder modifying is just part of the job.

I think next time I'm going to start with one of these (in a Peterbilt of course) and then go from there

[Rvannatta]

I think next time I'm going to start with one of these (in a Peterbilt of course) and then go from there

what that truck is missing is the sleeper unit and a galley. then you can sleep on the job 'til it is done. You got a good generator to run to power the galley and keep the coffee pot hot.

[Coalsmoke]

what that truck is missing is the sleeper unit and a galley. then you can sleep on the job 'til it is done. You got a good generator to run to power the galley and keep the coffee pot hot.

Rv, I was actually looking for a picture with one, but couldn't dig one up. You are right, I want the sleeper too, with a little fridge and microwave and tv and little flip down table for the coffee pot (already got a little portable tv in my truck, makes waiting seem like nothing). Right now if need be I will just pack a sleeping bag and let the truck idle through the night with the exhaust brake on (to keep the cyl. temps up), but I really wish I had a little sleeper. I might have to just get an Espar heater once I can justify the cost, but for now it only costs me about $10-15can in fuel for a night of idling vs the $900 or so for a new Espar., which still uses 1/2 the fuel that the Cummins does on idle.

[admweld]

COALSMOKE if i ever hit the lottery that will be my truck but wishful thinking i,m sure.i saw that photo in a magazine nice rig .plenty of room too.

[fun4now]

well i dont know i supose it would be ok for starters but there shoure seems like it still needs a lot of work, shoot just look at all the mods you have to do just ta get comefy seems like there must be a better starter.

maybee one of thease http://www.safarimotorcoaches.com/ i think with the right floor plan you could easily cut open the back 1/4 and put a few tools in there and you would be good to go

[Sbi1]

(http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/f...0C3F20FA3DB28A) This what you want, Coalsmoke? No sleeper, but it has already got the welder deck behind the cab. I'd like one too, but it wouldn't fit in the driveway at 95% of the places I have to go.

[Sbi1]

Maybe that body on this chassis (http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/f...0C3F20FA3DB28A)

[fun4now]

oh shoure thouse would be fine if ya want it to look like a work truck.

i like the ideal of the white bed on the yellow cab, now that would do the trick. although it would take about 20 years to pay off

oh ya and then theres still the parking isue

[Coalsmoke]

most of the places I go have room for lowbeds and everything that comes in on them, so parking should be fine. Sbi1, now we are talking. Peterbilt with sleeper with big service body. I'd have room for an air pak and a 300pipe pro, with lots of room to spare. Add an optional trailer for loading broken machines or implements with that crane and I'm good to go. The Peterbilt 357 which is in your first link is perfect for the job because of it's rugged conventional chassis made to handle heavy off-highway use.

Fun, I can just imagine it now, rolling up to an oil field in a class A motor home with the back half as a big welding deck. The good old boys there wouldn't stop laughing for hours

[Rvannatta]

most of the places I go have room for lowbeds and everything that comes in on them, so parking should be fine. Sbi1, now we are talking. Peterbilt with sleeper with big service body. I'd have room for an air pak and a 300pipe pro, with lots of room to spare. Add an optional trailer for loading broken machines or implements with that crane and I'm good to go. The Peterbilt 357 which is in your first link is perfect for the job because of it's rugged conventional chassis made to handle heavy off-highway use.

Fun, I can just imagine it now, rolling up to an oil field in a class A motor home with the back half as a big welding deck. The good old boys there wouldn't stop laughing for hours

Well, if you read the company history of Autocrane, the company got its start making folding cranes that would mount in the trunk of a Cadillac so the rig guys could get drill bits out of the trunk.

[Coalsmoke]

Well, if you read the company history of Autocrane, the company got its start making folding cranes that would mount in the trunk of a Cadillac so the rig guys could get drill bits out of the trunk.

That's something else. I went and checked out their website and they have some nice stuff.

[Rvannatta]

That's something else. I went and checked out their website and they have some nice stuff.

I had wondered why they called the company 'autocrane' until I read that.
It also explains why they make a lot of electric cranes.

Some people like the electric crane even on a service truck. They have an advantage that you can use them off the battery and not always have to have your truck running. The electric solution is not my choice because the motors are spendy when you toast one---and for some reason I just don't like the appearance of those with a cable gantry (needed if you are lifting the boom with an electric winch). However now it looks like most of their models use a hydrualic boom perhaps electric over hydrualic.