stainless metal vs metal

[RAATCB]

I am planning on fabricating my own 4 bay pump stand with 2 on top and 2 stacked below. I am going to construct it out of 1.5 inch square tubing and 1/8 sheet metal for the pump and motor to sit on. Is it nesscessery to use stainless or metal square tubing? I know stainless is a lot more expensive and harder to work with. I only know how to mig weld and never messed with stainless.

Any suggestions?

 

[Ric]

I purchased a wash 30 years ago that had homemade pump stands made out of steel and painted. They look bad now but are structurally fine. I have not touched the during that time.

 

[mjwalsh]

I am planning on fabricating my own 4 bay pump stand with 2 on top and 2 stacked below. I am going to construct it out of 1.5 inch square tubing and 1/8 sheet metal for the pump and motor to sit on. Is it nesscessery to use stainless or metal square tubing? I know stainless is a lot more expensive and harder to work with. I only know how to mig weld and never messed with stainless.

Any suggestions?

RAATCB,

The pump stands that we have were fabricated Specialty Equipment & they used Aluminum Tubing ... I think that made more sense than the more expensive stainless or more prone to corrode regular steel. I have not seen any downsides from the aluminum. The aluminum has what appears to be hard rubber bases on the tubing bottoms to sit on the often wet concrete floor ... a bit like what table legs on their bottom in a dining area might have.

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com

 

[Earl Weiss]

I am thinking you might consider buying Aluminum Struts from McMaster and Bolt together using Stainless fasteners.

Anyone else have similar thoughts?

 

[2Biz]

You can weld SS with mig. A few years ago I welded up new SS float tanks and stand using my Hobart 210 mig. The wire I used was 308L .030" in the 4" diameter spools. I have a spool gun, so using it I think you have a little more control and better wire flow. You'll have to get a tank of Tri-Mix shielding gas....90% Helium, 7.5% Argon, and 2.5% Carbon Dioxide...There is a bit of cost to get set up to weld the SS, but well worth doing it right. I wouldn't have done it any different. Next project, like you, I want to make my own pump stand. My old steel one is still solid, but looks like crap. Here is a picture of my Float tank and chemical stand so you can see weld quality. Keep in mind, I'm "NOT" an expert at welding! Its not hard to get decent results.

 

[wash4me]

The main disadvantage to mild steel will come from perception. Insurance inspector will see homemade and so will customers and future buyer. If you use mild steel, degrease, prime and 3 coats of paint.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

FWIW, I had a steel system the same brand as 2Biz, but actually a little newer. It rusted out so bad at the bottom that one leg completely rusted off and the stump was just hanging there about 6" off the floor. It was to the point that it started leaning and pulling hoses taught. I bought a used system of the same brand, but a few years newer and stainless steel. I made lots of changes, mostly removing the over-engineering and had my supplier come out and install it for me. I ended up spending about 1/3 of what a new system cost and scavenged lots of spare parts from the old system as well.

 

[MEP001]

I've seen lots of steel pump stands, and how long they last depends on how wet it gets. Prep and paint steel and fix any leak immediately and it should last for decades.

I know someone who builds his stands out of extruded aluminum rails. I don't like how it looks (Seems like an Erector Set build) and it's not as rigid as welded steel or stainless, but it's more than strong enough and the only tools you need are a couple wrenches and a saw.