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In Part 3 of the grape arbor series, the post and beams get
finished and the struts for the top get welded on.
The corners were not nearly as close a fit as I would have liked, so many
Dutchmen (filler pieces) were used to fill in all the gaps for a weldable seam.
Because we have an abundance of wasps that will use any hole large enough to
build a nest, all seams must be solid and without gaps.
Bell (the
guard dog) had to watch everything. So you had to be careful or she would watch
you weld.
Here, Dad is showing me how to get a DC rod to work on an AC
welder. There was about 20 lbs. of DC rod free to burn, so we used it where we
could. There was lots of splatter, but the grape arbor could probably hold the
house on it.
Because the beam on top was level and the one on the back had
a peak, the struts (made from Unistrut) had to be measured differently, with
spacings to keep them parallel and evenly spaced.
The strut that sat at the peak was made of doubled Unistrut to increase its
ability to carry a snow load.
All welds were coated in cold galvanizing (like the base metal) to limit
corrosion.
The strut ends were tapered to fit atop the round beams and welded into
place.
The structure was surprisingly ridged and true. The whole unit sits in the
pockets in the slab and is movable (if you can pick it up).
Part 4 will cover the shade clock. Click here for Part 1 and click here for Part 2, if you missed them.
Editor's Note: CR4
would like to thank U V for contributing this blog series.
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