Welding Single Tier Brew Stand

[piperbrew]

Looking to start a single tier brew sculpture build, and had a few questions mostly around costs.

Firstly, in a design resembling a typical single tier system (i.e. MoreBeer's design), about how many hours of welding can I anticipate an experienced welder to charge me for? I emailed a guy on craigslist with a picture of a brew stand just to get a ballpark figure for TIG welding it, and he quoted $450. From what I can find in doing some research, that price seems incredibly high. So, what should I anticipate from an "hours of welding" standpoint and then from a price standpoint. Yes, I understand trading homebrew can help lower the cost, but I would rather know full dollar amount charged before starting to haggle with that.

Secondly, how much (length) steel can I anticipate purchasing? I have roughed up some numbers based on MoreBeer's dimensions, but would like to know what others have purchased as I know there will be some drop cuts and excess. About how much per foot did y'all pay for something like a 1.5" x 1.5", 11 gauge mild steel tubing?

Lastly, any advice or tips y'all may have would be helpful. Wind screen design, propane tank placement, etc. Sometime this weekend I will try to get something worked up on Google Sketch, and hopefully y'all can advise what elements may or may not work.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Travis

 

[BendBrewer]

I built mine at a friends house who has a welding shop. I did all the cuts and finish work and about 1/3 of the welds. Initially he said he would do it for 100 bucks. I gave him 180 when all was said and done and felt that I got a screaming deal.

 

[BendBrewer]

I followed these plans:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/welding-101-fun-brutus-build-164749/

 

[ebeer]

$450 just for the welding???? Seems way high to me.

I see you are in Texas. I don't have any personal experience, but this guy is in Texas and for the price looks hard to beat. $275 for steel, welding, and shipping?? Cha-ching.

 

[WTF_Brewing]

If you specfied TIG, then $450 isn't too bad. TIG is much harder than MIG, the joints must be spotlessly clean and tight, and the machine cost three times as much as MIG. It would take most welders about 5-6 hours to TIG together a stand like this and about $30-40 in consumables (filler, tungstuns, grinder, gas, electricity)

MIG would be much faster and easier, but problably still cost you $250 dollars.

 

[SDMBREW]

I built one similar material was $200, I own my own welder I used a chop saw on the 1.5X 1.5 tube, welded it up in an afternoon. Wiped it down with thinner painted it high temp black done that evening. All together after all my prep was done it took me about 3hours to weld it up clamping etc, and install the casters. You should;nt be getting charged more than 25 bucks an hour for strictly welding services. If you are your getting hosed!

 

[mmurray]

Yeah, if you're going to pay $450 + material costs ~$100... might as buy a stand finished and ready to go from a vendor on here. I can't remember who it is, but his stand is $550 ready to work!

Might be a good option for you! If anyone else knows the site/vendor that I'm talking of please post for this guy! I'll keep looking for you!

Cheers! and BTW, I wouldn't pay more than $100 for the welding and the metal should be no more than $100.

 

[mmurray]

http://brewersequipment.com/New%20Brew%20Stands.html

Yep... here it is! He was in the vendor list. $550 w/ free shipping! might be a better choice for you instead of getting screwed by a local welder.

 

[BendBrewer]

I don't like the way they run the gas through the steel on those. It just seems like such a stupid thing to do.

 

[Bobby_M]

Stupid like hundreds of Brutus 10 clones? What exactly are you worried will happen?

$450 to TIG that much stainless is what I'd consider an average price around here. I've been quoted $50 to TIG two couplers in (a total of about 6" of bead).

 

[BendBrewer]

Well if it did somehow develop a leak, you would have to cut the thing apart to repair it. No practical purpose and could screw you. That makes it stupid in my opinion.

 

[piperbrew]

http://brewersequipment.com/New%20Brew%20Stands.html

Yep... here it is! He was in the vendor list. $550 w/ free shipping! might be a better choice for you instead of getting screwed by a local welder.

Yes, I came across the post in my search for stand plans and prices. I think he's located in TX, as well. Again, I have only asked one individual off Craigslist about the cost to weld, so I will (hopefully) find some more reasonable prices the more I ask around. Just wanted to get a better feel for what to expect since some of the welding stuff I have seen is quoted by the hour.

 

[dmfa200]

Well if it did somehow develop a leak, you would have to cut the thing apart to repair it. No practical purpose and could screw you. That makes it stupid in my opinion.

Gas thru the frame is perfectly acceptable. Makes the most sense, and cleans up the look. Sure you could build or buy a separate manifold but why?

As far as leaks go. A repair can be made on anything as is, in place as long as you can reach it with your torch or gun.

I've been a welder for quite a while, believe me when I say, if I can see it, and reach it, no problem.

 

[Lonnie Mac]

Well if it did somehow develop a leak, you would have to cut the thing apart to repair it. No practical purpose and could screw you. That makes it stupid in my opinion.

I'll stay out of this one except to say that this is one of the more silly statements I have heard! Not only hundreds of Brutus frames, and now this other fella I see is doing it too, but literally HUNDREDS of Brew Magic systems also. The original Brew Magic also has a welded gas manifold. (I never knew this until I saw a friend of mine's) There is nothing to break here with a welded pressure tested beam... This 1/8" stainless steel beam has less pressure inside of it than that glass beer bottle you are holding. Nothing wrong with using rusty iron gas pipe and dope either I must say. If that's your thing...

Brew on brothas!

 

[Lonnie Mac]

AhHaaaHaaa... BendBrewer brother, I have just realized what I "think" you are "thinking" in re-reading this whole thread... You think that one would actually build up a gas black iron pipe and shove it down inside the structure itself and weld it all up no? No my friend. Please understand the actual concept. That would be stupid to do that.

Brew on brotha...

 

[SDMBREW]

I agree I also don;t like gas plumbing integrated into brew frames. I don;t believe its entirely stupid it looks nice when done properly. I machined an aluminum manifold to house my burner valves and used 1/4" hydraulic steel tube to hard plumb my burners.

 

[Snake10]

Piperbrew,

Awesome that you want to build a Lonnie Mac Brutus. Even cooler that the King Himself, Lonnie Mac has posted for you. To get on with my post, I live down the street East of Denton. 30 minutes from you. PM me your email and I'll respond. Maybe you could swing by to see my Brutus. I have tons of ways to help you. A go- by is worth a thousand words. Check out the couple of pics on my gallery. I have a couple of Brutus made beers on tap also. Thanks, Lonnie Mac!
Snake10

 

[mikelikesit2000]

This is to all the posters that are banging the rate of the welding. I make my living as a welder. I consider myself a damn good one. I work at a nuclear power plant where our welds are inspected very closly, many are even X-ray'd to insure quality. It takes years of hard work and thousands of hours of our personal time to learn how to weld with a high level of quality. Anyone can push the trigger on a mig gun and shoot some metal on a piece of steel and then grind half of it off and then repeat this process until all of the pin holes and other flaws are "covered up". A good welder puts it on and leaves it on.
If you think $450 is too much, go down to sears and buy yourself a mig welder for the same money, or less, and do it your self. Then after you have spent too many hours trying to make it look right and $30 bucks in grinding wheels, then, you will understand that 450 is not that bad.

 

[ehedge20]

I can second mikelikesit2000 statement. There is a LOT of work that is involved. You have about 2-3 hours of prep to cut, debur, and drill holes before you can even start welding for 6-8 hours and more time after to grind and sand. Welding takes time to do it right and I would not want to invest my money in someone who is willing to do it for a good deal as you will get what you pay for! Also making a gas beam is stronger and more reliable than pipe. I mean think about it you have one solid sealed beam instead of relying threaded pipe and Teflon tape. Just make sure you don't have the bargain welder do it for you....

 

[Snake10]

Not banging welding,

The gas beam is not for everyone, me included. If you are "into" the welding and not having another guy weld it, then the gas beam is feasible. If you welded it then you can check it, re-weld it to your hearts content. Lonnie made it himself.
If you hire your stand out then more power to you. Seems you would have to pass it back and forth to get the welds the way you want them or until it was "right".

As for building the stand itself, after cutting it out 1 hour, welding took 3.5 hours with a mig welder. Grinding the welds took another 3-4 hours, with 1 grinding wheel, 1 sandpaper wheel. harbor freight 4.5 inch grinder. Personally I think the stand is the most basic of projects. Just my opinion. Guess the question is, if you don't own a welder, what is the going rate? What is a tig rate? Mikey, what would you charge for a project like this?
Snake10

 

[mikelikesit2000]

Not banging welding,

The gas beam is not for everyone, me included. If you are "into" the welding and not having another guy weld it, then the gas beam is feasible. If you welded it then you can check it, re-weld it to your hearts content. Lonnie made it himself.
If you hire your stand out then more power to you. Seems you would have to pass it back and forth to get the welds the way you want them or until it was "right".

As for building the stand itself, after cutting it out 1 hour, welding took 3.5 hours with a mig welder. Grinding the welds took another 3-4 hours, with 1 grinding wheel, 1 sandpaper wheel. harbor freight 4.5 inch grinder. Personally I think the stand is the most basic of projects. Just my opinion. Guess the question is, if you don't own a welder, what is the going rate? What is a tig rate? Mikey, what would you charge for a project like this?
Snake10

First, I also think welding the gas beam is the only way to go. Its cleaner looking, and Is very strong, but yes the welding need to be spot on, one hole and you will be smelling gas.
Second, I would charge $40 per hour to build this stand. You would be paying for it to be done once. My time would be in welding, not in grinding. I think $350-$450 is a fair price.

 

[Snake10]

Fair enough Mike. Thanks for the input. $40 per hour is a fair rate.
Snake10

 

[BendBrewer]

AhHaaaHaaa... BendBrewer brother, I have just realized what I "think" you are "thinking" in re-reading this whole thread... You think that one would actually build up a gas black iron pipe and shove it down inside the structure itself and weld it all up no? No my friend. Please understand the actual concept. That would be stupid to do that.

Brew on brotha...

Yeah, that is how I mistakenly understood it. Glad to know that isn't what is being done and however wrong I may have been thinking, I was at least thinking correctly. (That somehow makes sense to me.)