Pete, If you are going to weld the components of the frame together and then machine the area that was welded you will have to use a low carbon steel like Cold Rolled steel known as 1020 or 1018 or iron like in bars of iron you buy in a hardware supply store. They sell angles, round, square stock, and rectangular formed bars in many sizes. If you do not have to machine the area where the weld is you can use 1045 steel that's a little more resistant and that is easily obtained in a alloy steel supply house that supply alloy steels used for more special uses where higher resistance is required. My recommendation is to use cold rolled steel. If you find the right supply source they will have a great variety of bar form in many sizes. A brass supplier will also have a big variety form and sizes. Brass can be welded with brass welding rod and machined afterwards to clean up the weld and it also can be silver soldered if the material's contact surface area is large enough to produce a strong weld. Silver soldering is a brazing technique and unions should not have to be machined.. The steel bars can be brazed with Tobin bronze brazing rod to form a stronger union than silver solder will produce. Good luck.
Arthur--Mexico City. Subject: What grade material to use? > What grade of steel do you use to build the larger objects of your steamers? > By larger objects I refer to main frame members and the such. Am I correct > to assume that it is not so much a strength issue but more of a > machinability and/or cost of material? > > Thank-You! > Kindest Regards, > PeteH > >
