2x2 build - Looking for fire door and stack transition plans/pictures/descriptions

[Sugarmaker]

My welding is truly awful, but I am getting better.

Here it is with legs

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pan on top. It actually fits and is kinda level. AmazingAttachment 19085

Several basic things to improving your welding skills. First is visibility. If you dont have one get a good hood that has the instant darkening feature. next is make sure you can see while your welding. get in good position. turn the part to get it in a horizontal position. and if you need a magnifier inside the hood get that too. (that's usually a age thing) Next biggest is the welder. Not sure what you have? Mig systems are very user friendly. One with gas shielded are the best type and with good heat controls. For the stuff your welding you should be able to crank it up and burn in the weld pretty good without fear of hurting anything.
Last is practice!
Your doing good! You can fabricate a lot of things for this hobby so hone your welding skills.
Regards,
Chris

[TimJ]

Gotta have adjustable legs/feet.

I have seen projects where people weld 2 sides of a nut to angle iron legs. I wanted more strength so I decide to make brackets, drill oversized hole, mount the nut on the underside and weld the nut to the bracket, then weld the bracket to the leg. This would spread the load across more area. At least that is what I figured.

One of the nuts is trashed - I must have heated it too much or got splatter in the threads - so I will cut it out, but here are the pics

Set up: I tightened a nut on the front and back of the bracket to snug it up, then spot welded two sides. I backed the bolt out, jammed a stick in the nut and finished welding all sides.

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Then I welded each bracket to bottom of each leg.
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[Super Sapper]

Leave a bolt in the nut when welding. This will save the threads. You can use a sacrificial bolt in case you get splatter on the threads. I used 3/4 inch nuts and bolts and just welded the nut to the inside of the upright angle iron.

[TimJ]

Leave a bolt in the nut when welding. This will save the threads. You can use a sacrificial bolt in case you get splatter on the threads. I used 3/4 inch nuts and bolts and just welded the nut to the inside of the upright angle iron.

I used the correct size bolt in the hole when tacking, then switched to a wooden dowel and a smaller bolt that just dropped in - to protect the nuts when completing the weld. Worked except for one - where I forgot to put in the dowel when I finished a weld. So, will cut that one off and re-weld a new nut.

Welding nuts to inside of angle iron probably would have worked for me, but I have very little experience and was unsure if my welds would be good enough. The way I did it was overkill but will work well. In the future 7/8 or 3/4 inch nuts welded to the inside of the angle are the way to go.

Latest pics:
Test fitting back plate where I need to attach the collar/transition for the stack

I wish I had a sheet metal roller to make the collar...
(shown in the pic is the collar from a vogelzang kit - I have not figured out a simple way to use it given the radius it has on the underside)

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[Sugarmaker]

Tim,
Your weld on that first nut looks very good. Frame looks good too. You can roll sheet metal on the edge of a solid bench with the metal clamped, then gently apply force and bend a little. move the sheet and repeat till you have what you need.
Regards,
Chris

[HondoLane]

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I just made my own base stack from 18ga. I laid it out from like the guy in this video. My base stack was 20”x4” rectangle base which transitions to a round 6” top.

https://youtu.be/6fUDGRTx5xQ

Make it in 2 halves and practice your sheet metal welding. Fit up both seams tight. Stitch weld it about an inch and move to a new spot to spread around the heat.

[TimJ]

Thanks all for the suggestions and pics,
I acquired a roller at an auction and made my own base stack collar thing.
The 6" home depot cheap metal stacks slide right onto it

Welding sheet metal is, uh, something that needs practice. The welds are crappy, but the thing will work.

I bent some more metal to make a duct for the blower. But i might just mount directly like the other pics I have seen.

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I used an 8" sheet and after test fitting i realized it was way too long so I cut the tube in half - now I have another collar for the next one I build!

[TimJ]

Fitting up the mounts for the blower.

I had made a duct, but the extra work to bring it through the back wall and keep it air tight was more time that I didn't have to spend.

I am going to weld the bolt heads on the inside of the rear firebox wall

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[TimJ]

Made progress this weekend.

basically all that is left if grinding, tack in the floor, put two sides on, paint and the door.

The door is what started this whole thread...

Here are the mounts for the blower
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Viewed from other side:
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Collar fits inside the smokestack
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Pretty happy with how it has come together so far.
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[ACollette]

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Here is my door configuration. I used angle iron. Made a lip from the firebox that flares outward so the door nests onto it. I ran stove gasket on the inside to make it airtight. The center of the door is covered with fiber blanket which is bolted onto the door. I used a cam action trailer door latch kit to secure the door ($39.00) online. I've used this set up for two years without issue.