Diesel Pro
05-26-2016, 09:47 AM
I have a Wes Fab evaporator in need of repairs. While moving it I caught the legs and bent them. When I went to pull them straight I found that the frame was not properly welded (my opinion) and easily twisted. This is an easy fix with a small weld where the angle is opening up, but really no excuse for the poor quality. Even a good solid tack weld would suffice here. I also plan to run a cross brace between each leg plus a pair of diagonals up to the frame as the legs are really quite flimsy. I move my cooker annually so durability is a key.
14327
What really shocked me was the way that the stack outlet spout was constructed. It's just thin sheet steel maybe 1/8" thick and it's only held by a handful of tack welds on the inner edge. This is what I would consider a high stress area with a lot of heat and corrosive oxidation action going on here. This really should have been a 1/4" x 3/4" or 1" flat stock, but for now I think the existing metal will last me long enough. I definitely think it should be welded a whole lot more than a handful of tacks. My thought was to run a bead around the outside. Not sure I need to do a full weld, but at a bare minimum I'd say a bunch of 1-2" welds?
Opinions?
14328
Once I have the repairs done I need to consider mods to improve ease of use. I'm looking at adding a detachable or folding side stand that I can slide the pan(s) off onto to cool. Right now I have 2 pans. A 12" and a 36" more or less. With this setup and an open center it takes 2 people to remove either pan as there is no center support.
14327
What really shocked me was the way that the stack outlet spout was constructed. It's just thin sheet steel maybe 1/8" thick and it's only held by a handful of tack welds on the inner edge. This is what I would consider a high stress area with a lot of heat and corrosive oxidation action going on here. This really should have been a 1/4" x 3/4" or 1" flat stock, but for now I think the existing metal will last me long enough. I definitely think it should be welded a whole lot more than a handful of tacks. My thought was to run a bead around the outside. Not sure I need to do a full weld, but at a bare minimum I'd say a bunch of 1-2" welds?
Opinions?
14328
Once I have the repairs done I need to consider mods to improve ease of use. I'm looking at adding a detachable or folding side stand that I can slide the pan(s) off onto to cool. Right now I have 2 pans. A 12" and a 36" more or less. With this setup and an open center it takes 2 people to remove either pan as there is no center support.