Spin welding Water tank

[UtahGreaseMonkey]

When building the mount for the water tank I didn't like that the Feed fitting was on the bottom of the t[img]ank. This trailer is going to see some mild off road and I don't want to rip the fitting out. After going to the local trailer parts store and explaining to the store clerk what i was doing he handed me this fitting and told me that is what I needed. I gave him the deer in the headlight look and said "how do I put this in"? I got no response. After searching and watching several videos, I found this site http://www.spinwelding.com/page9.htm. I decided to give it a try and made a tool out of pvc, and used my trusty router to spin it at 19,000rpms.
It literally took less than 3 seconds before I was scrambling to turn the router off.
I was so excited when I finished the install on this fitting that I was shaking. Being so worried that I would ruin the tank it almost made me sick.
Over all this was a pretty easy process and it went smoothly.

Here are the pictures of the process. Wish I could have gotten a video of it. If I have to do another I am sure to get one done.

[UtahGreaseMonkey]

locating fitting

drilling hole

test fit fitting

tool made from pvc and 1/2" bolt

fitting in tool

router with base removed and tool installed

Area cleaned and set up ready to go, By the way the tank was bar clamped to the trailer frame to keep it from moving


Finished

After the weld was made i held everything in place for about 30 seconds to let things cool a bit before removing router.
My only real worry was the tool coming apart at the speeds it was turned.

[capnTelescope]

Knowing what spin welding is, I thought, "No way." But, ... Way!

Nicely done!

[UtahGreaseMonkey]

Thanks, it was actually easier than I thought it would be.

[tony.latham]

I had no idea.... spinwelding? Huh?



Good grief!

Tony

[aggie79]

Wow! I'd have been shaking too (if I would have mustered up the courage to try it in the first place.)

[H.A.]

Nice job,
Now lets see you friction stirweld aluminum trailer skin !

[UtahGreaseMonkey]

That would be cool. I know I have tried to tig weld aluminum plate a few times and failed miserably.

[angib]

One of the more astonishing welding techniques was on the tubular rear axle of various generations of the Ford Fiesta minicar (not seen in the US but available in Canada). Their hubs were friction-welded to the axle beam but after being heated up by rotation, they were then slowed and stopped in precise alignment with each other - an amazing feat (and one that did have the occasional problem).