BIG Boy Welds - Field Trip to the Tower of Deceit

[@Sethjxl]

Some OG 6061 content at the start boys and girls!

[@6061]

These are the most fun videos to make by far, but also the most time consuming. Thanks for watching all of you that have been here from the beginning, I really appreciate it!

[@wadepatton2433]

BRAVO!

[@Crawlerjamie]

💯💯

[@jbowls4814]

You ain’t lying! And so much was said without even saying a word

[@torcher78]

I remember the silent vids!

[@welditman1804]

I used to weld the base plates to these poles. 3/32" dual shield fluxcore wire 100% co2. The poles sit horizontal on powered trunnions you control the rotation with a foot pedal or a button on your torch lead. The pole is beveled where it is welded to the base plate. The base plate is not beveled. There's a backing bar that is welded to the inside of the pole then the base plate is fit up and tacked to that. Bases were preheated before welding then checked also heated while welding to maintain a specific temperature range. The pole thickness depending on diameter of pole ranged from 3/16 inch to 1 inch. The diameter of the pole ranged from 10 inches or so to 12 feet. Smaller poles can be 8 sided but most were 12 sided. The poles are made of 2 six sided halves that are sub arc machine welded together. The poles are in 40 foot sections and fit up in the field with slip joints . The base plates ranged from 1.5 inch to 6 inch thick and most have a hole cut out of the center some do not. Most of the bigger poles base plates had at least 12 passes but usually more. All welds were checked visually and with ultra sonic test equipment multiple times. They would also take some poles outside behind the manufacturing plant and destructively test them by attaching a large cable system to the top of the pole with the base bolted to the ground and pull it over untill it failed.

[@mrctuned2844]

Super interesting to read this, this comment should be pinned!

[@JFirn86Q]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this info!

[@ronchappel4812]

That powered trunion setup sounds great 😃

[@michaelwhitfield5431]

Just to add, he was asking about the depth of the footer. I'm a lineman and have worked them out after the foundation guys come through and pour all of them, but some the the ones we did were 40-60 deep.

[@samueltaylor5830]

These are the types of comments I live for! Thanks for your insight! Love learning something new

[@jrcicirello]

Keep them coming. These types of videos helps people like us to learn from other’s questions or comments.

[@markmcmullen1371]

I believe part of why the opening is in the bottom plate is for controlling moisture build up or venting to keep it dry inside.

[@banffdigger]

Another reason is if water does somehow get inside were to build up and air temps get down below freezing, that pole would split and quite possibly fail. A few years ago a ski lift tower collected enough water inside froze and failed I can't remember where though.

[@garthland]

the opposite is true. if a steel weldement is completely sealed it will only rust internally until all the oxygen is consumed by the oxidation process. Many bridge beams are made this way with no need to paint or coat the inside.

[@nealesmith1873]

@@garthlandHow reliably can it be completely sealed?

[@quartertwenty484]

@@garthland Only if it's airtight. Also this is probably corten, it needs oxygen to scale up but can't have pooled water on it.

[@tomasbengtsson5157]

@@quartertwenty484Think you are correct. You either want it airtight (and pressure tested) or properly drained. Even a small pin hole in a large volume like that and it will suck in moist air during hot-cold cycles. The moisture condensate during the cold cycle and gets trapped inside, slowly filling it with water.

[@oneguysgarage5107]

I used to build these towers. (Sabre Industries) in the 8 years I worked there i have never seen one inserted into the base and welded onto the back side. They have ALL been welded directly to the base.

[@johnjay5143]

Yeah, I would think there's some uniformity to them .

[@gummel82]

Was the CEO a southern lady with two giant dogs?

[@COMotorsports]

​@@gummel82appreciate the joke. 👍

[@tomasbengtsson5157]

”crevice corrosion” would likely be a problem if it’s only welded on the backside.

[@hotwheelsbigwheel916]

Hands down, I watch every video you post, in my opinion, I have yet to be disappointed!!! I do Mig production welding for a living, never touch a Tig machine nor do I have a desire to weld aluminum but I find your content intriguing. The knowledge you share is priceless. You also can have me laughing. You can be a riot! Thanks for the videos!!!

[@UntouchableLivingone-ji4un]

Use tig for lot more then aluminum

[@mrctuned2844]

I love these videos. It gives a reasonable chance for someone like me to send in a legitimate question and have it answered by someone far more experienced than I. Excellent videos as always Aaron

[@Andrew-is7rs]

can i say... Props to George too! Jesus thats a lot of great quality straight welding

[@BattleForEden]

Thank you so much for this type of content. Helping me a lot with my career. I'll buy some stuff in the store when I can.

[@Jawesome1Shazam]

I know a few people who weld those towers at Valmont in TN. I've done big, stacked welds like that on excavator buckets. Very Zen. I've also had few factory jobs where I fabricated and welded structural parts for heavy machinery. All industrial MIG. Now I'm just welding in my garage for fun with a Fronius stick welder.

[@SFS13-01]

I enjoy all your videos and always learn something. Even more so now that you’re speaking.

[@antdatacom1135]

Totally agree

[@nickorozco9177]

Agreed !

[@nickorozco9177]

Ive been welding for over 20years , and i still learn something from every video !

[@charliehcrew1957]

They use the same flanges for light poles and so they need a way to run wires up to the lights. Some also have camaras and need space for cables.

[@JeremyWeiler-v9x]

Old school here, 41 yrs in the business, most of the time, bevel or not, comes down to the wps. Read the symbols, if not called out, ask for a variance or make sure they didn't miss it. If left to me, I've always determined whether to bevel by how much space iam dealing with, a big bevel saves some space outside of the part, if I have room, I might not bevel. Those base plates are cutout for drainage to make sure the tube doesn't freeze and crack. The inner plate is to keep visitors from making a home in there, the inner plate is most likely stitched and or small relief cuts to let moisture out.

[@6061]

@JeremyWeiler-v9x Well said, Jeremy. One of the most important takeaways from your comment is, "ask for a variance". Most welders don't realize they can do that. If you think something isn't clear or could be done better/more efficient, feel free to ask questions. Blueprints are not set in stone. Quite often the drawings are wrong for what should actually be done to achieve making the final product. A large percentage of "engineers" have very little real world welding experience.

[@JeremyWeiler-v9x]

@6061 exactly, if you don't like what you see or have questions always ask, you're most likely dealing with an engineer that is an "expert" in everything, and we all know how that goes.! Always more than one way! I drive that home to my apprentices daily, i want them to learn to deal with things like we're talking about, and develop their own ways. Its the end product counts, the in between not so much as long as it's done correctly!

[@flyinpolack6633]

@@6061 100%. I have never actually asked for a variance though (didn't know it was a thing). I generally just tell the engineer he's whacked & tell him how it needs to be. I had an alum part last week typical "T' joint bracket for a motor. It's 1/2" 6061. He wanted a 1/16" weld on one side and a 1/8" weld on the other. I had to inform him that you don't just pick a size... Customer is never right...

[@RolftheRed]

Subbed for years now, but that "roadtrip" intro video was the best thing I've seen in ages on u tubby.... Thanks! OMGS the fence... Can't quit laughing everytime I think of it...

[@siggyincr7447]

I can think of two good reasons to cut the center out of the flange. 1. It locates the flange on the column without the need for any fixtures. 2. That "waste" cut out of the center might have value to them either to be sold or used as a flange for a smaller tower. That's big chunk of 4" steel that would cost a fair bit of change if you needed to buy a piece that size. If space allows for it, a purely fillet welded assembly like the one shown it's actually stronger than one where bevels were cut if you use that same amount of weld because it gives the joint a bigger footprint that makes it inherently stronger on anything but purely tensional loads while maintaining the same tension strength.

[@TheSdav86]

I used to build towers like these. The base plates on ours were cut out to allow for draining of the galvanize. The poles shafts are arc gouged after fitting and prior to welding.

[@radhaulingbenji6117]

Killer intro & I love the random glove on the other hand. Kinda makes a mind warp when watching your hand move👍🏼👍🏼

[@gordtemple764]

The glove . Helps with the explaining. Thanks 🍻👨🏻‍🏭🇨🇦

[@Laheylgbfjb]

I love whatever videos you make!

[@tonyb7748]

I think it's great that you take the time to respond in this fashion. Regarding the grounding through a "bearing" type situation, we have a part we commonly have to repair weld that involves exactly that situation. The weld area itself would be the ideal clamping point but alas the ground itself would become a part of the fillet. It's a large cast white iron hinge that we use 7014 on. As long as the hinge has some weight on it the ground path does ok. If trying to repair the hinge while set up in a vice- that's when we've had problems with the hinge pin welding itself to the hinge leaf.

[@darenscott1718]

I would love to go on more feildtrips with you!

[@wadepatton2433]

I do love my camera probe too! Moisture dissipation is stronger than my "steel can flex" reasoning.

[@glenpiro313]

Any and all videos please. I do enjoy watching you bust out the PW80 and go with that old school style video ,I laugh like a loon every time.

[@tomc2748]

Love these videos and how you do what most people do and ignore the "experts".

[@CountyPatriot]

I usually use a piece of cardboard as a non-conductive insulator beneath my computer or phone on the welding table. I'm just trying to play it safe. Thanks for your informative videos.

[@78simple69]

I have inspected hundreds of these structures. The joint you are looking at is a CJP welded with SAW with a backer. And yes, welded to the top of the base plate. Weather they have bare weathering steel or are galvanized they are welded the same but inspected diffrently.

[@neilf.7222]

Love the videos, Aaron. I guess all that matters is the parts are built to the specs on the print. It's the enginerds job to decide the why and how. It's the Welders' job to complete that task.

[@Tom89194]

For the tower bases you might be on to something with the weight savings, it could also be a convenience item to weld on the underside of that plate as far as fixturing goes. With a hole in the plate you can press the base onto the tower and then the tower and base plate are fixed together when it goes to the welding area and the welding are doesn't have to worry about two parts anymore.... They may also be able to make the connection with less welding and less welding material too.

[@gregcampbell3064]

Another good video as I type this on my Acer 1080, a Christmas present from my wife.

[@johnjay5143]

I like em all Aaron . The road trip was funny as hell . lol Interesting how they finished the flange on that tower . As for that lifting assy, it looked like about ten cover welds alone, I wouldn't doubt it's well over thirty passes . Yeah, people need to try a series like that, they'll respect SMAW a lot more . lol Anyway, another great video . :)

[@AustinGauthier-y1f]

Hahahaha the dirt bike field trip had me laughing and laughing. I lost it when you fast-forward tugged your bike under the fence! 😂 great video!

[@deuce454]

one explanation that makes sense from an engineering standpoint (other that weight and less money in material) is that you don't have as big a jump in stiffness from one part to another wich acts as a stress riser that could influence the fatigue calcs. (its probably material savings though)

[@tonywharton5220]

Love your videos bud. I've never welded in my life but I really like all these questions answered ✌️

[@ChrisMuncy]

love these detail videos based on comments. Keep them up!

[@BB-lm7cs]

They're installing a bunch of monopoles out near my place. The foundations are huge piles with rebar cages the full depth and an additiinal assembly with two rings supporting the large studs, twice as tall as it is wide. Very similar to wind turbine foundations.

[@rickfazzini22]

All your videos are good content.

[@KevinKimmich44024]

I was fortunate this past year to watch helicopter crews replace all the high voltage lines from Perry Nuclear Plant into our county. The helicopter temporary base of operations was about 1 mile from our house. They'd haul the guys back and forth on a ladder dangling from a cable. Some of the time they were working in the early spring it was maybe low 30s all day long but they were still flying through the air at maybe 60-80 mph. They hooked up wheel mounts for the line to every single pole, then pulled the new lines. I even got some video of the wheels spinning but I didn't find the terminal location; I was curious how they wound up the old wire and pulled the new wire. Then they went back and removed all the wheel contraptions. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen in my life. It maybe took a day or two for each line. Where I live the towers are built on concrete post foundations, which they sometimes replace in-situ... Maybe when the bedrock is close to the surface they can use those posts like in your video? I'm not sure why they'd choose one or the other. That business must be pretty interesting.

[@davidharper4289]

My fave weld brain. I have 1,000 + hours on TIG (non-commercial), 70YO and cranking till the end. While it's always "horses for courses" I learn quite a few things from you. You made me change my style of filler rod "push" to "dime stack.. Trying to get my head around your "Button"..........soon. Run a couple of Miller Dynasty 350's like yours. Oldies BUT a Great machine. Thanks for your efforts, greatly appreciated. Davo from "Oz" 🦘🦘🦘🦘

[@timf2914]

I like all of your videos I find them very interesting and lots of information just like that tower. I would have bet it would be a full plate thanks for all of your hard work I do appreciate it 👍

[@abitoffblacksmithing9985]

I'm just a metal freak.... you know Shiney..... I have a small blacksmithing shop and I work in a machine shop as a saw man and finisher. I love cuttin' 6061, brass , copper. I have a love hate relationship with titanium and 2055 lithium 7075. Love your content!!

[@FPSRepair]

Layman's terms: Pipe to flange, the weld takes the bending moment load. Pipe through flange, the flange takes much of the bending moment load. We always try to minimize the load on the weld. There's also a cost savings associated with less weld required. A lot of this stuff, especially the "grooving fillets" thing is addressed in The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding, 2.2-1 The Design of Welded Joints.

[@Equiluxe1]

Back in the 1980's I had an esab stack up tig welder, Transformer, rectifier, HF unit all seperate boxes so you had AC or DC depending on how the boxes were plugged in. The HF unit on that would make a spark over three foot long and the HF would travel down the mains line and on one occasion it blew up the fax unit which was in the office on a separate circuit but connected via the fuse board. Modern HF tig welders don't seem to cause the same sort of problem. There is a YT channel called allistairarc123 where he welds big things like broken crushers that take days just laying down the welds, and I mean big one casting was ten tons or more and it was snapped in two halfs and he put it together again.

[@lxfguits]

A friend of mine has a modern fronius TIG. That thing, if you accidentally bump the pedal will arc like crazy too. Has also killed electronics once. My chinesium one that I have now seems quite subtle.

[@gofastwclass]

I've seen those towers up close and being shipped on trucks. All the ones I've seen in person at angles I could verify were hollow on the base with stacks of weld just like you showed.

[@slimdog72]

I would go with hole in the base plate for possibly dipping them in a galvanize tank although that one did not look galv. And no moisture collecting in the bottom to freeze and thaw.

[@stirch9]

IDK if you are looking for this comment. But the left hand glove, on your right hand... Had me laughing! Lol

[@martybland8641]

Yeah That's funny 🤣🤣

[@dave98765]

Two reasons I can see for the hole in the base plate. It makes the assembly almost idiot proof. The pole will always be in the centre. The second is that water won't gather in the pole.

[@cjtroutt8092]

It's nice to have your video great format.

[@Adam-b8i]

I have a buddy who works for Valmont. They are really big in the utility pole game. I went through their facility in Tennessee a few years back, and the base plates they were doing were absolutely solid (3 or 3.5” if memory serves) Now…. That doesn’t really mean much, because one thing I do know from him is that there are dozens of different ‘families’ of these poles. They’re not all the same. And yes you were right about the mechanized welds. They were running 2 big ass sub arc machines on the poles I saw.

[@ballsmahony5030]

I did enjoy the field trip. You are a real silly son of a gun!

[@gullreefclub]

The bottom of the baseplate is cut out to allow for water, leaves, etc, to escape out the gap between the concrete base and the leveling nuts below the base.

[@ralphwaters8905]

On the power tower flange, one reason I could see to cut the center hole would apply only if it was fillet welded on both outside AND inside. If we assume that the strength of the weld is proportional to the throat thickness of the fillet (measured at 45 degrees up & out from the root), then it becomes apparent that the root pass gives you the most thickness for your effort, perhaps 3/16" or so. A second layer could easily take 2 or 3 passes to give you the next 3/16" of throat thickness, and so on. The larger the fillet, the greater the number of passes you need to span the width of the face for each increment of throat thickness. If we go inside the pipe, we get to start over and that very first root pass gives us as much additional strength as the last 20 passes on the outside. Of course, thermal distortion from all those cooling welds will turn that flat 4" flange into a bowl, and having a fillet on the inside will counteract this quite a lot. The material the manufacturer saved by cutting out the center could also be sold off for more than the cost of the cut itself. There are several reasons for that hole, I think.

[@richardglaeser7658]

I believe the hole is there so water/condensation cannot build up with inside it, and when the ice freezes, it can split the tower other reason could be for additional earth grounds to come down within side the column

[@allenbrown7820]

12 Bit Atari! 😂 How many motorists swerved off the road while watching the dude climbing under the fence wearing a welding hood dragging a dirt bike? Love the videos! Be Safe!

[@michaelvaughn7137]

On that tower stackking the welds will add to the heat effected zone running up the tower . Welding the tower on its bottom to the flange would allow the 4" thick flange to absorb a large amount of the heat shrinking the heat effected zone !

[@badfinger4621]

DC tigging aluminum. I don't do it often but when needed it's a game changer.

[@jaydunbar7538]

All of the large poles have the plate center cut out, even the smaller ones for the overhead road signs are cut out the same. Weight isn't usually an issue on such structures, you run out of space long before weight is a concern. I don't know all the reasons involved for the cut out bottom but part of it is moisture, allows it to breath and normalize with conditions to prevent it from rusting out from the inside. Im a trucker though so i dont get all the details, only the ones the site manager fonds interesting enough to share lol

[@ejenterprise5540]

Adding gussets especially in the tower configuration instills stress risers and would eventually fail w the wind loads and heat cool cycles upon the tower. As far as welding multi passes it spreads the applied load as it transfers

[@stevenzinn6011]

Few years ago I had a cell tower installed in my back yard, and I filmed a fair amount of the process. The hole was 38’ deep 8’ diameter and they trucked the rebar cage in. It took 15 truck loads of concrete to fill the hole.

[@DudleyToolwright]

Here is what I hope is a clear enough explanation: Case 1 -Post welded to 3" solid plate: The post provides a torque arm that wants to rotate around the base of the post and the plate. The torque is the force applied at the end of the post multiplied by the length. The weld must resist the entirety of this torque or the post will rip free of the bottom plate. Case 2 - Post through 3" plate welded top and bottom. In this case the torque on the post is identical and the point of rotation is still about the top of the plate weld, but you now have a counter torque arm that is 3" long opposing the much longer torque arm trying to rotate free. This counter torque are reduces the strength required by the weld on the top of the plate as in the first Case. Thus, the through solution is stronger all things being equal.

[@FPSRepair]

Had to scroll a bit to find this one. Exactly right, it's a bending moment thing. Pipe to flange, the weld takes all of the load. Pipe through flange, the flange takes most of the bending moment, requiring a lot less weld. We always design things to have the weld take as little of the load as possible. Amazing that in 2024, when this information is readily available...people still want to argue about it... The Lincoln arc welding handbook literally addresses this fillet/groove/weld leg length thing. With actual calculations...

[@jamesthompson6851]

I have welded hundreds if not thousands of base plates to those poles! It's a backing bar that sits behind the weld. So let's not over think this... The pole it's self is made up of 2 - 6 sided halves. 12 flats total. It's been seam welded on a machine. Some like 12 inches of each seam on either end has been weld by hand and double-checked by ultrasound. Then a backing bar is welded in. Then a base plate is fitted onto the pole. Then you clean the groove on all 12 flats with a grinder. And the base plate is preheated to between 200°-350°F and then welded to engineered weld size by hand using a solid core wire. This is also double-checked with ultrasound. The hole in the bottom of the plate is there so the base plate can be back welded to the pole. So you don't have to worry about it popping off while grinding. Sometimes the the base plates are solid with no hole on the bottom. These poles are built pretty solid. And double-checked consistently.

[@6061]

How many flats total on this part? Check again... And I see no weld on the underside.

[@YourFriendlyHoodVampire]

@@6061it's wild how every armchair commenter in here hasn't watched the video at all; Yet keeps giving you breakdowns of how they think it's done, and passing that opinion as fact 😂 with fake stories too.

[@jamesthompson6851]

​@6061 it could also be 8 sided. Just depending. And it really does not need back welded. As I said you back weld to prevent the base plate from popping off while grinding and welding. If it's to tight to get your weld hood+hard hat inside it doesn't get back welded. In this case you grind out and weld 2 or 3 roots Aaron's the pole.

[@jamesthompson6851]

​@@YourFriendlyHoodVampireDis-Tran Steel LLC. Look them up ass hat. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about.

[@c4fishfood]

The bolts will likely be about 10 ft long, so embedded 10 ft into concrete. They are often bolted up to thinner plate at the top and bottom of the pile to template and hold them in place prior to concrete placement.

[@wookieecantina]

Great video, really enjoy this series.

[@williamchristine1384]

those anchor bolts on those towers are 3 to 4 feet long tied into a rebar cage and those piers can be up 30 feet deep

[@skwerlz]

With the power pole - the pole is hollow, the sheet in the bottom is just to keep moisture out so it doesn't rust from the inside. The pole is inserted about half way through the plate and welded from both sides so the profile on the outside can stay smaller. It also transfers stress from the pole to multiple planes in the plate, effectively making it stronger. It's anchored into the concrete with giant J-bolts. Couldn't tell you if they were welded into a preformed cage or not but that's the way I'd do it, eliminates the chance of them shifting as the concrete sets. The concrete footing's going to be massive. Best guess is 10-15 feet deep and quite possibly wider below grade. For reference, I spent 6 years building signs you see from the interstate and wrapped around the tops of skyscrapers. Same principles.

[@6061]

The pole is inserted about halfway through the plate? That's not what I'm seeing...

[@skwerlz]

@@6061 Well technically it should be. The company I worked for went overboard and put it all the way through to better distribute the load. Like if it was half inch wall tubing you'd stop half an inch from the bottom of the plate and do a full fillet. But yeah going back to the scope footage it looks like they only put it maybe an inch in. Making me think twice about who the government is overpaying to make this stuff if they're even skimping there.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Same yet different

[@manofgod895]

You also need a hole for water/condensation drainage. Minimize rust and freeze thaw damages

[@AblazeSandman]

Engineer and fabricator: My bet is on design for hot-dip galvanizing (mainly) with a secondary benefit of not collecting water. I would think the design just came from a tower that is intended to be dipped. Weight reduction and material savings do not seem like reasons to me in this case. Also, many others are suggesting it is to reduce rigidity and thus stress... I have no experience with base-plate design on towers this tall, but I don't think engineers get too granular with flexibility calculations on base plates in that regard. I know we don't on our steel structures, but we do plan for galvanizing and moisture.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Škoda did a weld job on some flood control gates for the Dutch; if you want to see beads on beads that’s worth a look.

[@DIY-V12]

Really liking the style of these videos, your motorbike helmet is dubious to say the least, but really entertaining stuff.

[@davidteeman7934]

They cut the bottom out to prevent condensation from rusting out the pole from the inside. Practical engineering just did a baseplate video that explained this

[@StuPierce77]

Cool shop talk stuff Aaron! Good content.

[@DanBowkley]

I see these on the backs of trucks pretty regularly, I'll see if I can talk a driver into letting me get some pics of the inside when I get a chance.

[@montanaotter5681]

The bottoms are cut out to allow condensed moisture to escape rather than rusting the base plate and tower base.

[@_the_Chad_]

Engineer here just to say the guy(s) that spec’d the tower, anchor bolt and foundation detail, weld spec, etc. would probably be happy to share more information. Legal liabilities aside, lots of people I’ve worked with love to explain and share knowledge.

[@cconnon1912]

I once saw journeymen welding up giant mining equipment and I was amazed at how deep they stacked the welds. Was the hollowed out area, the same depth as the flange? Or was it a shallow hollow area? Looking at this, it might not be surprising if they beveled the flange itself and the welds go deep down into the flange.

[@randybell5461]

The cutout in the bottom plate are for air circulation inside the tower.

[@flyinpolack6633]

I've never done power poles but on bike frames there is a pretty big hole cut between tubes to cut weight. Anything inside of that area isn't adding that much strength so it's removed. (makes getting tubeseal though it all easier after welding too if it's CroMo). Not sure if it's for that same reason on a power pole though. I bet that weldment took 22 hours to prep & weld. (If stick) Nice work. I'm paranoid about computers & electronics on my weld table too. But I have messed up & left stuff there quite a few times. I just did a part yesterday & forgot to ground my positioner. grounded right through it somehow.. luckily it still works.. Doh!! Good vid man

[@pjofurey6239]

Great start ! Like BUBBA on crusty demons of dirt. Early days we would cast the studs into the Crete , ( 20&30 metre high masts) years later the chem bonds are strong enough . I spotted you left without your back pack and guessed you scoffed the Sammiches

[@asdqwe4468]

Having currents go through bearings is a real problem. For a small positioner with almost no speed and no load it might not be a big problem. But in other machines it's a big thing. Especially nowadays that everything is run with variable frequency. The fast edges can cause lots of currents to go where you don't want them to go. They can and do ruin bearings quickly.

[@steveanderson4768]

That lifting spreader bar that probably has 45 to 50 passes on that to fill that all in and it was done with a meg welder he easily went through a 44 pound spool of wire to do that much welding

[@brandygray5894]

I have no real idea but, maybe it's cut out so it doesn't trap water and have corrosion problems?

[@brandonholt1475]

allistairc123 has some big welds here on youtube.

[@darrylwagar4144]

Some big welds?😂 Damn , he welds for weeks on some projects. Did you see him repair that rock crusher jaw. I think he went through 500 pounds of wire. That dude knows how to work.

[@sween187]

Might give the base of the tower a bit more flex, allow a bit of movement compared to solid piece. Or may be heat when welding easier to heat a ring rather than a big solid but if metal

[@ypaulbrown]

Aaron, they have been replacing high tension line towers Here in Orlando Florida, to upgrade due to hurricanes, the hole that the base sits on has a rebar cage and is eight feet in diameter and forty feet deep….lots of concrete….paul

[@allenbrown7820]

Happy Birthday young man! 😁Be Safe!

[@nickdubois8218]

Yup I like this form of content. Even got some dirt biking in!!

[@brentmollenhauer47]

Hey dude....the answer is actually simpler than you think....it has to do with the galvanizing process....when those towers are dunked into a 700° hot tank, the galvanizing goes inside the structure, but they need to have a way for the gases to escape or they have a gigantic pipe bomb....a large fork lift or front end loader is used to load and remove these into massive tanks ...when we have handrails built for our construction projects they must have a certain number of holes in them...or the galvanizer will drill them for you....then back charge you on top of it....check out your local galvanizing company...it's fascinating

[@Kevin-is-here]

Thanks for sharing, we’re listening 😅

[@nogmeerjan]

My 2 cents on "makes it stiffer" for the poles. I don't know anything about these poles nor does my knowledge on welding reaches more than "got his first lesson" but as an engineer I heard you say "makes it stiffer" and then I say "stiffer is not always better". With huge poles moving in the wind maybe they want the base not to be to ridged.

[@elijahperry781]

Do you have a tour for your trailer shop? looks like a really neat little space.

[@patrickgreen9747]

Cool video, I like the format. We should all be trying to learn regardless how long you e been doing it…..

[@alwalker1949]

Yeah mate, keep em coming.

[@markbroad119]

They go together like stacking cups. The bottom one has the next one slid over the top and down a pre determined distance. That was well over 20 passes. If it was 12 high by 12 wide plus the middle.....

[@papaloongie]

Love your show!! Would you consider making a playlist that would allow us welding junkies to binge watch?? Thanks!!

[@jimzivny1554]

This was interesting

[@larrymashburn7789]

Check out wind mill footings. Way more wind resistance, and all of the centripetal/centrifugal torques and forces, but I bet the footings on these are significant too.

[@mishmash4891]

Its the old transformer A/C machines that cause trouble with electronics it also depends what the clocking inside cpu is running at that may cause issues

[@kevinmorin7965]

6061, weld strength in general, is based on the root face area or surface of the weld area that is fused into each of the two parent metal parts. That root face area can be achieved by beveling into one or both of the parts to be welded; or built up on the outside faces of the material to be joined. I think the difference is how much the outside build up method's contraction of the two adjacent surfaces can be tolerated or accepted, VS; the benefits of beveling to reduce the outside face width of a bead compared to the length of the two legs of the root face? I don't think there's a big difference in net strength if the root faces are the same areas, but I do think there are cases where large adjacent areas of relatively flat material could benefit by having less open outside area of the weld face to contract; so the work of beveling is justified by the desire to reduce contraction distortion of the surrounding material. At least that is a major consideration when designing and building welded aluminum boats' associated seams.

[@wadepatton2433]

Some flex of the flange may indeed help preserve the integrity of the tubular system. Flexed things can be funny like that--they need to move to avoid breakage. STEEL can flex infinite cycles, aluminum cannot--maybe that's why you're leaning towards "rigidity rules" thinking? Enjoyed the mini moto. I had a chainsaw with a bigger engine than that buzzy bike-and you had bonus miles of "fun" ! I like your new focus--also I built a couple of bicycles of double/triple butted tubing (4130) and learned a lot of stuff to design them up right. Had to be fitted to my "other than average" proportions for best function and performance, yadda yadda, True Temper and also Columbus. O/A not welded. If I ever build another it will be welded Ti.

[@jamesgarrison6430]

Bench, grinder in welding class was on the table for years, and then one day it smoked the ground on it from somebody welding on the table

[@ypaulbrown]

Now that’s a fillet!❤