I got through a few more diagonals opposite the cargo door. One of the thing I did was to finish weld the vertical structure opposite the cargo door opening. It was recommended by other builders to do this because it is much easier to weld on the bench, helping minimize distortion. I definately agree! I had cut and fit this together a while ago, but just never finished it.
Before I did weld, I made a mock piece from scrap tubing to determine the tip size that I would need to weld such a deep crotch weld. I was suprized how much heat was necessary to accomplish the weld! I'm glad I did a trial run. Once satisfited with the result of the practice piece, I went ahead and completed the part and it looks good. The weld appearance isn't too bad and the part didn't distort at all. Once that was tacked in place, I put in the diagonals.
