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Brewpatrol · 12-22-2009, 06:39 PM

Let me start by saying I'm not a welder and no nothing about it. I would like to know though why most of you who are building your own Brutus systems weld the long top frame sections to the actual sides of the legs rather than weld the long portions on top of the legs. I'm in the designing stages of my own and was thinkiing it would be stronger and able to hold more weight if done this way. Anyone care to explain? Flame away.

**Mirilis** · 12-22-2009, 06:47 PM

I use the bottom long beam as a gas manifold so the legs have to be on the sides of it to seal it off.. otherwise i will go boom in my garage

**CodeRage** · 12-22-2009, 06:50 PM

I put mine on top of the legs as well. I think it was originally done that way so the vertical post could be capped and it look okay. I mitered my top and bottom bit of framing with 45's and then mounted them on top/bottom of the legs. The stringer piece in the middle is really just for the gas manifold if you choose to go that direction.

I would rather have compression stress on the box tubing than shear stress on the welds.

ubermick · 12-22-2009, 06:54 PM

A lot of folks have actually mitred the corners of the top sections, and mounted the legs underneath that. This way, you do have the increased strength you mention, in addition to it being nice and smooth once the welds are ground flat. I know this will be the way I do it when I build my frame:

You just have to make sure you adjust the dimensions when you cut the frame out, with each piece being four inches longer than originally specified.

Brewpatrol · 12-22-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirilis

I use the bottom long beam as a gas manifold so the legs have to be on the sides of it to seal it off.. otherwise i will go boom in my garage

So you actually pump the gas into the lower beam and it disperses evenly to your burners? What about the 2 top beams. Could they have been cut just a couple inches longer and welded to the tops of the legs since you aren't running gas through them?

Brewpatrol · 12-22-2009, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubermick

A lot of folks have actually mitred the corners of the top sections, and mounted the legs underneath that. This way, you do have the increased strength you mention, in addition to it being nice and smooth once the welds are ground flat. I know this will be the way I do it when I build my frame:

You just have to make sure you adjust the dimensions when you cut the frame out, with each piece being four inches longer than originally specified.

That looks nice. I think this is what I'm trying to go for so that all the weight rests on top of the actual legs. I know welds can be super strong and can probably hold hundreds if not thousands of pounds. I just keep seeing this bad image running through my head of hot wort falling through because of a weak weld.

**Mirilis** · 12-22-2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewpatrol

So you actually pump the gas into the lower beam and it disperses evenly to your burners? What about the 2 top beams. Could they have been cut just a couple inches longer and welded to the tops of the legs since you aren't running gas through them?

yeah, theres no reason you cant do that. I just followed the original plans when I cut my steel. It holds fine btw, at least mine does. I havnt used it as an actual brew yet but I had a keggle on each of the burners heating water for multiple cooler mashes.

Im looking forward to trying mine out for real on new years eve

Lonnie Mac · 12-22-2009, 07:25 PM

So the premise behind my design is very simple my friends... I am a cheap scape! 16" of stainless put me over the two 20' sticks that I purchased, beside the fact that it ain't cheap to dig into another stick just for a foot or two...

As for the welds, well... They will indeed hold up a mack truck and should be every bit as strong as the steel itself; one should practice until it does otherwise...

I like the 45 degree mitered corners better myself, but my design also makes this frame extremely easy to build for the layman whom may want to build this thing on a crooked patio such as myself. Part of this whole idea was to have something that almost anyone could learn how to weld themselves, with the ease of having two large frames (front and back) that you simply stand up and attach all the smaller cross members...

Brew on brothas...

**CodeRage** · 12-22-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonnie Mac

So the premise behind my design is very simple my friends... I am a cheap scape! 16" of stainless put me over the two 20' sticks that I purchased, beside the fact that it ain't cheap to dig into another stick just for a foot or two...

...

I like the 45 degree mitered corners better myself, but my design also makes this frame extremely easy to build for the layman whom may want to build this thing on a crooked patio such as myself. ...

Brew on brothas...

Yup, I remember reading that now. Makes perfect sense to me.

Who needs a flat surface when you have ratchet straps, come alongs, and prybars? :P

Lonnie Mac · 12-22-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeRage

Yup, I remember reading that now. Makes perfect sense to me.

Who needs a flat surface when you have ratchet straps, come alongs, and prybars? :P

Yea,, funny thing is that I work(ed) in a state of the art shop for my day job. But there was no way that I could fabricate anything for myself in it!