Soil Loading Drawer

Step #2: Weld the vertical support

• Place the vertical support and tack it in multiple places
• Weld the vertical support to the press plate and spacer tube assembly.
• Grind down the welds on the open end of the tube so they are flush with the rest of the tube

Step #3: Tack Sides

• Lay the spacer/press plate assembly down so the press plate is touching the table.
• Align side pieces with spacer and press plate assembly.
• Insure the two are square vertically and horizontally with the spacer, that they are parallel, and that everything is touching the table.
• It helps to use angle iron tacked to your table and the sides, so it insures they are vertically square. This also makes it a bit easier to align everything else. Video Help
• Also, it may help to use paper shims (see between the sides and the tube to properly space them. Video Help
• Tack the sides to the tube on all sides in multiple places except where it is touching the table. Add a few 1" seams to prohibit them from moving.
• Do a few light tacks first, and double check it's still square. If not, grind off the tacks and start over.

Step #4: Tack the back

Tack the back piece in a few spots, with a 1" seam on each side.

Step #5: Tack Roof, Inner Rails

• Grind off the welds for the back and side pieces so that the entire drawer is flush.
• Flip the drawer over and tack the sides from the top.
• Place the roof and inner rails in their respective places. See Diagram.
• Insure inner rails are perfectly parallel (varying no more than a 16th of an inch) and square throughout the entire length.
• Tack them in multiple places except where they are touching the table.

Step #6: Tack Outer Rails

• Insure they are perfectly parallel; otherwise they will leave the roller guides. Insure they vary no more than 1/16" over the entire length.
• Hint: Use paper shims for this

Step #7: Weld Entire Drawer

• All the seams should be completely welded except the difficult to reach places between the inner and outer rails, those can be welded about 50%.
• Weld short lengths at a time and jump around a lot to minimize warping.
• You may want to grind off the welds in between passes around the drawer to allow it to cool.

Step #8: Grind the entire drawer flush

• There cannot be any outstanding bumps or welds anywhere; the drawer will be sliding in and out of a tight spot and bumps will catch on the frame crossmembers.
• Make sure there's no welding spatter where the rollers will be rolling. Grind any off with a small grinder

Step #9: Check the Rails

• The rails likely got warped outwards on the side with the back while you were welding.
• If they are not still parallel, you will need to pinch them inwards so that they are. You can do so using two C-Clamps.

Step #10: Weld Tongue In place

• Prepare as shown in the diagram
• Weld it to the back of the drawer, insuring it is square and centered