Subject: welding electrical conduit?

From: [email-masked] (Ashley Burns)
Date: 29 Apr 1996 12:29:23 GMT

A project I am doing needs some round tubing. Electrical conduit is very 
cheap compared to other round tubing.  Can the conduit be welded? I think 
the conduit is galvanized.

Thanks..

Ashley Burns
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (James W. Swonger)
Date: 29 Apr 1996 14:59:34 GMT

EMT conduit can be welded; I did a large-ish awning frame using 3/4" 
EMT and a MIG welder. Grind off the galvanization 1" back from the weld
site (I used an angle grinder with coarse sandpaper wheel).

 If you want to make a good fit-up, use a hole saw of the same size
as the tubing to make any cuts that are Tee-fit. A hole saw in a
small drill press works well, and you just go center-to-center for
the right final cut.

 If you smell the zinc fumes you need better ventilation.

 The joints will be unprotected after welding and will want some 
sort of cold galv primer, etc.
-- 
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From: 73744,2077/GO:[email-masked]
Date: 30 Apr 1996 04:51:06 GMT

>the conduit is galvanized.

Ashley,

Electrical Conduit is weldable.  I have used a mig welder to do it several times
for various projects.  There are a number of grades of electrical conduit, namely
EMT, Intermediate, and rigid.  EMT is the light stuff you can find everywhere, 
rigid looks like water pipe.  The problem with welding conduit is that it is galvanized,
so make sure you wear a really good carbon filter mask with plenty of ventilation 
besides that, or else you can easily damage your lungs from the welding fumes.

But it is cheap.

Dave