Square tubing

>>1128075
Always go bigger ID instead of wall thickness. For more strength.

>>1128076
Im sorry, but what does that mean?

Also, what size would be good?

>>1128077
Inner diameter

>>1128075
16 gauge 2 inch box is great if you kinda suck at welding, don't want to work to a plan, and you aren't going to triangulate.
if you're going to stick weld it, better make that 14 gauge.


usually you can get adequate performance from much smaller diameter and thinner tubing, but there are a lot of 400lb+ americans

1/8th is good for most things.
3/16ths for things that need to be stronk

Size depends on what you wanna do famalam
For things like in your pic 1 1/2"-1 3/4" is fine

File: fart66-1.jpg (687KB, 1000x982px) Image search: [Google]

687KB, 1000x982px

For a heavy duty table i'd go with 1/8th. I built a craft desk out of 16ga 1" square tubing and it was a pain in the ass to mig weld with .045 wire cause I got a lot of edge melting. If you do 16ga try to get some .025 mig wire

pic related. the desk I made

Also, stick welding vs mig i have an old mig that wont work right. Witch would ve better?

File: Screen Shot 2017-02-08 at 8.20.16 PM.png (16KB, 169x238px) Image search: [Google]

16KB, 169x238px

>>1128105
please tell me you fixed this, I liked your desk so much in the thumbnail

>>1128244

either is probably fine, i built all the storage in my workshop out of 3mm wall box and angle with stick, it isn't that thin but you might blow through it a couple of times before you get used to it

>>1128075
What are you trying to do

>>1128282
Mostly a couple of tables. One blacksmith forge table, one just craft type tabe, and one welding table.

>>1128282
And possibly some shelves.

>>1128309
1/4 wall minimum for anything heavy

>>1128250
yeah its cut/attached square. I just laid the wood on top for a quick instagram photo a few months ago.

>>1128075
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending

When using steel or aluminum, just keep the maximum stress at less than half of the yield strength of the steel or aluminum you are using.

1 1/2", 1/8" wall hollow structural steel is the standard for building most things.
Go lighter or heavier to suit the application

For serious work I get 3/16 or 1/4" wall. I don't bother with 1/8" for shop equipment. Steel is reasonable at steel suppliers and many deliver at no charge locally.

I always get a couple of quotes because metal prices can vary dramatically by supplier. I bought metals for a business and it was educational.

I used to work at a tube plant in the summers as a student.
Depending what you want the minimum size I would consider for something like a work bench is 1.25" at .088 gauge depending on the steel type. For a real heavy duty table I would bump up the size to 1.5" or a full 2", and maybe a .112 gauge but .088 would still be good depending on steel and how portable you want the object. Anything heavier than .112 is overkill IMO for non industrual use and you start getting real heavy tube. Even for industrial use we never used anything heavier than .112 for internal use. We produced .169 2" and 1.25" square ocassionally and that shit is way too heavy and annoying to weld/cut for anything that could potentially be needed to be moved. Once you get to those higher gauges you also run a higher risk of getting tube not quite square or nice looking as the tolerences are usually much looser than lighter guages. Bigger tube at medium light gauge is better IMO. Best balance of strength, weight, and ease of handling.

3/16" will be easier for most newbs to weld.

People who are saying 3/16 and 1/4 are idiots.
Fucking suspension components on class 8 Baja 1000 vehicles are made from thinner material.
You don't need something that thick and heavy for some bullshit table or knickknack shelf.

>>1129692
like this guy said you don't need some crazy ass thickness if you making a desk or shelve unless your setting 10,000lbs of dumbells or some shit on there. once you weld it up it will be solid

>>1129692
He said it was for shop equipment that can take a beating.
Try giving a halfway decent smack with a hammer on 1 3/4" HSS with an 1/8th wall and see how it goes.

>suspension components on class 8 Baja 1000 vehicles
That's a very shitty and irrelevant comparison.

>>1129692
Seriously, i make tables and all sorts of frames daily. Thickest we ever use is 3mm, mostly 1,5-2. All tig welded steel or stainless. More than tough enough for most uses. Strenght will depend more on the design rather than the materials most of the time.