Joining metal together

[morpheus83uk]

Hello,

I am looking at joining two pieces of galvanised sheet metal (1mm each) together. This is for an animal cage as they have chewed through the wood so I am wanting to put metal sides on a piece of sheet metal I have.

As I have no welding gear and have never welded in my life I was looking for other options. I thought of pop riveting them together. Fairly simple and I have the tools for this. However I would like a flush finish on both sides, I know with a normal pop rivet gun this is only achieved on one side and the other sticks out and it unsightly.

My problem is If I have it on the outside away from the animals when it comes to taking the bottom out of the cage I will slice my fingers to high heaven and if I put it on the opposite side then the animals end up getting hurt and off the the vets we go...

So if I could make it flush on both sides this would be perfect however I am unsure how I would do this.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

James

 

[Newboy]

Pop rivet a joining plate across both pieces?

 

[Burnerman]

Is it possible to forget about the join, and buy a piece of material the correct size?
John

 

[morpheus83uk]

I'm not sure how you mean? If you mean have it in the middle and the rivet going through one piece the joining plate and through the last piece would this not still leave the unfinished edge of a pop rivet? Or am I misunderstanding you?

Thanks

James

 

[Burnerman]

If you use pop rivets then you will have one end rough - even if you used countersunk rivets.
Can you construct a hollow, sandwiched floor using two sheets of metal, held apart by a square tube frame, for example?
John

 

[JohnD]

roofing bolts?

for neatness, I have occasionally used acorn or dome nuts, e.g. where exposed on a garden gate or hut, or where there is a risk you might bump into them. They are a bit expensive, but maybe you need small sizes and not very many.

I use stainless, which should be suitable for an animal cage, and coach bolts, with a smooth rounded head, but it might be difficult to buy them small enough.

These are what I call acorn nuts. Dome nuts are flatter but I can't find a pic. I've used them down to M4

 

[^woody^]

 

[SammyInnit]

If I understand what you're after, it's something that can only really be done neatly with the right tools. The edges of the sheet should be hemmed to remove the raw edge. It's basically a return in the sheet 180deg.

To join two sheets without one being proud of the other, use of a joining plate or fixings, a double hem lock would have done it.

Edit: See:

The only way you're going to join two pieces and keep the one surface flush with the other rather than having one proud, even if it is only 1mm, is by forming a return on the end of each piece and fixing it there; but from what it sounds like, that won't be satisfactory either.


A drawing, no matter how rudimentary will help explain your thinking.

 

[big-all]

do they actually chew the flat timber??
when i build rabbit cages all the frame and structure is on the outside with the platforms and dividers being easily replaced they cannot easily chew flat or internal corners only exposed external corners

 

[morpheus83uk]

@big-all They don't chew the flat wood they chew the wooden sides but they have taken most of them down to the screws so they need replacing.

@JohnD Do you mean something like these:

http://www.castors-online.co.uk/aca...ome_Cap.html?gclid=CMPj3eSC69ICFcFuGwod9ZsD6w

Ok so I have a flat sheet of metal where from the bottom I am looking at pop riveting to another piece of metal and bending this up and then maybe using some form of joining plate for the corners. This would make like a tray for the bedding so only a thin layer can be places so around 50mm high (roughly). I am looking at trying to keep this as flush with the cage as possible as the cage has two levels and bars so the animals don't catch it when downstairs but also when I remove the tray I don't catch it.

Something similar to this I am trying to achieve:

http://www.johnhopewell.co.uk/content/userfiles/IMG_2654 steel trays for explorer cage.JPG

I have asked the guy who does these but he cant make them in the sizes I need them which is why I am trying to improvise with what I have got.

I hope this clears up some confusion (well the picture anyway).

Thanks

James

 

[SammyInnit]

I have asked the guy who does these but he cant make them in the sizes I need them which is why I am trying to improvise with what I have got.

Something like that is going to be made using proper sheet metal brakes and seam formers. You could do something similar with a flat sheet, decent forming hammer, vice and some pieces of timber but it won't be as neat.

Most sheet metal works buy it in rolls and it's standard widths. 1250/1500mm so that's why it might be a struggle to get it made up in one piece but I can only imagine whatever you want would be big as I've seen things like that made up in excess of 2500mm as I work in ventilation.

Can your friend nor get them made up in two halves and have an over lap somewhere that can be spot welded or riveted?

 

[JohnD]

Do you mean something like these:

No, I mean fix it together with nuts and bolts, using nuts which have rounded-off ends as in my picture, and bolts which also have round ends, either roofing bolts

or coach bolts

so you are unlikely to scratch your hands on them.

You would probably have to cut the bolts short, unless you can find very short ones.

I don't do this sort of thing often, so I would probably use metal Angle on any corners, rather than trying to form bends out of one sheet.

I have had a sheet-metal worker make things to order, galvanised is very easy to form and fold because they make air conditioning ducts all the time, stainless is more expensive and harder. I once had a neighbour who formed prototypes in titanium sheet, which is very difficult. He used off-cuts to mend his roof.

 

[foxhole]

Make a pie.