Welders? Any welders on this site?

[pantheraba]

My son, Alex, has torn the deck off the back of his house...he and a buddy built a great deck about 8 years ago...strong, big, great until the carpenter bees had their way...he tried all kinds of stuff but they targeted it for some reason. He is going back with steel and concrete...yesterday he fabbed up a gin pole so his Kubota could lift the 700 pound beam to sit on the posts...then tacked it into place once it was all levelled/plumbed, etc. I figured Kyle would like to see what's happening....

 

[pantheraba]

more....lotta work! He didn't like me taking picts of the tacks...said, "you don't show that, just the filled in welds". I might be in trouble...

 

[Tree09]

Atta boy!

 

[flushcut]

Nice Gary!
I made a kindling cracker and a tourch holder for a top of the roll cabs. They always make me nervous when they tip over, not no more.

 

[pantheraba]

Put those old blades to work!

 

[flushcut]

Yep they are heavy and now have a new life. Plus they are the ones that tried to eat a Tpost so a friendly reminder.

 

[lumberjack]

Y’all feel absolutely free to insert the pictures full size, every time, anywhere on the forum.

 

[flushcut]

I was posting from my phone and full size causes problems. But from my computer is fine.
I just fixed it.

 

[lumberjack]

No worries, back in the day there were people complaining about pictures being embedded full size for their slow connection. I was on a slow connection then and wished they were full size. Wanted to make everyone feel welcome to use all the bandwidth, every time

 

[Bart]

Do you have a plan for rust protection for the deck frame? I know one approach is if it starts thick enough it will take way too many years to rust thin enough to worry. I find that welds are rust magnets compared to adjacent metal. On a tube structure like a truck box-rail style frame rust from the inside was the issue. Not a biggie, just curious and conversation.

 

[pigwot]

The fellow who taught me to weld back in the mid 1970s always stressed cleaning every weld off completely (not just slag hammer, but wire wheel and lay into it!). He then finished off with a fish-oil-based Rust-O-Leum primer to lessen the corrosion.

 

[cory]

The Air Force Is Having To Reverse Engineer Parts Of Its Own Stealth Bomber

Twenty-one years after the last Spirit was delivered, the Air Force is working out how to build the exotic spare parts the bomber requires.

www.thedrive.com

 

[flushcut]

It's so secrete not even the manufacturer knows whats up. lol

 

[Tree09]

I could def see that happening

 

[pantheraba]

Working on rewiring my grandfather's old stick welder. I got a new power wire run today and Kyle was right... Had to take out some mice nests from the inside but the internal parts of the welder look okay. The leads are awful... Rotted cracking insulation everywhere.

Kyle, any idea where I might find this type of lead... it has a solid squarish plug on the end. The bolts go through the tap inside the welder and the squarish end at the end of the lead bolts up inside the welder. The cables I find via Amazon or welder supply houses seem to be rounded ends or lugs with a hole in them for bolting through but nothing solid and square like I've got.

 

[pantheraba]

It looks like the reddish/pink round part is full of solder or lead...I suspect that may be how they terminated/insulated the end of the wire...to join the boltable end to the wire end?

 

[pantheraba]

I am looking at getting this to hold welding rods...looks pretty generic to me (but I know squat about welding).

 

[Tree09]

Yeah that's very generic, i would rather get this one. It's only a couple bucks more, but is name brand and will actually work, meaning yes I've seen the cheap holders not work before. Get either a tweco or lenco brand, it's worth the couple more dollars in this case.



The welding lead itself can be bought almost anywhere these days, including online on Amazon if needed. I actually bought mine online (not Amazon but an actual supply store), all 300 feet of it, and the ups driver actually backed up to the wife's jeep and simply rolled the super heavy roll out, blocking her until the neighbors helped out (i was out of town working). I've never seen ends like that, so i would carefully unbolt them and reuse them, or rather replace with what are called tweco quick connects. Have two female ends either on the machine face, or on short chunks of lead, and then quick connects to attach the leads. This way you can add on lead down the road, use it on different machines, and still always keep it as short as possible. It's also easier to pick up afterwards too.

For basic garage use the brand doesn't matter as much, I of course have 2/0 ultraflex lead which costs a bunch more but is very flexible, but you don't need that. If anything you want to make a shorter whip, using say 4 gauge wire to the electrode holder (aka stinger). This way it's really light right by you so it's easier to work with, but the current is being carried by thicker wire. I have my different stingers all on 25 feet whips, makes them a bit long but I'll be able to trim them repeatedly and they will never be too short. Welding lead, like three strand rope, is made with a twist, so it's usually right hand lay requiring clockwise wraps to keep from hockling, biggest pet peeve of mine to date.

I'll grab some pictures tomorrow am if i have time, going on a short road trip tomorrow. You can usually put on a crimp on copper end that has a hole in it, i personally solder most of my connections for better contact, the exception being quick connects and certain electrode holders that are simply bolt on. Then I'll usually tin the copper first, trying my hardest to ensure good corrosion free connections. Don't use electrical solder, just use flux and plumbing solder because you are usually filling a bunch more volume. Heat the fitting up with a torch, and all but pour the solder in there, using a wet rag to protect the rubber lead covering. It'll be ugly, but very secure.

 

[pantheraba]

Thanks!!! I'm glad I found an excuse to stay up late and get to read your input. Thanks for the details. I'll fuss with this more tomorrow...headed to the farm later this week and plan to take Grandaddy's welder back home to his shop.

 

[Tree09]

Something like that.

 

[pantheraba]

Good...that helps.

 

[flushcut]

A scrap metal project and some fiberglass window screen. I made a saw blasting booth that fits over a garbage can weighs about fifteen lbs.
P.S. I don't know what's up with the double pics.

 

[Burnham]

Saw blasting booth? I am ignorant, please help .

 

[Tree09]

Some enclosure to help contain sandblasting media so you can reuse it a few times. Store bought ones usually have rubber arm length gloves built in the front of the cabinet, so you can reach in and work, and the media is directly over the feed chamber, so it is constantly recycled.

Make sure you get some of the stick on window protectors for it before you use it, that way the glass lasts wayyyyyyy longer. Even if it's not the right size it'll cover an area big enough to see in.

 

[flushcut]

Saw blasting booth? I am ignorant, please help .

I am making the screened in enclosure so I can blow out my saws in the shop without getting oily sawdust everywhere in the shop. The cage sits on top of a garbage can and the screens direct the dust into it.
Kyle has the idea but no blasting media just compressed air.