chassis jig design

[LS1MonteSS]

I'm going to stitch weld my 1/2" x 12" plate to the top of my I-beams.. The welder has to be set higher to penetrate the plate good..

I figure if I put six or eight good tacks around the plate to the I-Beam.. Then start at one end and weld a 1 1/2" to 2" bead.. Then jump to the other end and do the same.. Giving things a reasonable time to cool it should be fine and checking that my top plate isn't bowing.. I'm thinking along the lines that a 1 1/2" to 2" bead then skip 3" or 4" for the next bead things should be fine.. Not something I want to rush into for sure..
The first one I made was based off the same ¾” plywood platform that Art Morrison used, except the did his on the floor and I built mine up on a elevated platform and bolted braces in place to keep things in line during welding.. The 12 point cage and frame I built for the Z24 Cavalier came out fine.. I also foll0owed Art Morrison’s advice and just put good tacks on all the frame joints, then pulled it off the platform and did my welding in locations all over the frame to minimize distortion and warp age… MAN was that A LOT of welding.. I had to mark where I had welded just so I would remember I had done something in that location and weld elsewhere so things wouldn’t warp on me..