Overheard a foreman in Tulsa say we should always weld the stiffeners before the shell plates.

He argued it prevents warping on big tanks. Another guy said doing the shell first gives you a better fit-up. Which way do you run your jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lee14d ago

My old boss in Lubbock swore by welding stiffeners first, but I've warped enough metal to fill a scrapyard either way.

hayden7097d ago

Actually saw a video where they did stiffeners first on a big frame. Thing was rock solid. The trick is to tack everything in place, let it cool, then weld in a smart order. If you weld the main piece first, it can still pull when you add the stiffeners later. That's when you get the banana. Stiffeners first locks the shape in.

the_nathan14d ago

Man, I gotta disagree completely. Welding stiffeners last is the only way that makes sense. You let the main piece move and settle from the heat first, then lock it down solid. @the_lee, your old boss had it backwards. Doing stiffeners first just traps all that stress. It's like building a fence with the posts in concrete before the rails even go on. You're asking for a twist. Every time I've tried it the other way, I end up with a banana.