Recent content by Gary Fowler

And you can weld much thinner than 3/16" thick material with 3/32" 7018. 1/8" is easily welded with 3/32 as well as 1/16" if you have a DC machine and a steady hand. It gets a bit hard to strike and hold an arc when you turn it down that low, but it will burn in and hold well at low amps once...

There is nothing on a tractor's FEL that would require more than a 7018 since the steel would likely be A35 plate and equivalent tubing (35.000 tensile strength) so the plate / tubing would break well before even a poor 7018 would let go.

Now you just need a gate to get into the range!!

Here is my first (free) MIG welder that I never used and it never would feed the wire right so it sat for 30 years and now is is setting again. I need to just put it on the road with a free sign on it. It was sold by Airco and I couldnt find any parts for it. It is an old style transformer DC...

Of course you do, they want to sell it as an accessory for 4 times what it cost to make!

That sounds like a good plan. If you taper it at the bottom like a true hopper and widen it at the top by at least a 4 to 1 ratio it should last plenty of time

Yesterday, I fixed the idler wheel on the Craftsman ZTS 6000 and put on a new belt. I have been getting 1/2" x 132" belts for the life of that lawnmower per the spec sheet but the belts always road deep in the pulleys and tended to slip easily regardless of the tension on the belt. I ordered a...

I got the Everlast back late yesterday afternoon (I am definitely saving the packing box this time) and immediately hooked up the leads to try the welder. It works this time and boy is it a hot welder. I started it as 125 amps like most of my 1/8" rods burn at but ended up with it on about 85...

I think all FEL buckets are really thin on the top compared to the sides and bottom. They really arent designed to have a chain hook welded directly to the metal. When I put mine on, I did just like Yomax, I got a piece of 4x4 x 1/4" plate and welded that to the bucket then the chain hook to...

I am not a deer hunter but have noticed that the first good snow really gets them moving. NOW around here, you could die of starvation before the first snow comes but similarly the first good cold front does the same thing. We got two cold fronts just days apart this week and folks are getting...

it is the E71T-11 if I recall correctly in a 10 # spool. It seems to run a bit differently from the Lincoln NR-211 but it is very smooth welding. I havent tried open butt root with it though.

I got out the old TIG torch and hooked it to the Vulcan for repairing my friends luggage rack on his old Honda 300 4x4 and it worked really well. My Miller will stick better but the TIG seemed to be a really smooth arc. So I now have tried it with 6010,7018, 6013, FCAW, MIG and TIG and all...

I spent most of the day cleaning up the shop. My aluminum top on my work table has gotten a lot of paint, grease and other gunk on it so I spent about an hour buffing and grinding out all the impurities on it. Then I decided to refurbish my Craftsman 4" vise. I took it all apart, buffed off...

That was using the Chicago Electric brand that came with the machine. I did use a power brush on it. The Vulcan wire works a lot better with this machine. I really like the Welcote brand that Yomax sent me. The Lincoln NR211 works well also. Not only was it the first time welding with a...

I think I finally have some photos of my test weld that I did with the Titanium 125. First photo is the back side of the root and second is the front. It came out pretty good considering the small amount of prep that I did, the first time I used the machine AND the first time I have welded...

Had to revist this post to see if we can get some progress photos on it. It has been a few months since the last reported work and I hope ACZLAN has had some time to fix that bucket so it is safe to use.

Man, you are a real eager beaver. I put the standard double dose of Stabil Marine in my lawnmower tanks and the one 5 gallon can of gas I keep on hand during the winter. I still need to take the tank from my boat and transfer it to a vehicle for use and do my chainsaw. I did winterize my...

Yes, it is the amps. The 6 volts are huge and heavy with lots of plates and they cost more than a 12volt Marine deep cycle battery and you need twice as many. For golf course use, charging for 4 hours each night would run them all day. I dont think you could get that many miles out of 3 or 4...

That sounds like what my wife said when a caller asked what kind of motorcycle I was selling. She said it was a Yamaha Viagra which caused the buyer to say WHAT. Then she told him it was a Virago. He did end up buying it though.

If you are going to be stubborn and not wear your gloves, DO NOT WEAR ANY JEWELRY on fingers or even necklace. A hot buckshot will stick instantly and it will absolutely make that gold glow red hot instantly. Actually it is a good idea to remove all your jewelry before doing any work around...

I have a 12+ year old 36 volt EZGO cart that we use as secondary transport when the RTV 900 is occupied. I am on the second set of batteries and they need replacing. Since the wife doesnt go far with it, I will replace the 6ea 6 volt batteries with 3 ea 12 volt deep cycle batteries. These...

With a proper lift kit and bar lug tires that cart will be unstoppable. I have seen videos of that same cart going in some spectacular places. I also thing there is a kit to make them into 4WD.

Working on modifying a luggage rack on a 4 wheeler for my friend. We got it all mounting points modified and welded up, got to go back to the shop and bolt it back on (had to remove it to make the welds and put on a primer coat. Still need to build a removable/hinged section above the tool...

I have never seen abbreviation used on any drawing before and I worked construction for 45 years with many different engineering firms doing the design. The size is all they needed to spec since the ASTM spec is given.

One would think that but no, just burn one welding rod and call it good. At least he called prior to just boxing it up and sending it back again.

I agree, a 45 degree angle brace at the outside will hold it up. Those brackets bolted to the ROPS, no matter how tight, will slip and allow the tool box to tilt down.

That is one big cedar tree. They dont grow that big here not even 75 year old trees are half that size.

I hear a few gun discharges from time to time which has got all the deer hunkered down. I havent seen any eyes shining at night in my pasture in a few weeks now although I have seen a doe or two crossing the road in front of me during the daylight hours.

Winter will be along in a couple months but right now it's 80 F here but the trees know winter is coming. Leaves are falling big time even though they have not gotten any fall colors yet. They are just turning brown and falling off, likely because all year it has rained at least once a week...

That black flag with circle denotes it as a field weld with weld all the way around. That is a 2 mm gap with 30 degree bevel on each side of a 1/2" (12.7mm)thick plate with full penetration weld (CJP= complete joint penetration). I cant figure out the 1.83 SWSP but may denote the amount of...

You guys are great. I have 9 years to go before I get in that club. I just hope I can still walk at that age.

I wouldnt think you needed permits or any other "permissions" to replace in kind any electric panel. If you intend to upgrade to more amps then yes as example replacing a 100 amp panel with 200 amp even if you only use 100 amps of the capacity. The box would be capable of adding circuits to...

Sounds like you really beefed it up.

I think he meant that the circuit board had a break that would cut out at high amps but then weld itself back together so it functioned normally at low amps setting. Not to say that the circuit itself was seeing high amps but what it was controlling was seeing the amps. Most circuit boards are...

I would have put a bit of a bevel to both sides of that crack, but if it is holding then it is a good repair. For farm repairs, strong enough to hold without breaking is a good weld regardless of how it looks.

Lighten up on the stick shade to not more than a 10. Actually if you are welding outside, a #9 will work for both processes. I use a shade 10 if I am welding inside and a 9 for outside which may seem backward since it is darker inside. However when outside your pupils are constricted from...

Everlast repair tech called to tell me he found nothing wrong with the machine other than a broken foot on the front cover plate from shipping damage. He did offer to replace the cover plate for the mere sum of $50 to which I declined. Just send me the broken piece back and I will epoxy it...

An HOA in my area is highly unlikely to ever happen. Everything around me is large acreage that I suppose could be turned into a subdivision but is highly unlikely due to the topography. The hills and low areas in all the property limit the number of houses that could be built in most sites...

I have had this machine for a couple months or more but just got around to checking out the stick rod function. It does have a setting for 6010 and one for 7018 so I first tried it with 6010. I set it up for 1/8 and1/4" plate which is what I was welding on. I struck an arc and immediately...

My wife has no clue as to what I have nor how much it cost. I can add all kinds of tools and she cant tell what I have other than "you have a lot of tools, you dont need any more".

You can try outlining the joint seam with soapstone one each side to help identify the edges of the joint. You shouldnt need the lens darker than a shade 10 nor lighter than a shade 9 for MIG, TIG or FC welding. If you are looking into the sun then with your hood up, your pupils are going to...

Great find. I would have taken a chance on that one too. Those B&S engines are known for bad carb issues but are easy and cheap to fix. It is amazing how many folks have now idea about how to replace/repair a carb on a small engine. As you found out, sometimes you get lucky and just need to...

I dont want to get into something full time. An occasional job or two per week would be great to fill my spare time (which isnt that much) and maybe justify all my welding equipment. I bought much of it to repair my broken stuff but I cant recall the last time I broke something BUT my brother...

Well, sold all my equipment and one of my tractors that I wasnt really trying hard to sell but it did need to go since I rarely used it anymore. I also have my fabrication/welding sign up so folks coming by my house can see it.

Does anyone else have a Vulcan welding machine. So far I really like this machine. I have my little Titanium 125 for flux core welding and my Vulcan for MIG,TIG and spool gun welding of aluminum. I also have my oxy-acetylene that I use for brazing and heating. I just need some customers for...

Load tested the loading ramps and they didnt quite hold the weight of my RTV 900 before breaking right in the middle of the weld. Better than when my buddy welded them, they broke when he bounce on it in the middle. I think we need to cut all that off and get some heavier hinge material. Weld...

All those bb's flying everywhere is a good reason to invest in an ARC PIG so I can use my TIG torch and Miller 250 dial arc to weld aluminum. I just need to replenish my disposable income funds a bit. Last month my Mastercard bill was $5K due to some major patio furniture purchases and my...

I put a 2.5 cheater lens in my hood. With that and my tri-focal glasses, I can see pretty good as long as I can get around 12" from the weld. Closer or farther away and it gets a bit out of focus.

The 206 is on its way back for another round of repairs. This time they sent a prepaid shipping label. I have asked if they can video the repair/ testing of the unit and let me see what they find prior to shipping it back. I also included the mangled electrode that came back with it so the...

I haven't used a spool gun in 50 years since my days in the army fixing armored personnel carriers but it worked pretty well for the first try. Spot welding would be ok on thin stuff but trying to weld sheet metal takes some real talent.

Got out my spool gun and my Vulcan OmniPro 220 to repair a broken joint on a folding loading ramp. Per Vulcan program 486 IPM wire feed and 18.5 volts was a bit hot. Turned it down to 18 volts and it tied in great even in the inside joint which we couldnt even clean the dirt off very well...

Well a friend helped me check out the SuperUltra 206 SI upon its return from the repair shop. IT DOESNT WORK!! Not only does it still not stick rod weld, the TIG function works, but just doesnt put more than about 100 amps even if you turn it up to 200. At a normal 100 amps it just will...

That underbead porosity (visible from first photo) is indicative of moisture in the wires flux. You can get the same problems with a 7018 electrode if it is moisture laden. Just for giggles, spool off several feet of the FCAW wire, twist it up to make a larger diameter and then arc it out...

You know the worst thing about wood heat, getting up in the morning to start the fire and freezing your butt of while it heats up the room enough. The other thing is getting the heat from the room where the stove is back to the other rooms. Now if you have a wood fired boiler that uses hot...

When you get my age minus 10 years or so, then cutting and splitting wood is not so enjoyable chore. Buying firewood is cost prohibitive around here for the amount of BTU that it produces. I prefer gas stove for cooking but electric for all other things but the wive hates gas stoves SO we have...

It sounds like you might have a ventilation problem more so than just heating. Propane by itself doesnt create moisture, it comes from the combustion air around it. The fact that your wood stove discharges the burned fuel and combustion air makes it drier. You may have the shop too well...

Well, if you have an American Optical Super Blue Gold Lens, you have a semi-precious item you can sell on ebay for well over $150. I have seen them for up to $400 but I doubt that they sold for that but who knows for sure.

Well I got the SuperUltra 206 SI back from repair and it still wont stick weld. Plasma works ok, TIG somewhat but doesnt seem to adjust the amperage above 75-100 amps. I sent our buddy Mark at Everlast a message about it to see if he can arrange a replacement with a better quality machine (at...

It also has a replaceable battery!

The hood I linked to in the above post claims 1/1/1/1 clarity. So far I have not seen any of the effect shown here so I would say that their claim is accurate.

The welding helmet I bought and linked on another thread works great and the headband is very comfortable. I have to go back and search for the link. Here is the link for my current helmet. It is super light weight plastic but it works great...

Try one of the catalytic propane heaters. They burn much cleaner than a conventional propane burner

Well I got my plasma cutter back from the shop. I had to send the plasma torch with it and I had just put in new electrode and nozzle. It came back with the most screwed up electrode I have ever seen and the nozzle looks like they have been doing about 100 pierce cuts with it. The electrode...

I havent had that experience so far. I made my first welding shop sale yesterday. A lady had an old antique steel slat lawn chair that a couple of the slats were broken. It was all rusted, flaking paint, dirt and who knows what else. The slats were about 2" wide by 1/16" thick and both had...

My previous house (located in a Houston, Texas suburb) had a fireplace and I never used it. It was just an old standard fireplace, didnt have a heat-a-lator insert and it seemed to suck the heat out of the house rather than heat it up. I eventually cut a large piece of plywood and blocked it...

But even ground freight for a 500 or so mile trip could go pack mule in less than 8 days.

A lady is supposed to bring me an old fashioned lawn chair that one of the steel slats has broken. I will attempt to weld it with my Titanium 125 if it is thick enough otherwise I will get out the TIG torch and weld it with that. Her husband just bought $2000 worth of my used implements so I...

I have a mostly inexhaustible supply of heating material called electricity. I gave up on wood many decades ago. I would have natural gas heating if it was available here. I do keep a few propane bottles around to run emergency heat if needed when ice storms hit, which is rare. We were out...

I should have taken my grinder and rounded all the edges on my TLB prior to touch up painting yesterday. Paint just would not stick to the sharp edges. I have never seen a manufacturer smooth the edges of material. I guess too much labor and materials to do that and no return on investment.

I wonder if the new Bronco will have an upgraded axle?

Being able to pick up discarded items prior to local garbage pick up is nice. Not much of that available here. Houses are too far apart to be cost effective plus majority of folks around me are not that well off with many being retired and living on social security benefits.

Man this thread on TBN has really heated up, it is up to 8 pages and counting. Everlast must have gotten the slowest shipping rate possible. According to their records it shipped out around Sept 30 but as we all know, when they print out the shipping label for UPS, it is shipped. I think it...

I too have seen much of HF stuff continually going up in price to where some of the better known brands are not that far off from the HF premium brands. I have to say though that my new Earthquake 20v 1/2" impact gun does put out some heavy duty torque. I have no way to officially test it, So...

My buddy and I experiment with the Vulcan a bit using the program setting and then cranking it up a lot but it never ran more than 120 amps at 490 IPM and 25 volts with the .025 wire. That setting was extremely hot and if I recall the manual (it is out in the shop so I cant consult it right...

The Titanium 125 cut off briefly but I am not sure it was overheated. It went completely dead, no overheat light just dead. It came back on a few seconds later. I must have bumped the cord(it was plugged into a heavy 20 foot cord. I thought it had tripped the 20 amp breaker but it was good...

The duty cycle on my Titanium is 10% IIRC, but I only caused it to shut down once. A friend was welding some light wall at E6 and then went to heavy wall so I switched to I7(I is the highest setting) and it kicked off after about 30 seconds. It came back in in just a minute or so. It seems...

Scheduled delivery by UPS is Thursday, so looking forward to checking it out. I will sure do more than token welds / cuts this time to make sure it doesnt crap out like it did before. When I got it new, I hooked up the plasma, did maybe a foot of cutting on 3/8" plate, then hooked up the TIG a...

I almost asked the same question but then thought better. It has been 3 weeks + since they received it so I am sure they destroyed my box with all the Styrofoam inserts when they received it to keep down the clutter. Machine likely got an inspection to find the problem then went on a shelf...

After my scorching email to Everlast customer service, they waived the shipping cost so there is that.

l was at HF today and bought a Earthquake XT 24v x 1/2" impact which is supposed to do 1200 FP torque. I stuck it on a 3/4 bolt and hammered it for 5 seconds. I couldnt remove it with a 15" crescent wrench but the impact zipped it right back off. My buddy put a 2 foot cheater on it to get...

I bought this machine based on a lot of good reviews for it but no one has mentioned the "COST" for warranty work when they NEVERLAST.

Anyone want to buy a barely used DONT EVERLAST Plasma cutter / TIG / Stick machine "WITH WARRANTY"

I am not so sure about that. I just got the "bill" for repair. $50 for shipping and $45 packing fee, so that puts me just shy of $160 to repair a warrantied item. Likely could have paid a repair person locally to fix it for less IF they could find a Chinese part number to buy it.