EMT or Electrical Conduit Welding

[goat getter]

now i know these materials were not meant for welding projects, but the availability and relatively inexpensive cost has made EMT a favorite for all sorts of cart projects.

my question is the ease and safety of using such material. i have never welded on EMT before, so i don't know how easy it is to work with or if it is even a very good idea (toxic fumes?).:barf:

if any of you have first hand experience with this stuff let me know what you think.

thanks in advance.

[jasonmt]

As all of the EMT I have ever used for assorted projects has been galvanized :barf: is a possibility if you do not take some precautions. As welding galvanized has been discussed ad nauseum on this board a search should net you all of the information required to do it safely, IE proper respirator and fresh air supply.

I prefer to lightly grind back approx. 1" from the weld area when coping/prepping the EMT and go over it with a knotted wire wheel to attempt to remove as much Zinc as possible. Keep in mind that 1/2" EMT is ~0.040" thick and 3/4" is ~0.050 thick and that due to the Zinc content it will take a bit longer for the puddle to start compared to ungalvanized steel.

In the beginnings of the go-cart pictured the roll over bar, nerf bars, seat cage and bumpers are all made of ½” EMT and has held up to as much abuse as 8 and 12 year old boys can dish out in 6 months.

[Gummi Bear]

Like Jason mentioned, make good and sure you are working in a well ventilated area.

I use EMT and GRC for weird little projects around the farm and the house all the time. Scrap is pretty easy for me to come by, and I can bend it however I need.

[Aces'n'8s]

Lengths of 1/2" EMT make excellent portable duck blinds. Tack weld some "hog" wire and stuff with cane or other brush and your good to go.


When you see the yellow and white smoke hold your breath.

[goat getter]

it has been suggested that i soak the EMT in muratic acid to remove the coating.. anyone heard of this before?:confused:

[jdrocks]

how ever cheap it is-and i know a lot of guys have used it for any number of projects-this stuff is worth a trip to the ER unless you're using piped air or some other foolproof technique to avoid the fumes. it will get you sooner or later. you won't die-you just think you're going to die.

[Aces'n'8s]

it has been suggested that i soak the EMT in muratic acid to remove the coating.. anyone heard of this before?:confused:


I've never heard of that process. Put a piece of metal in muratic acid and wait a minute or two. The acid will quickly eat away at the metal. Now, maybe one should only dip galv. metal for a few moments, but I would rather clean it and weld it up. All the while, minding not to inhale the fumes.

[bikebumIII]

I use this stuff everyday and I would not use it for anything but electrical. I would not allow my kids to ride on it or anything that has some sort of weight to be placed on it. It is to brittle and thin. This stuff (1/2") bends when I step on it. Maybe ridgid pipe can be used for some projects, but personally I would not build anything out of it. Just my 2 cents....

[jasonmt]

Seeing as how the main frame of the cart is made out of 1.25x0.109" and 0.875x0.093" 1026 ERW tubing I am not to worried about it. It hauls my fat ass around as well as the kids and has bounced off a few cement walls as well.

[pmurf1]

I have made a bunch of racks out of 3/4" and made my little 5 year old neighbor a 2' tall mini buggy out of it last Christmas and he beats the hell out of it with a hammer all the time. (Fawk that's gonna be hard to top this year now I think about it!). Just weld it outside or put a fan behind you to blow away the fumes and you'll be fine. At worst, it will give me a minor headache if I really hit it hard. As far as welding it, I just do small stitches, Poison Spider welding style since it's so thin. It's plenty strong for racks and other light duty projects. It's more about the design.

[goat getter]

i don't plan to make a cart or buggie to ride in (not yet anyway:D).. i actually plan to use it in the construction of a welding cart (my first welding project) ..after that maybe a light duty roof rack. i think i'll try the ventalation/fan technique while i tack a few sticks together.

[GrantBaker]

Unless you're using flux core, you won't like the fan idea. It will clear the fumes, but it will also blow away all you shielding gas! :(

Grant

[goat getter]

Unless you're using flux core, you won't like the fan idea. It will clear the fumes, but it will also blow away all you shielding gas! :(

Grant

right on.. i do intend to use flux core. my project is a welding cart w/bottle rack. i'll add the bottle portion later :D

[BrianDamage]

I use this stuff everyday and I would not use it for anything but electrical. I would not allow my kids to ride on it or anything that has some sort of weight to be placed on it. It is to brittle and thin. This stuff (1/2") bends when I step on it. Maybe ridgid pipe can be used for some projects, but personally I would not build anything out of it. Just my 2 cents....


same here. Stuff is WAY too thin to be considered safe for anything.

[MT4Runner]

I used 1.25" EMT to make a rowing frame for my raft. Works great after 3 years, no rust! I welded it outdoors on a breezy day with my buddy's 120V gas mig welder.