Sod's law strikes again.

[Sibling DavidH]

Rant #1:   The participants at the charity are forever breaking the tubular  chairs.  They keep handing me chairs to re-weld, and yesterday I got one that was nearly in bits and needed four separate welds.  In about 28^o of heat - you can either put on thick clothes and sweat or carry on in T-shirt and shorts and risk the spatter.  I got spattered on, in about 4 places.  Yarooogh.   AND I caught a nasty flash and I think I'm going to get a touch of arc-eye.

Rant #2:   Then as soon as I finished, the vacuum cleaner stopped sucking.  All the usual easy places weren't blocked.  It turned out to be right in the base bit at the bottom, deep inside.  13 screws and many odd-shaped bits of plastic had to come off, then by shoving from one end with a garden cane and pulling at the other with long-nosed pliers, I removed about a pint of assorted grunge.  Then I had to reassemble it.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

As much as I am for recycling isn't cheaper to buy new chairs instead of soldering them? (I envy you though, I had some crazy project I've never been able to try because I don't have the tools, the knowledge of soldering nor the space to do so).

As for the vacuum, well,  you fixed it.

[Sibling DavidH]

As much as I am for recycling isn't cheaper to buy new chairs instead of soldering them?

No, that's the problem.  We're already beginning to see these government cuts coming up on us, and every penny will count more than ever.  Fixing a chair might cost, say, 20 to 50 pence depending on how much rod I use (and not counting my time and home electricity).  Anyhow, I love welding most days - just not such *!#@!! awkward jobs in very hot weather.

[Griffin NoName]

How do they break so many chairs? Would different chairs be a solution?

[Sibling DavidH]

It's like kids in a school: they break loads, just by fidgeting and rocking on them.  But even in situations like our village hall, where they are treated properly, the welds eventually start to break on tubular chairs.
But you're right, Griffin, we are looking at getting things like old but servicable wooden kitchen chairs from the charity shops.
We have almost never spent money on new furniture; it's always been beg, borrow or (more or less) steal. Money is for spending on people. And now, as I said, things are already getting a lot tighter.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

As much as I am for recycling isn't cheaper to buy new chairs instead of soldering them?

No, that's the problem.  We're already beginning to see these government cuts coming up on us, and every penny will count more than ever.  Fixing a chair might cost, say, 20 to 50 pence depending on how much rod I use (and not counting my time and home electricity). 

I bet your time is more expensive than the chairs themselves...

[Swatopluk]

A radical solution would be to weld on another tube at the back (or two depending on the design) to prevent the rocking in the first place.
Provided it is this basic type
One could use the pieces of broken ones for that.
It would also say: We are really on our last leg here 

[Griffin NoName]

Or adapt them so a spike shoots out and pierces the sitter in the back if they rock

[Sibling DavidH]

Or adapt them so a spike shoots out and pierces the sitter in the back if they rock

Now there's a thought. 

[Aggie]

One could get really high-tech (and less sadistic) and put some kind of piezoelectric compound inside the tubing that generated a mild electric shock when compressed.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Swato made me think on a single tube chair that would be harder to break:

[Sibling DavidH]

Brilliant, Zono, I wish I could draw like that.  It looks like a cunning idea,  but ours are all various designs of four-leg jobs, not like those.
Here's my poor attempt at a picture, minus seat and back.   The cracks always develop where the transverse bars (blue) are welded to the side sections.  I don't really mind doing them for the charity except yesterday it was so hot and I caught some splatters!

[Lindorm]

Have you thought about welding an extra bar between the blue bars in your drawing, at an angle like a "Z"? Should help with some of the sideway stresses, I believe. Oh, and wear decent PPE the next time, before you set yourself on fire.   

[Bluenose]

If the budget (I know, there isn't one) could run to a little 2 inch flat bar, I would think about welding triangular fillets in the corners to help distribute the load, plus it would strengthen the chairs overall.  I would think just small pieces - you could make two from a 2 inch length cut on the diagonal.   Just a thought.

[Aggie]

Oh, and wear decent PPE the next time, before you set yourself on fire.  

Is Nomex III enough to take care of welding spatters? (probably not, but it's fire-proof and better than nothing, would stop the UV burns, I think).  I may have an old pair of coveralls about that I could send over.  Sizing may leave something to be desired.  It's not the best in hot weather if you are doing active work (i.e. stomping about in the field), but it's lightweight compared to welding gear.

[Sibling DavidH]

Aggie and Lindorm, you are very kind, and both right.  In fact, I've got plenty of thick clothes to keep the spatters off, but decided not to wear them because the weather was so very hot.  The spatters were scarcely life-threatening, but annoying.

As for beefing up the chairs, Bluenose is right about fillets to strengthen them up.  However it wouldn't be worth the considerable labour involved.  So far (TOUCH WOOD, OMFSM DARE I SAY THIS?) I've never had to re-do a joint after once fixing it, but there's a lot of chairs and each has typically four weak points.  The easiest way is to keep fixing one every 3 or 4 weeks until the charity comes up with one of its legendary cadging solutions.     It's not exactly interesting or creative work, but worthwhile.

One thing about this honestly rather minor rant is the way my siblings have taken an interest and offered advice and help.  That has really touched me.  It's why this place is so important to me.