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As always, we would be more than happy to discuss your Metalworks project from the biggest of BIG to the smallest of small.
Contact us today to discuss your Metal Works needs….
4130 steel tubing (chromolly) is one of the most widely used materials in aviation and racing industries because of its weldability and ease of fabrication. 4130 steel is ideal when strong light weight steel tubing is needed. The weldability of 4130 chromolly steel tubing is excellent. 4130 tube is resistant to scaling and oxidation and has a clean, smooth finish both on the outside and inside of the tubing. Fabricators and engineers use 4130 tubing because of its outstanding strength, forgoing mild steel, where a thicker wall must be used to have equivalent strength as the 4130 chromolly steel tubing.
Who uses 4130 Chrome-Moly tubing. Chassis and components of NHRA and IHRA drag racing. NASCAR suspension components. IndyCars, Sprints and other open wheel cars. High end Bicycles, Experimental Aircraft as well as racing snowmobiles use 4130 tubing.
OK, so what is 4130. First let’s quickly understand steel. Merriam-Webster defines steel as commercial iron that contains carbon in any amount up to about 1.7 percent as an essential alloying constituent, is malleable when under suitable conditions, and is distinguished from cast iron by its malleability and lower carbon content. AISI4130 Chrome-Moly is a steel alloy or more simply a mixture of base metals.Chrome is short for Chromium. Moly is short for Molybdenum. “Chrome” and “Moly” are two of the added base metals that add to the alloys strength.
The number ‘4130’ is a code of the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI 4-digit code system) The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) naming system is one of the most widely accepted systems that defines the approximate chemical composition of the steel.
Designations usually consist of a four digit number, but sometimes this extends to five. The first two digits indicate what the major alloying element is, while the last 2 or three indicate the carbon content in hundredths of a percent.
The ‘41’ indicates a low alloy steel containing chromium and molybdenum and the ‘30’ indicates a carbon content of 0.30 percent.Below is a table showing the chemical composition of 4130 Chrome-Moly shown in percentages.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is more commonly known as Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding. Although technically incorrect. Old timers still call in Heliarc due to Helium being used as the shielding gas. Helium is an inert gas and was originally used when TIG was developed during the 1940’s. Helium is still used in specialty applications. Today Argon is the gas of choice, mainly due to cost.
TIG is the most versatile kind of welding there is. You can weld 4130 chromoly, mild steel, stainless steel, tool steel, copper, nickel alloys like inconel and hastelloy, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. TIG welding, is an arc welding process that uses a nonconsumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. The weld area is protected from atmospheric contamination by a shielding gas, and a filler metal is normally used. A constant-current welding power supply produces energy which is conducted across the arc through a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapors known as a plasma. AC current is used for welding Aluminum and Magnesium. DC current is is for most other metals.
The above is an example of a TIG weld on Aluminum. A TIG weld has a very neat appearance and if done correctly should end up shiny. The weld nearly looks as if it were a row of coins.
An example of a copper TIG weld.
This is a complex joint in steel and the result is why I use TIG welding extensively on projects that we do. TIG welding is like playing the guitar, anyone can pick it up and make it work but to be proficient at it you must practice, practice, practice! Got questions? Feel free. I’ll be happy to help.
As always, we would be more than happy to discuss your Metalworks project from the biggest of BIG to the smallest of small.
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AISI 4130 N CHROMIUM MOLYBDENUM (chromolly) STEEL TUBING – Part 2
Kinds of StrengthStrength is the ability of a metal to withstand some kind of force without breaking down. For example a metal can resist failure from pulling, hitting, pressure, repeated bending, twisting or shearing. These strength properties are known as, respectively, tensile strength, impact strength, compressive strength, fatigue strength, torsional strength, and shear strength. In my experience tensile strength is the most commonly “advertised” although not necessarily the most useful.
The minimum Ultimate Tensile Strength for 4130 (Chromoly) Normalized Alloy Steel is 97,200 psi. A513 (alloy 1020-1026) Steel alloy is generally used for DOM tubing. A popular choice for our type of fabrication has a Ultimate Tensile Strength of psi 87,000. Fabricators and engineers use 4130 because they can use a thinner wall thickness tubing to get the required strength. Thinner equals lighter, lighter equals performance.
Posted by Scott LePage at 16:39 0 comments Links to this post
Previously we learned what 4130 N Chromolly is. Next we will answer the question, Why is it such a popular choice? Fabricators and engineers use 4130 tubing because of its outstanding strength, forgoing mild steel, where a thicker wall must be used to have equivalent strength as the 4130 chromolly steel tubing. Simply put it is stronger. “Stronger”? What does that mean?
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As always, we would be more than happy to discuss your Metalworks project from the biggest of BIG to the smallest of small.
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Quarter Midget Race Car Project. Metalworks was contracted to build multiple Custom Designed Quarter Midget Race Cars from scratch. One of the many projects Metalworks has been associated with in the many areas of Motorsports over the years. If you have been following us you have seen that we have been involved in numerous NASCAR projects as well as Motorcycle Racing, Drag Racing, Snowcross & Off Road Racing.
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 1
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 3
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 1
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 2
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 4
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 5
Quarter Midget Chassi Construction TIG Welding 6
As always, we would be more than happy to discuss your Metalworks project from the biggest of BIG to the smallest of small.
Contact us today to discuss your Metal Works needs….
Neon Signage design created for Artist Mark Doepker. Metalworks recently crafted this aluminum signage (TIG welding construction) for a good friend and artist Mark Doepker.
When completed it will be a rotating Neon Sign. This is one of the many different kinds of projects that Metalworks contracts.
Mark will also be having a showing. If you will be in the Charlotte NC area check it out.
Watts Up!
Light Bulb Signage Casing
Light Bulb Signage Casing
Rotating Light Bulb Sign Design
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An example of a copper TIG weld.
The Welding & Metal Fabrication Specialists 