The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed angle strip spot weld

Time to spotweld stainless angle strips on bed sides. Will Harbor Freight spot weld be stout enough for the job, or should find someone with heavy duty spot welder to do it?

Since you are adding non-stock SS angle strips, I wouldn't worry about originality as to how the strips are attached, and I would bolt them on using SS clutch head bolts (because they are so danged cool). One or two of the fender-to-bed bolts already go through the angle strips, reducing the number of new bolts needed. And while you are at it, why not use the SS clutch heads for the bed front-to-bedside bolts.
Spot welding SS leaves a nasty, hard-to-buff-out stain.
One other advantage about bolting the angle strips vs welding them, is that you can adjust them perfectly to fit the bed wood. Welding them in place only gives you one shot to be right.
Carl

If it's a 440V with a deep throat it will work. Spot welded (resistance welding) pieces are supposed to be near same thickness. Two different materials will take different heat/electrode size to "melt". Bigish rivets or bolt it, as said. Carl: Where can you get SS Clutch Hd? BTW, the so called safety screw, one way screw, is called a clutch head also.

Fillingstation.com has a good selection of SS clutch heads. Other venders have them as well if you dig deep into all of them. There seems to have been an increase in their availability in recent years.
Carl

Thanks guys looked at spot welder at harbor freight with a 6" reach, I don't think it will quite work. But wit clutch head in ss think this is the way for my needs. once again thank all..