I've made the main parts of the ramps. Each section is 40" wide, 36" long, to make 2 folding ramps mounted adjacent to each other.
Right now, the equipment I have is all under 1,100lbs, and it's unlikely I'll be getting anything over 2,000lbs anytime soon.
I have some steel tubing (1" o.d., 5/8" i.d.) and then 5/8" steel rod to make the hinges with. The basic plan is to weld pieces of the steel tubing along the folding edge of the ramp sections, stick the 5/8" rod through them, then something to keep the rod in place. For each hinge (one hinge on each side of each ramp, so 4 hinges total), I was thinking of using 4 pieces 1-1.5" long steel tubing, alternating between top and bottom ramp sections.
My primary problem is I'm still not a particularly good, inexperienced welder, and trying to weld the pieces of steel tubing in the right place, so it folds without binding, and doesn't fold at a slight angle so it interferes with the adjacent ramp, and in just the right spot so the ramps are nice and flat when extended is, uh, very unlikely. The primary issue is when really welding down the steel tubing, it'll shift a bit, and each section will shift a little bit different and so the hinges won't work right.
So, my plan of attack is:
-weld a long piece of steel tubing to the edge a strip of 1"x.25" flat steel (say, 24" of tubing to 24" flat steel)
-cut this assembly into 1.5" hinge pieces
-tack the 4 end hinge pieces into place (welding the edges of the flat sleet to the folding edge of the ramps, with the 5/8" rod inserts so they are aligned right, and then make sure the ramp folds right before welding those hinge pieces down
-repeat for the other 4 hinge pieces for that ramp, and repeat for the other ramp
The folding edge on the ramp sections is 1.25"x0.125" square steel tubing, which is what I would be welding the flat steel part of the hinge pieces to. I figure I can weld the flat steel to the square tubing so it stays in place without moving significantly.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan for success?
Right now, the equipment I have is all under 1,100lbs, and it's unlikely I'll be getting anything over 2,000lbs anytime soon.
I have some steel tubing (1" o.d., 5/8" i.d.) and then 5/8" steel rod to make the hinges with. The basic plan is to weld pieces of the steel tubing along the folding edge of the ramp sections, stick the 5/8" rod through them, then something to keep the rod in place. For each hinge (one hinge on each side of each ramp, so 4 hinges total), I was thinking of using 4 pieces 1-1.5" long steel tubing, alternating between top and bottom ramp sections.
My primary problem is I'm still not a particularly good, inexperienced welder, and trying to weld the pieces of steel tubing in the right place, so it folds without binding, and doesn't fold at a slight angle so it interferes with the adjacent ramp, and in just the right spot so the ramps are nice and flat when extended is, uh, very unlikely. The primary issue is when really welding down the steel tubing, it'll shift a bit, and each section will shift a little bit different and so the hinges won't work right.
So, my plan of attack is:
-weld a long piece of steel tubing to the edge a strip of 1"x.25" flat steel (say, 24" of tubing to 24" flat steel)
-cut this assembly into 1.5" hinge pieces
-tack the 4 end hinge pieces into place (welding the edges of the flat sleet to the folding edge of the ramps, with the 5/8" rod inserts so they are aligned right, and then make sure the ramp folds right before welding those hinge pieces down
-repeat for the other 4 hinge pieces for that ramp, and repeat for the other ramp
The folding edge on the ramp sections is 1.25"x0.125" square steel tubing, which is what I would be welding the flat steel part of the hinge pieces to. I figure I can weld the flat steel to the square tubing so it stays in place without moving significantly.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan for success?