Cube Welding Guidelines

Wear Appropriate Welding Safety Gear!

Fixturing and Tack Welding the Squares:

  • The fixturing of your welding kit is important as it will affect the final results.
  • NOTE: the below example is only one of many ways to fixture and tack weld your cube together. Don't be afraid to experiment with your own creative approach!
  • Use a right angle fixturing clamp, a welding magnet (if steel) or a metal square and clamps to hold your cube pieces in the perfect position for tack welding. You may have to get creative for this step if you do not have any of the tools listed above. The images below are an example of using a metal square and clamps to fixture the cube pieces.

  

  

  • Once your squares are fixtured, tack weld them together.
  • Now fixture and tack weld another square onto your previously tacked squares to form a corner as shown below.

  • Repeat the above steps with the remaining squares to form another corner.
  • Fixture both corner pieces together with a magnet if possible (for steel) or hold them together as square as can with a gloved hand and tack weld the pieces together. If you are fixturing by hand, you may need to break your tacks and retry for the perfect alignment. The cube below was fixtured and tack welded by hand.

Welding the Squares:

  • NOTE: there are many different techniques and processes you can use to weld your cube together. Below are some helpful tips.
  • Turn your welder way down. The open-corner joints of this welding cube do not require the same heat and filler speed as most other joints of the same material thickness.
  • If you are using a wire feed welder or a stick welder turned way down, use a circular or similar pattern to make sure your weld penetrates both surfaces of the joint. Doing so will also add a texture or segmentation to your bead.
  • Run some practice welds on scrap steel of the same thickness.

  • Make your first few welds on the side opposite of the logo square, so your best welds will be around the "CNA" logo square for the best possible finished pictures ;-)
  • Remember these cubes were designed for practice and training. Don't freak out if your welds aren't perfect. Every weld helps you gain valuable experience, so have fun with it and try your best!
  • If you want, you can clean your cube up after welding for that polished look. The cube below was wire wheeled after it had cooled down from welding.