Welders, welding, and stuff

[icetreye]

TIG is fun as fuck, but also hard as fuck to learn. I would highly recommend it because you can learn about heat control, especially with aluminum.

 

[KarlTyler]

I'm not a welder, I just know enough to get myself into trouble. We have a little Miller maxstar 150 at work that I taught myself to TIG on. It's dual voltage, but we use it on 120. Pretty easy to learn on, only has 1 setting to mess with.

 

[Rockdawg84]

I have a thermalArc 185 inverter 3 process welder that I love. I never use the stick and I haven't had time to learn the tig but it is a great small welder. My buddy who is a structural welder used it and really liked it.

As mentioned before never breath the smoke that comes off a weld. Also never prep your metal with brake cleaner as it will create a gas that will really mess up your lungs permanently.

 

[AssBurns]

I have a thermalArc 185 inverter 3 process welder that I love. I never use the stick and I haven't had time to learn the tig but it is a great small welder. My buddy who is a structural welder used it and really liked it.

As mentioned before never breath the smoke that comes off a weld. Also never prep your metal with brake cleaner as it will create a gas that will really mess up your lungs permanently.

Didn’t know that about brake cleaner. Thanks fir the heads up. Does it have to do with the acetone or something else?

 

[85straight]

I would never even consider using any chemical to clean material before welding, just a good ole grinder

 

[GreenMachine]

Are the cheap harbor frieght welders good for anything?

 

[Dukestaco]

Are the cheap harbor frieght welders good for anything?

Thin sheet metal.

 

[85straight]

Are the cheap harbor frieght welders good for anything?

Thin sheet metal.

I built my sliders with one hahah
I preheated everything before weld out , I’ve bent them to hell but the welds haven’t cracked somehow, would not recommend lol

 

[GreenMachine]

How much does it cost to buy material to build a rear bumper? My father-in-law has a big boy welder and would be interested in starting a project. It’s kind of far from me though but could make it a weekend(Sunday only day off) thing

 

[Itaro]

Didn’t know that about brake cleaner. Thanks fir the heads up. Does it have to do with the acetone or something else?

After some googling, it’s chlorinated cleaners. Look up phosgene gas.


Denatured alcohol sounds like the best solution

 

[97t4r81]

Also on the safety side, always be super careful with galvanized metals. Don’t unless you have to weld or cut with torches. The gas/smoke is cyninide laced and will fuck you up forever. If ya have to , be outside and wear a resperator/mask.

 

[85straight]

^ also stainless. Releases a gas called hexavalent chromium. Google it it’s fun stuff

 

[madtaco461]

Wild didn’t know about the stainless. Glad I haven’t welded it yet.

Actually had to weld galvanized this morning. Hate the crap, but the horse pens are made of it. Had a breeze today so I put the old flux core welder to work.

 

[Dukestaco]

I built my sliders with one hahah
I preheated everything before weld out , I’ve bent them to hell but the welds haven’t cracked somehow, would not recommend lol

Go buy a lotto ticket before your luck runs out. Lol.

 

[Dukestaco]

After some googling, it’s chlorinated cleaners. Look up phosgene gas.


Denatured alcohol sounds like the best solution

Phosgene gas was used in WW1. No bueno. Burns the lungs out then you die slowly and painfully. Ok back to welding stuff.

 

[85straight]

Go buy a lotto ticket before your luck runs out. Lol.

I did a little experiment on my test plates. After heating cross cut the piece and saw penetration was actually decent, I was super surprised actually

 

[Rockdawg84]

Didn’t know that about brake cleaner. Thanks fir the heads up. Does it have to do with the acetone or something else?

check this out

https://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html

 

[97t4r81]

Holy shitake!!! I knew it burns you eyes like satan’s piss, but I never got it hot. ATF and acetone I do heat and quench with. Please memaw I Hope that ain’t as bad, but warning heeded. I will be being more careful with chems. I used to clean bicycle bearings in gas when I was a kid and I grew up in southern La, so I’m certain the cancer is in me

 

[MyNewToy]

I bought one of these about 2 years ago for home projects.https://www.amazon.com/Fabricator-Welding-Machine-W4013802-Gloves/dp/B0786N5H9N It's been a great little home project/armor maker machine. It's a 3 process 115 volt machine but I have only used the MIG with .030 hard wire and 75/25 shielding gas.
I have worked in a structural/ornamental fabrication shop for 18 years and this little machine impressed me. It welds just as good as the big industrial machines we have at the shop it just won't weld but like 5/16 thick plate. If I need to weld something bigger I just do it at the shop
I bought it because it was cheap. the shop I work for bought it to use flux core wire on the job site without gas. It got used for one job and they didn't like the flux core wire so they sold it to me for $400

 

[4WALKER]

have to weld my lower shock mounting stud back on because they dont make that shit anymore and previous owner broke it off. Then going to reinforce the cracked welds on the flatbed after the last froading trip got a little too rough and cracked most of them lol.