What do you use for a welder?

[Daren Todd]

Had some bone head cut the oil coolers off from 3 hydraulic submersible water pumps. Been spending the morning while it's cool welding the the oil coolers back on. Of course they torched them off so I've been having to fill as I go. Only stuck it to the table once

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[RCW]

Daren - nice work!

I'm sure not to that level yet!!

 

[Tooljunkie]

Daren, that miller is an awesome welder, thats the one i spec'd for my former place of work. Used it for a couple years,never had an issue with it.other than those "smarter than me" welding on weekends and burning wire into the tip, or changing wire without a clue. I never burned the wire ito the tip,it takes skill to do it with tgat welder.
Upgrade is on my list, and thats what i want.

Nice welds by the way!

 

[RCW]

ToolJunkie and Daren-

I will never have your skills, but I was at a local fabricator's today to pick through their "drops." They had some 16 gauge 304 stainless sheet that was begging to be made into a 16"Wx24"Lx3"D maple sap pan for me.

I wouldn't tackle it right away, but can something like that be made with welded seams as a box? I hear its real tough thinner - 22 ga. is common for fancy maple pans, but maybe 16ga. won't warp as much?

I came away with a couple pieces of 1/8" hot rolled plate- 12 lbs - for $7.50.

 

[Daren Todd]

Tj, We've had that miller for 6 years with out any trouble. We've run about 120lbs of wire through it so far. I've gone through a couple nozzels and couple bags of tips before I got it figured out We had a certified welder up till 6 weeks ago, so now I'm able to play with it more. I would absolutely love to have one at home We're running a 75% argon/25% co2 mix for the gas and .035 wire. Burns really hot so you have to watch it with sheet metal and exhaust systems. It handles the thicker metals with ease

 

[Daren Todd]

Rcw, I have a friend in vermont that makes custom pans for arches and gathering tanks. He tig welds his. He started out making a pan for his arch, and word of mouth got around. Usually does two or three a year. Seen some pics of his work, and it looks just like the store bought ones.
With the real thin metals like thin exhausts and such, I actually do a bunch of tack welds instead of one continuous bead. I'll start with a tack, switch to the opposite side and do another tack. And keep working back and fourth around it so it doesn't get too hot and burn through. If your worried about warping, you can run short beads, and move to a different location, then come back to your previous spot after it cools. You just need to make sure and tie into the previous weld if you want it water tight

 

[ShaunBlake]

DT, someday I may get good enough to imagine how it would be making welds like yours. For now, I'm just happy when some of my spatter can be chipped off, and I can pull my stuck rod free with one yank.

 

[D2Cat]

For anyone who wants to be a better welder, I'd suggest you check into a local high school, jr. college, or tech. school for a night class. Often times one night a week for several weeks. Minimal cost, excellent skill building opportunity.

There's a saying, "Practice makes perfect." That's not necessarily true. PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. If you practice something wrong, you get real good at doing it wrong. Don't overlook the value of a good coach!

I went to a HS that offered no shop classes.

As a young adult I couldn't figure out why everything I owned seemed to break on the weekend. It took a while, but I eventually figured it out. That's when I had time to use what ever it was.

Couldn't ever find someone to weld something on the weekend. I wasn't able to take it to them during the week, 'cause I was at work.... So, slow as I, am I finally got the idea of a class. (Actually, suggested by a neighbor)

I had an old "Buzz Box" that I could stick a rod with. Didn't know what rod to use, or why, or what amperage to set it at. Just guess at everything.

Still got the "Buzz Box", it's really pretty good for what it does. Old, copper wound work horse. Have a Miller LEAD-200 in my farm truck with about 60' of lead and ground, used for repairs and fence building. (I leave there for weight and mobility) Have a HUTH mig in my shop that will take a 30# spool, which I use Argon/Co2 with.

With chopsaw, grinders, plasma cutter, die grinders, drill presses the breakdowns become challenges, not problems.

Go back to school!!!

 

[RCW]

Go back to school!!!

I really thought about it, but then remembered my Graduation Day...

They said "AND DON'T COME BACK!!!!!"

 

[Daren Todd]

I really thought about it, but then remembered my Graduation Day...

They said "AND DON'T COME BACK!!!!!"

I found this thread on another site about common weld issues with a mig welder.

"What not to do!!!"



http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...roubleshooting-having-issues.html#post4176581

 

[RCW]

Well guys, my new Lincoln 210mp went "pop" when my son was running some beads. Unit would not start without tripping the breaker.

Took it back to the local welding supply I bought it from. It is a new model for Lincoln, and first one the local service technician had seen. If there is a rotten apple in the barrel, I will find it.

The technician and I hooked it up, and he diagnosed it as "really bad." The owner immediately brought out a new one from the showroom. The owner said I would leave with a working welder, one way or the other.

It's good dealing with the "local guy" like Chenango Welding Supply, Norwich, New York.

 

[ShaunBlake]

Well guys, my new Lincoln 210mp went "pop"...

It's good dealing with the "local guy" like Chenango Welding Supply, Norwich, New York.

I'm sad for the "pop" and down time, and delighted to hear about your LWS. Wish I were closer, or had such a LWS near me. (I'm sure they are here, just haven't found them yet, but I always prefer to walk into a place and say, "I'm here cuz my friend raved about you.")

Thanks for sharing!

 

[RCW]

Wish I were closer, or had such a LWS near me. (I'm sure they are here, just haven't found them yet)

Shaun -

I'm guessin' anybody that lives in a place "near" Buford, Georgia must have LWS nearby! Sounds like a weldin' town!

Trust me, Oxford, NY (near Norwich, NY) is probably not much like Oxford, England! I like it that way!!

Just pickin' - - I've never travelled much, so I have no idea. Here you need a Passport just to get outta town!!

 

[skeets]

I havent been to or through newyorkastan in years. I wont even back to Alcott to fish any more, I had a right wheel a bearing go bad on the boat trailer ( always carried a set of back ups) and was pulled off the road, just about all buttoned up,,, Some young local popo pulled over and was giving me shyt about my LEFT tire being less than 6 inches from the white side line on the road. He called for back up and it was a real circus for a little bit, untill an older POPO asked me what was going on I told him all he said was OK have a good drive. As I pulled away I looked in the side mirror I saw the old cop talking to the young cop, and I dont know what he was saying but his hands were going a mile a minuet the younger one was just standing there hanging his head. Sooooo I figured if thats what the new POPO's are like I aint goin back

 

[olthumpa]

. . . . . Sooooo I figured if thats what the new POPO's are like I aint goin back

Yup, my son got a ticket for going one, YES, 1 mph over the speed limit. He went to court and the first thing the judge did was to ask everyone that was there because of that officer to please stand up. After everyone was standing, about 1/2 of the people there, and that all charges were dismissed. He told them to give their paperwork to the same officer that issued them the tickets. He was at the back of the court room. The judge then ordered the officer to have written explanations as to why he had written so many tickets for such trivial infractions. This had to be done by the end of the court day, (it was Friday), or he would hold him in contempt of court and would be spending the weekend in jail where he could do the paperwork and be brought before him Monday morning by the sheriff dept to explain himself. I absolutely loved it!

 

[RCW]

Sooooo I figured if thats what the new POPO's are like I aint goin back

Some villages 'round these parts use ticket fines as a way to float the local PD budget - hate that.

 

[Daren Todd]

Some villages 'round these parts use ticket fines as a way to float the local PD budget - hate that.

It's not just around you there's three towns just north of us that you will get pulled over for any little thing out of whack. Not counting the blatent speed traps

 

[olthumpa]

Check out this site.

The National Speed Trap Exchange

Speedtrap.org is the place to find, share, and discuss speed traps.
​

http://www.speedtrap.org/

 

[ShaunBlake]

I havent been to or through newyorkastan in years... I had a right wheel a bearing go bad on the boat trailer ... young local popo pulled over and was giving me shyt about my LEFT tire being less than 6 inches from the white side line on the road...

So, skeets, what welder were you using to replace that wheel bearing?

 

[ShaunBlake]

I'm guessin' anybody that lives in a place "near" Buford, Georgia must have LWS nearby! Sounds like a weldin' town!

Actually, the Buford high school is noted for its athletics -- perennial state champions in football, and often in baseball, basketball, lacrosse <gasp!>, wrestling, and even in women's b-ball and softball. Nobody ever heard of Sugar Hill (which I like) and the questions that come up...

Trust me, Oxford, NY (near Norwich, NY) is probably not much like Oxford, England! I like it that way!!

Trust me, I like it too! It makes my green blood boil when I hear of "new" York, or "new" England, and the outright duplication of "Oxford" really stings.

Just pickin' - - I've never travelled much, so I have no idea. Here you need a Passport just to get outta town!!

So, who issues the passports, and are bribes -- er... political contributions involved?

To get the thread back on track, would you have to request a passport if you wanted to load up your welder and come down to Sugar Hill and help weld up some grapple jaws?