Welding a crankdown icehouse frame?

[redhooks]

I recently aquired an trailer made of 2"x2"x3/16" thick square tubing that we parted out, and are now in the process of welding a frame for a house that will be a 6'x10' rectangle w/ an additional tapered triangle enclosure leading 4'up the tongue(like the rapala houses). I noticed some houses use 2x3" tubing while others use channel or angle iron and am wondering if 2x2 we're using is beefy enough. Anyone build one like this and if so any probs? Thanks

redhooks

[fishin58]

I have heard that angle iron is bad news, esp for a fish house it flexes and bends which would cause more than a couple problems.

[End of the Line]

Channel Iron is cheaper and its fairly rigid, that's why lots of people use it. I have a 8 x 22 with 2x3 3/16 around all the ext and 2x3x1/4 angle in the center area. We used angle because the edge is so narrow it doesnt freeze in like tube will. The house has been jerked around alot over Pine Island at LOW since 1999. Its been fine. I think the your going will be rigid enough for that size house. If your worried about it, think about using light gauge steel tube in the wall and design it to carry some of the stress like a bridge. Thats what we did. Makes the house lighter too.

[hovermn]

From what I've seen looking at different fish houses is that angle iron will bend and buckel. If I can find the pics, I'll post them of one house I saw made from angle. Bad news! I believe that 2x2x3/16" will be fine. 2x3 is better because it gives more side wall to pass the pivot bar through. I just finished modifying my frame from a really lame pivot design (my own) to the stub pivot through the frame design. After drilling the hole for the pivot bar, there's very little side wall in the main frame rails left. This summer, I plan on building a new frame from 2x3x3/16" outter frame and tongue with 2x2x1/8th cross members. The pivot bar will not be a stub, but will be full width to prevent everything from bending in.

Anyway, just my $0.02 I'll see if I can find the pic.

[hovermn]

Found it. I wouldn't want this to happen to my house! Though, it doesn't look like they welded the cross member completely around or finished painting. Shotty work to say the least!

[redhooks]

Thanks for the replies guys-I'm going to sleep easier after hearing that my project isn't underbuilt from the get go, the next one will be 2x3 when I can afford more steel-We put alot work into so far-the whole thing is 2x2 but we are also running 2 strips of 3" channel 3 feet apart up the center and adding channel iron gussets at the bases of all the cross beams. Ideally would like to be able to put double doors on the back and put a 4wheeler inside over the channel iron, hopefully it'll work. Also trying to figure out how to mount the house so that it could be removed if repairs/reinforcements needed, thinking 3/8 welded studs around the frame taht floor and framed walls could be bolted onto. Hope it works and will be done by next year!

redhooks

[hovermn]

My house is bolted to the frame with carriage bolts so that it can be removed with some muscle. One thing that I wish I had done is glued the plywood floor down instead of using self tapping screws. With carpet, it makes it VERY hard to remove that!