The last picture there is just pure sexy.

Great job!

Sorry, I'm late! I was watching the worst movie I've ever seen.

It's not bad at all for a first project. Though, I do think it could use a coat of paint or something. The stark color of sheet metal just screams "unfinished project."

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I mean, the best way around it is to just Tig weld it and you can move around from spot to spot and nothing gets to hot. If you did want to weld it all in one go, just do your proper tack welds and then clamp everything down so it doesn't move. U/rewardsthroway

Did you get your machine for $300? I've debated getting into this and would be open to suggestions.

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Well, the reason they gave isn't the reason I had. Warping wasn't a concern as these are big pieces of 1/8" steel. Time and effort were the bigger concerns.

Btw, if you plan on making more. Cut down on time by using long sheet of steel and cutting the lines just deep enough to bend metal into shape. Then, fold and weld one edge. Good work

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Speak for yourselves. They get into ours even when it's up off the ground and green. We're <50 miles away.

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To do it all the way across, you do it in one pass, and the metal gets really hot and warps as you weld (unless you are very good at welding). The best way around it is to do a short weld, move to a different area far away, do a short weld, move, do a short weld...

There outside of each joint is welded fully. The inside has a handful of long stitch welds. Reason: see above, not going to space.

I have a dumb question because I don't weld. If the stitch welds are so close together why not just do the full way across in the first place? Is it a difficulty thing, expensive, or something else I'm not thinking of? I'd just like to understand is all.

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Not plated, just mill scale. You might be looking at the flux on the metal which kind of looks like burned off zinc .

A grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't!

Hex is best!

This is the absolute bestagon!

It's regular ass mild steel.

I don't think my mixer is big enough.

The original is made from much thinner stuff than this. This is 1/8".

... but, I didn't want to make a cart... I wanted to make huge hexagons.

The original is also made of a weathering steel like corten, so it rusts and then stops rusting. The thickness doesn't matter so much as stopping flexing breaking the outer layer and exposing fresh steel.