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That thing is looking almost like new. Are you going to replace the side window?

I need to put up a sign and do some local advertising and then see what happens.

There is no longer a mouse in the house. I woke up this morning to a scratching sound in the bathroom and there that big mouse was, stuck to a glue trap that I had baited with dog food. Needless to say, I didnt set him free outside but I did give his head a good rap against a steel post. It...

How much flow are you using. 15-20 CFH should be plenty as long as you are not in a strong wind.

I have used them on Liquid Argon tanks to hook up two double flow meters and they work great for that two. Those big chunks of brass are likely a bit of $$ now. Back then the company was paying so it wasnt a big deal.

One regulator will definitely run 2 flowmeters. I used to put them together like that for my TIG welders when I was a welding supervisor. One gauge, one bottle and you had the torch and a purge meter to use. I once had a nice double set up with Smith flowmeters. They were a lot more durable...

You are definitely getting better at aluminum welding. Are you preheating?

Check with your welding supply to see if they will fill them. All my LWS requires is a statement by owner that he owns the bottles. They dont care who has a stamp on them. New bottles are minimum $300 each for 125 CF if larger much more. MY LWS wont sell 240 CF because they cost too much...

Well you did get a good welding machine, capable of making solid and nice looking welds. I have all this nice welding equipment so I have been thinking about advertising my services as a welder /fabricator (I did that as a journeyman and managed a fabrication shop a couple of times in my...

The wife keeps a tray of dry food out for our German Shepherd to snack on whenever he is hungry so I think that is what attracts the mice to the house. They are smart enough to hide close to the door and run in when it is opened. The dog can open the door also to go in and out and they have...

Sure did and she went in and put glue traps all over the closet and bathroom. I have a smart mouse in my shop eating into some Styrofoam packaging. I have put trap and glue traps and failed to catch him. Today I put more glue traps and baited them with some dog food pellets. I placed them...

Come on guys, you havent lived till you have had a rat tickle your balls.

Actually with solid wire you can weld either way without much difference in appearance or fusion when welding in the 1G. I equate the welding with solid wire to TIG welding and it can go either way if necessary, FCAW is more like stick welding and can also go either way. IF going Vertical...

I was doing my morning business on the pot when suddenly something started scratching my privates. Back had been bothering me for several days but man I came off the pot so fast that I didnt even feel any back pain. After I got up, a rather large mouse jumped out of the commode and just sat...

Decreasing the wire feed speed will have the same effect as lowering the amperage when stick welding. If you are burning thru, drop the feed speed down 30-50 IPM and lower the voltage 1 volt. If you can play with the dials while you weld, you can get it tuned in quickly. My Titanium also has...

I guess it could have been the hole size was not accurate, off by a thousandth or so. They are just copper so that should not be an issue

I hear you on the growth factor. I mowed my yard Sunday and looking out my bathroom window this morning, it is 3-4" tall already. Some of the problem could be because I put out 400 # of 13-13-13 fertilizer the same day and it rained Monday all day.

I had that happen one time. Mostly I just arc out the tip but the wire doesnt fuse to the tip. I do take a oxy-acetylene torch tip cleaner to the contact tip sometimes to clean out the carbon build up and that makes it feed much better. I also chuck up the tip in my drill and then sand the end...

Cool! Now what will you do with it?

Same here. I had been using self tapping screw to anchor the T-post to the corner galvanized post but they never held for long. Now that I have welded them, I dont think they will ever move again. I had been wanting to do that for 10 years but didnt have the equipment to remotely weld.

I thought about selling my Titanium 125 since I now have the Titanium 170, but yesterday I use the 125 to weld up some bracing on my corner fence post. It only weighs about 10 # including the MIG gun and all cables. It ran well on about 100 feet of extension cord. I think I will keep it around.

You better rig up a flag stand on that hitch ball to warn of knee knocker situation. I can guarantee that you will hit that several times before your knees get so sore that you remember it is sticking out so far. Even worse, the wife hits it and you will catch hell for that then.

Now put one on the front also. Really handy there when moving a trailer around in tight quarters.

I used my Titanium 125 this morning to weld some braces on my yard fence corner post. I had to stretch out about 100 feet of extension cord but it worked fine. I drove some T-post in the ground at an angle then welded them to the galvanized post. Didnt even have to remove the thin galvanized...

If I were attempting to roll it around with a lot of weight on it, I would make it a 4 wheel stand. I still get goose bumps every time I think about riding those old 3 wheel ATVs that were so unstable with only 3 wheels that the government outlawed them.

I finally got the one roll of Chicago Electric wire to feed and weld but it spatters and sparks a lot. You likely loose 20% minimum of the weld metal due to spatter with that wire. Other than that, it seems to produce a solid weld. The Vulcan wire does much better but none is as good as the...

You guys are so lucky at finding bargains.

I was looking at an Eastwood MIG 175 with spool gun for $549 (good price) but when I saw the weight, I had to pass. Weight was listed at 89 pounds. I would have needed some help just to get it out of the box and onto my cart. I went instead with an inverter machine from HF the Titanium 170 at...

Well the TIG torch can be bought for around $70-100 depending on the model, a flow meter I bought online was $30 and it works well. I think the foot pedal controls are around 100-150 so you can go from there and price a new model that comes with everything .

I keep the spools that I am not using in ziplock plastic bags. One could also put some desiccant in with it . I have no idea how you would keep the spool on the machine from absorbing moisture. I think I read somewhere that the wire is good for about a year after opening the package. I dont...

I know what you mean, I think we could have shop as big as a Walmart and it would eventually fill completely full. I bet Jay Leno's garage is also full. LOL

Hey Guys, Yomax sent me some Welcote .030 flux core wire and it is the best I have used. Low spatter and good penetration. If you can find some, give it a try. I think it is better than the Lincoln NR211. It also produced a really smooth weld bead

I built a 30 x 30 shop to play in but after we got the house built with a 30x 30 double garage, I bought a Kubota RTV and it gets parked in the garage, so my truck took up one bay of my shop. Now I also have a Goldwing motorcycle parked in the other bay so my work space is getting tight also...

I was welding some Titanium once using an IdealArc Lincoln machine. Just playing around my buddy and I bet who could weld the thinnest material. He did weld the coke can thing and then it was my turn. I used the foil from a pack of cigarettes, tacked two pieces of that together. It wasnt...

If my chart is right, 20 gauge is just .032" thick, he is going to need lots of practice to weld that. I tried a piece of thin gauge, dont know what it was, but very thin (it was the case frame of a microwave) and even at 40 amps it disintegrated. The smallest wire I have is 3/32" and I really...

When I used to weld TIG as a pipe welder, I liked to use 3/32" for most of my work. It was easier to sharper than 1/8 " and would carry 150 amps ok without burning. Any thing more than 150 amps, I went to 1/8". The 1/16" stuff was just too small for more than 40-50 amps. Cup size also needs...

I posted some photos in a couple of threads using the Welcote wire in my Titanium 170 Mig . I like it. It welds so smooth with very little spatter and hardly any sparks thrown off like the Vulcan wire does. I was using 19.2 volts and 300 IPM wire speed.

Best said so far. I always say that with a MIG one can put down in 30 seconds what takes 30 minutes to grind out. For the novice, if an experienced person sets the machine, the novice can weld very well, with a little coaching on travel speed, the first time he uses a MIG. Sometimes getting...

Oh, I was using some of Yomax4 Welcote .030 flux wire and it welds really smooth. Almost no spatter and what spatter is very small. That is the best wire I have ran so far.

First weld with the HF Titanium 170. I just did one adjustment from the cover plate for 1/8" it said 200 IPM and I adjusted it up after the first pass to 300 IPM and 19 volts.

After much perusing, I finally took the plunge. I decided to go with another Titanium machine from Harbor Freight, basically because I like the Titanium 125 flux welder so much. I went with the MIG 170 because it can be retrofitted with a spool gun for aluminum if I ever decide I want to try...

I forgot to mention that just before I finished welding the jib on the frame, the rod arced right next to the switch and now the motor just hums. If I cant get the motor to run I can just hang my chainfall on the jib to raise something if needed. No idea what that might be at present since I...

I think the info on the doors of the machines are just an estimate to get you in the ball park, just like other info from books that tell you a certain amperage to run an electrode on. Take them with a grain of salt and then adjust your machine to run smoothly by moving the dials up or down as...

Just came across two "companies" that are supposedly selling Titanium 170 Mig machines (HF). One (INFINE) is listing one for $98 the other one OBOLDO same thing. I know that has got to be a scam of some type since this machine list for over $500 at Harbor Freight and similar machines of off...

I have the same problem with my Airco MigLite 100. The tension wont stay adjusted, too tight and it stutters and then too loose and it birdnests the spool. I need to make something that will hold just enough tension but not tighten up under use.

You are right. I didnt look closely enough at the weight. I just assumed it was 2# like all the other 4" spools. I want to get a MIG welder that will use the 10# spools. Just looking for the right bargain.

I built one too. I couldn't make the deck lift go low enough for what I wanted so I decided to scrap it (I might find a use for the 1/8" plate later) and use the wheels that swivel to go on my welding cart. They replace the HF ones that were a bit on the light side. These have good bearings...

If one side of that breaks under heavy , you could really twist up your FEL. Take the time to put more weld on it before something breaks.

Old mechanics saying, check the simply things first is probably good advice for all of us. My plasma wouldnt light off with the pilot arc but would cut if I got close enough to the metal. Thinking that the HF was going bad at first then maybe I better check the tip and electrode. Sure enough...

Some of the welding with the Titanium 125 Flux core welder. Top photo right side was vertical up over paint on one side and welding to galvanized metal on the other. Flat weld was one pass filling in a 1/4" gap. The left weld that is partially ground off was filling a big gap. I had to...

I did the same thing a few days ago, hooked the wrong ground on a piece I was trying to cut with the plasma. Two more bone headed things: First bone head: Tuesday, I dropped a piece of steel on my new 10 foot whip section of my oxy-acetylene rig. I put on some old hose and didnt know it had...

I got the extensions on the main frame done. I ground down all the welds so it looked a bit neater than just a bunch of patchwork. I had to drill and tap 8 ea. 3/8 x16 bolt holes so I got that done this morning. Knocked off at 11:30 and 93F. Also removed and cleaned the carb on my neighbors...

I just got my new hood from TOOL LOTS.com. I got the carbon fiber looking one (not carbon fiber though) and the lens is really clearer than the HF one. It is really light and has a great headband. I have been welding and plasma cutting with it and it works great.

I got some 7" cutoff wheels from HF and I have to say they are great. I used one up to just under the 4.5" size before it was getting a bit short for the 7" grinder but now it is just right for the 4.5" grinder to take it on down. I got a lot of cuts with it and it didnt chatter and break up...

UPDATE: while at the card game it was decided that we would all take a road trip to Marshal Texas for some business I had to do and neighbors wanted to go along for the ride just to get out of the house for a while. It is 167 miles each way. Got to Marshal at 10:30 and was headed by by 10:45...

This is the machine I would get if I had a budget of 1800 bucks. You can get the machine and the argon bottle, a good supply of tungsten and accessories, plus some MIG wire and still have money left over. Cant get the link to load but just google Eastwood.com for it...

$1800 for a machine just to TIG with is way too much especially for just 180 amps. Lots of good inverter machines that come with the TIG torch, ground clamp, electrode holder (they stick weld also) and flowmeter. All you have to add is TIG wire and Argon gas. You can even get them that do MIG...

Wife interrupted me at 3:30 saying I have a date with the neighbors to go play ROOK. Anyone play that game. It is kind of addictive. We play husbands against the wives so it gets interesting when they lose. I only got one end of the main support done. I am making a 2 x 6 tubing extension...

There is an embedded internet site in that gibberish that takes you to some adult games. Muhammad maybe needs to delete this post.

I am finally modifying my lawnmower lift to fit my Ferris. Years ago I bought this but it was too narrow for any of my mowers. I have some angle iron and now I am in the process of making it wider. The frame needs to b 3" wider on each side then I have to make the platform 3" wider on each...

Did you up the amps? If so how much did it take to smooth out the weld.

I already have it in my house for 10 years. Built my shop a year before my house and got some bargain fluorescent lights (8 foot x 3 bulbs ) for $25 each so that is what went in the shop. I like the 6000 K LED but my neighbor gave me a box of 5000K Cree lights so I have some of those replacing...

Heck, I am shocked at the cost of all welding electrodes and even my LWS carries off brand rods.

No welding today. One of the packages was my new hood but the other one was 4 more LED lights for my shop. SO, Today was LED light installation. I got 5 of the 6 lights installed. I think I will wait on the other one to see which one of my fluorescents lights goes out first then replace that...

It does appear that you are getting better.

You must be close by to me. IT was 97F at 5PM Saturday evening. It cooled off to 93 Sunday at the same time. Today at around 2 Pm it is 90F. It has been cloudy all day so it is holding down the temps a bit.

Just bite the bullet and run a 220 volt 50 amp circuit and you can then run anything you want off of it. Use a double pole breaker and you only need 2 slots for the breaker.

I was going to make one of the port a band stands but after looking closely at my saw, it doesnt have a trigger lock and I think it would just be a PIA to lock it with a tie rap or something every time I wanted to use it.

I have to go to the post office and pick up a couple of packages this morning. One of them is my new welding helmet. Anxious to see how well it works and if there is any real difference in clarity from the HF hoods. Claim is 1/1/1/1 clarity (what ever that means) and Tru-color LED.

I did finally find some Lincoln NR211 and it was cheaper $13.99 for 2# vs $19.99 at HF)than the Vulcan wire, same as the Inweld at my local welding supply. Some places really try to gouge folks on wire. I saw an Amazon add for FCAW wire for $30. I clicked on it thinking it must be a large...

I do all my heavy lifting with the FEL on my tractor. But if you have a large tree with a large horizontal limb, that is best to hang your chain hoist from. It would take a lot of material to build a 4 post gantry but it wouldnt have to be super heavy material just to lift a boat engine...

Next cool morning, I will make some sample runs with my Titanium 125 using HF Chicago electric wire, some INWELD, some Vulcan and Lincoln NR211 for comparison. I dont have a GoPro camera to video it but maybe some still shots will work a little bit.

I know this defeats your welding but sometimes if you can get to both sides of a rivet, the best way to fix a leaker is just beat it with a hammer a few time while using a heavy object as a backer on the opposite side.

I think the liquid bath is still the way to go for most parts. With the gel it would be a one time use and gone. You can make a dip tank and reuse the liquid many times

I finally found some Lincoln NR-211 wire at of all places Atwoods, a farm and ranch supply. Looks like they may be an authorized Lincoln dealer since they had Lincoln welding machines also. What was amazing, the Lincoln wire was $13.99 for 2# spool. A brand I had never heard of (Started with...

Wow lots of adapters needed. Mine came with one, 3 prong flat 220 v to 2 prong flat with ground pin for 110v. Is your 20 amp plug a twist lock. I didnt know there was a difference in 15 and 20 amp plugs. 30 amp is different like campers use.

I didnt know that they made a gel. Have to try that if I can find it.

Just like most electronic stuff, all made by the same company.

I noticed that my old HF hood looks like it has water between the lens covers. I guess that would be a good one to experiment on. My TOOLLOTS hood looks like it should be delivered today. UPS transferred it to USPS yesterday so maybe they will deliver it today. I have one of the COLD HEAT...

My always says that bad things come in sets of 3.

Do you mean .023 wire?

The only reason I see to run on 110 is if you are too far from 220 and can run 110 extension cord to the work but then you are still limited to half the rated thickness of the machine, maybe 3/16-1/4" max. Even in remote areas, many machines are ok to run on generators. Just need a little...

Good to know, I thought all the MIG contact tips were the same size.

If your parts are small enough, make an immersion tank filled with Evapo-Rust. It is safe for handling bare handed and can be used and reused many times. Blow dry and paint immediately if you are on the gulf coast. Rust bloom can happen there in 15 minutes, I have seen it happen that quickly...

In case you are wondering why just 4", that is the width of my scrap plate that I had.

I did some mods to my carts. The top photo is a HF $39 cart that I added some additional roll ups to and added 4" side panels on the top . The bottom is the one I built from scrap, pardon, repurposed materials. Mostly from a go-cart ROPS top. I added the 4" wings to the front of the top and...

I saw some at Walmart that looked just like the Harbor Freight stands and havent seen any recalls on them. Probably should be though.

It is all about the Benjamins. The gov'ment cant let one dollar stay in the pockets of it's citizens, they have to take it all. We could fire 9 out of 10 government employees and never see any change in services. That is because 9 out of 10 dont do any work anyway, it is the one doing the...

Is that just a 120volt machine. Will it not run on 220? My Everlast 206 runs on both. It will only go to 25 amps on 120 (self limiting) and the cut shows it. I am thinking that it and yours likely senses the voltage not the available amps at the breaker. I am curious to see if you can get...

You got your taxes then they tax the tax. I heard one guy that had to get the permit from the county but had to get all his neighbor to sign off on the application before it was approved. One bad neighbor and you are screwed.

A little Coleman hand held propane torch would work wonders on that thin aluminum and wouldnt be too intrusive for your work space.

I live in the country and we get once a week pickup, each day is a different route for the garbage man so I am not sure where all he goes and when. But, no one throws away steel around here, they recycle it along with copper and aluminum if they dont hoard it like me.

Does it have the built in compressor or did you decide to go with an outboard compressor?

Further to this question, if you just want to TIG steel and its alloys any DC welder will do that. If you want pedal control that is going to set you back a lot of bucks for the machine with that which you can do without and just use a touch off torch. For cheapest option, you need to go...

Got any more progress photos Aczlan? How did the straightening go? I had to do a little straightening on my FEL bucket. IT was bowed in the middle a bit. I just set it on a piece of 4x4 steel, lowered the FEL till the front wheels were off the ground then heated a diamond shape at the center...

It sounds like you are using a remote control pedal, so What are you setting the machine amperage to. For best control using a foot pedal, set the machine at the highest amps that you think you may need< NOT the max on the machine. The pedal will give you 0-100% of what is on the machine, so...

I took your advice and checked out my tap and die set. FYI after I opened up the tape and dumped all of them out, there was only 2 odd ball tips that were long threads and they were both 1/4"x20 threads the other 6 fit perfectly. Unlucky me, out of 8, I pulled one of the two for checking...

By the way, when we bought our "farm " as everyone calls it (11.29 acres) the first thing that got build was my shop. A year later we started on building the house.; Here is a photo of my shop taken from my front door right after a light snow. Light snow is all we ever get here.

I have to agree somewhat although two of my 5 kids are really into fixing. My oldest son fixes everything from cars to computers. My middle daughter owns the garage at her house. She does all the fixing, not her husband. For Christmas one year she asked for a scroll saw for her hobby works...

That transom support looks stronger than the original. Lots more support resting on a rib that on the floor as originally fabbed. You must be buying that wire by the 50 roll bundle. That is a lot of welding. Are you still pre-heating ahead of welding?

Just curious, how much did you have to pay for a 150 CF bottle. My 125 CF was $300 plus tax. IIRC the 80 CF bottle were not much cheaper like $270 or thereabout. I didnt price anything larger because the 100 CF is about all I want to be wrestling around. BTW, my LWS calls the 125 a 100 when...

For sure, he spot welded about every 3" then came back and spot welded in center of each. He kept spot welding in this manner till he had a solid weld and not warping. I have never gotten into body work but that seemed pretty easy.

If that is for 4 tires then not a bad price.

The fixing I can do, finding the parts is hard on 10 year old lawnmower. It seems they become obsolete quickly. I bought it and used it one season then bought the Ferris because it was much smoother riding. The Craftsman has about 100 hours on it from use the rest is just setting in the shed...

That and you can build whatever you like without asking for permission. That has some good and bad qualities if you happen to live by a low life that puts up junk, stores junk cars, boats, tractors etc like a guy a few miles from me. Another bought some land and started building a structure...

I was specifically asking about the casters. Did you buy those or make them? I found one old pneumatic tire with plastic rim and aired it up. It set on my fab table for a few minutes and then I heard a cracking sound and a couple seconds later the whole outer rim blew off. Tube and tire are...

I do have a tap and die set. I will see if I have the correct die for my tips. It should be too hard to cut .010 off and rethread.

I live in a HOA neighborhood outside of Houston Texas before I move to Arkansas. I was constantly getting nasty letters from the "inspectors". They actually paid a company to do driveby's. I had my boat in the driveway for a couple of hours to wash it and got a violation letter, Wife got one...

I have done that for large cracks. I also did it with my FCAW welder using some TIG wire as filler. It works pretty good. That gap doesnt look too big that it cant be welded up. You could also make a couple of "dogs" (plate with hole in it welded to both sides of the crack then use a bolt to...

All this makes me want to make something with that 7 or 8' grader blade I picked up at my neighbors. My thought was to bolt it on to my FEL, but my FEL has no holes in it and I dont fancy drilling that many holes on the cutting edge. We have a golf cart trail between my house and my sister-in...

The pneumatic tires likely make for an easy push also. I may look into putting some on my home built like you have if I can find a source for them around here. Not too many places around here. Atwoods and Tractor supply and they dont carry much in the way of tires/axles and swivel joints.

I like that. So very true.

Got the tips today and thanks BUT they dont fit my Titanium FCAW torch either. I mic'd mine and the Chicago Electric ones that you sent. Mine are .234 and those are .244. If anyone has a Chicago Electric MIG welder that uses .244 diameter at the threaded end, let me know and I will send them...

I have my plasma rig on one of the cheap HF carts. I am doing a little modifying to it now adding some additional shelving 4" wide to each side where I can place a few small tools etc when using it.

My wife would not like those at all. She has a phobia about frogs. Cant even stand to see a picture of one.

I watched guy with Project Farm demo several types of flap disc and many of the higher priced ones like DeWalt and Norton actually did no better than the HF ones. The high dollar one lost just as much abrasive as the cheaper ones and didnt remove any more (sometimes less) metal. It would be...

I saw a video of a guy doing that, He cut both pieces holding the cut off wheel at a 45 angle. Then when he pushed them together, they fit tightly.

I usually do the same thing. Fall is the time to change all the oil and grease up all the fittings on my mowers so they are ready for spring. I also put on freshly sharpened blades when I am finished for the season.

Tell me about it. I am mowing about every 5 days now. It is a 3 hour job but I cant do all of it because of so much rain, I have some low areas that still have standing water. It rains just about every day in the afternoon. Sure makes the grass grow well. Also seems like all my stuff is...

Is there really any other place for quality living. The only problem with where I live is unless you are a school teacher or work in Walmart, it isnt much else to do to make a decent living. Lots of low paid service jobs is about it. So lots of retired folks live around me.

Forgot to ask, how much$$$ per tire?

They look aggressive enough to be pretty good in mud also.

Man that is a lot of welders on one cart. I finished building my cart from 100% repurposed (scrap) material I had laying around. I have been contemplating whether to put all my machines (3) on the one or leave the Everlast 206 on a cart by itself. To do that, I would need to do a small...

I hear electric arc welding is not good practice for those with a pacemaker so I guess oxy-fuel is your only choice. It takes longer and is extremely hot, but i suppose just about anything around our homes that can be stick welded can be oxy-fuel welded. I wouldn't try to weld anything more...

I mean touching the contact tip to the metal when welding.

Man you guys are lucky to have such good folks around that want to give you good stuff. Not only do I not have that, around here Craigslist has nothing cheap. People want 200% above market for tools and equipment when/if you can find any for sale. Almost all the industrial grade tools for...

I cant offer much more than what has been posted other than if possible, get some one on one training from a competent welder. 10 minutes of coaching by a professional will be worth more than 10 hours of "practice welding". Sometimes it is just the little things that are holding you back and...

I dont have a high frequency suitable for TIG welding aluminum nor do I have a spool gun. I have very little use for aluminum but I have thought about buying some of that low temp aluminum "solder" that I have seen advertised just for fun in case I need something for a boat repair or something...

I would love to hear from Flybynightwelder on progress of finding what was wrong with his Hobart stick machine. Did he fix it or find a new machine.

I totally agree replace with new metal. There are flame spray build up processes, but they would surely warp the heck out of sheetmetal. They are mostly used for metal shaft repairs that are worn a few thousandth, built up, machine back to original size. There are several videos of this by a...

They should be good, I just checked the price!!! $15.74 each.

What works well for anti-spatter and is super cheap is PAM cooking spray. I bought a can labelled for high temp grills and it works great. Rather short lived but it isnt $40 per can.

I dont think you can get 200 amps out of a 110v inverter welder. I think about 140 is the limit and you likely will trip a 20 amp breaker with that. Many of the small lunch box sized inverters with run 110/220. You have to hook them up to 220v to get the full potential of 200 amps. You will...

The only blue rod I can recall was a high nickel content rod for welding cast iron but they welded really crappy.

Along with a welding machine of your choice, Wire feed or Stick weld (I recommend both if you can afford it)- you can get as exotic as your wallet allows here, you need a good welding table, the bigger the better but make sure it matches your work shop area. No need to get a 4 x 8 table if you...

Use your tractor to put that where you never plan to more it. Sure would be a sturdy mount for just about anything.

When I was just a tyke, my dad had a 2 disc pan plow. After he ran it for a while it was polished to a mirror shine. If I got just the right distance from it when if was facing the sun it was like a 30" magnifying glass. I could set all kinds of things on fire. Great fun for a 5-6 year old.

I worked open shop and we never got double time except holidays if we worked which was rare. So rare that in over 40 years with them I only got it one time when I got called out to do TIG repairs on a bunch of Nickel couplings on Thanksgiving day. I worked 21 hours straight before calling it a...

That is neat hanging on a fence, doesnt create another item to weed eat around like it would if just stuck in the yard.

I have been using the Dewalt 1/8 and 1/4" grinding disc and the 1/8" wears down really fast. Cant complain, they were free from a friend of mine. I do find that the HF cutoff wheels work much better and last much longer on my Dewalt 11,000 rpm grinder than on the HF grinders that only turn...

I have the flux core nozzle on it and have on order the 2 pack but they dont cover the contact tip. I was looking for something like the MIG welder cup that keeps the contact tip covered.

I found this one but at 8.25" diameter, if wont fit on a standard skilsaw. I suppose it would work on a chopsaw. Likely made for the EVO cold cut saw. Price was only $52 and change plus shipping...

I posted this on another thread but I just ordered one of these and will let everyone know how it works when it comes in. Expect at least a week since I didnt op for te $120+ 3 day air rate. Cheapest was $9 so I used that since I have a working helmet...

I just ordered this helmet. I will do a review when it comes in. I took the slow $9 shipping compared to the over $120 for 3 day air , call me cheap. /www.toolots.com/welding-helmet-auto-darkening-sun9b-carbon-fiber-1.html

No idea what original purpose was. Cable looks like 1/8" so might be good for 500 # with a good safety margin if the crimp will hold that is. Hook looks substantial so it will definitely hold more than the cable. I think Piloon might be closest to the right answer.

UPDate: I did get my plasma cutter and my TIG rig plus a bottle of 100% Argon to run it. I just finished my homemade cart to handle my wire feed welders and two bottles if I need them. I originally put swivel wheels on all four corners but it is a bit heavy with bottles on it for the light...

How about some updated photos of you progress?

I need a ceramic cup that will fit my Titanium FCAW rig that will provide some protection from arcing the contact tip. Anyone know where I might find one?

Thanks. The way I arc out the tips, I will need them for sure.

I love my 50 amp plasma cutter, but there are some things that just require an oxy-acetylene torch so I will keep it around also. Also some things cut better with a port-a- band saw like cutting square corners off small square tubing, so lets keep one of those handy also. Sometimes it is just...

I wouldn't want to be without my "chop saw". I would like to convert it to a carbide blade cut off wheel rather than the abrasive. I have a port-a-band but some things just lend themselves to using the chop saw

I just bought some Vulcan tips (about 3/16" diameter)and they screw in fine in my Titanium rig.

I just finished my welding cart made from scrap I had laying around. It turned out pretty good but still not quite right for rolling up all the cables and wires even with 4 post to roll up the cables. It holds 2 or maybe three machines with some mods and two bottles. I think I will need to...

There are several search parameters, click the "advanced search" button for the most parameters to fill in which includes names of post to search.

I will take those if you wont be needing them Mail to: Gary Fowler 1234 Allen Road Bismarck, AR. 71929

Are they not the same size as the Vulcan and Titanium contact tips? My old Airco MIG runs a much smaller diameter threaded end than my HF rig.

My Titanium 125 will occasionally trip my 20 amp breaker (I think twice since I have had it) but I think both times I had my Everlast plasma cutter running (but not cutting)on the same circuit.

After perusing them more, the cheaper ones have the adjustment on the outside of the helmets. Different lens sizes also.

I posted in another thread that I got INWELD wire at my local welding supply cheaper ($13.99) than Vulcan wire at HF ($19.99) for the same GS wire. The INWELD wire works well but welds different. It really sizzles compared to the Vulcan. It sounds more like running a hot 6010 on straight...

The Titanium is the first FCAW welder I have bought. I read a lot of bad press on the Chicago electric brand so I was considering a Hobart 140 when I found this one. A friend visiting helped me do some welding and he said the Titanium welded better than his Hobart with FCAW. He hasnt a bottle...

I just received the HF July catalog and they have the Titanium 125 FCAW machine on sale for $179. I caught mine for $159 which is why I have it, it was just too cheap to pass up but it works fine on the thin stuff and even with multi-passes on the thicker stuff.

All of those screen shots mostly say "best suited" not that it cant be welded over with another pass. I stand by my statement that ALL welding electrodes/wire can be welded using multi-pass. Also all flux-core wire can benefit from a shielding gas for a smoother weld with less spatter. I...

I was back in HF today and the $7.99 was an advertised special on 5356 aluminum spool. It just had the tag underneath the Vulcan wire (had to read the tag closely to see what it was specifying. The Vulcan wire was $19.99. MY LWS charged me $13.99 for the 2# spool of Inweld brand .035.

I have never heard of any welding wire or electrode that is for single pass use. You just have to clean the flux and contaminates off between passes. Welding on a muffler is about the worst case for contaminated welds. First is the galvanized coating that is on them (unless you have a...

I wouldnt mess with the ribs on the sides of the boat unless you want to make them larger with bigger L brackets at the bottom.

Now I can get back to my rolling table for the MIG machine. As someone said, creativity is the mother of invention, also the invention when you live on a fixed income.

Well another project partially finished. I got up at 5am and after coffee and cookies, I headed out to the shop to fix that CV joint. It took about an hour to do and with the 95% humidity, I was soaked. So I called it a day after the first one, filled it back with oil and will get to the...

You could start by placing them in a ziplock bag that you have squeezed all the air out of. Even better if you have some small packs of dessicant to place in the bag with the spool of wire.

I have been raiding my limited scrap pile to build a table for my wire feeder. I had an old ROPS top from a go-cart that my neighbor was throwing away. It has a 1x1 tubing frame so I cut it in halve to make the base and the top shelf for the welding machine. It is bigger than I needed but...

I have taught many people to weld in my lifetime, some OJT and some in college welding classes. In all of them, we started with stick rod 6010/ 7018. Even the structural steel classes that welded on plate, they learned open butt root passes with 6010. Even though structural steel welding...

Having a steady hand and good eyesight is 75 % of making a good weld. The other 25% is getting the machine set which isnt that difficult with a stick welder. The more complicated the machine, the harder it is to set. If you have 10 dials to set before making a weld, chances are you will need...

For folks wanting to learn how to stick 2 pieces of metal together, the way to start is with a DC stick machine. How you get there depends on your budget but inverter machines up to about 160 amps are not too high priced that anyone can afford them. 160 amps is more than you will need to weld...

I tried the Chicago Electric and it refused to feed more than a few inches before freezing in the contact tube. I cleaned the contact tube, tried again and same thing. I put my INWELD spool of wire in and it worked fine. It does seem to weld hotter than the Vulcan wire. It is .035 compared...

Thanks, I do have a Home Depot about 40 miles from me. I might also be able to find something online.

All I can say is that you have plenty of ambition to tackle that project. This should keep you busy through the winter also. May as well start with all new hoses rather than busting one or two every time you use it.

Looks like folks have run out of subject matter to discuss. Little to Nothing new in many days now. As for myself, I have been busy buying stuff like welding rods, clamps, sanding discs, refilled my Acetylene tank and new whip hose for my cutting torch. I made a Habor Freight walk thru and...

I am tempted to check this helmet out. It claims 1/1/1/1 clarity, has replaceable battery and 1/30,000 second response time. Best is that the most expensive one (carbon fiber look) is only $59. The only thing I dont like is that all the shade adjustments are inside the helmet so you have to...

I have never seen rust like that on a tractor. What did they use that one for, loading salt on spreader trucks or something. You have done a great job of restoring it.

Did you not use the free roll of wire that came with the machine? I thought the Vulcan wire that came with mine welded pretty good, lots of sparks and spatter but the weld is good and it burns in well.

I have used all the functions on the Everlast 206 and it welds very good. I picked up a furniture mover at HF today just for the wheels. Caster wheel were $4.99 each for the cheapest ones and the 4 wheel mover dolly was just $10. I will use those to fab a new welding dolly for my little...

Darn, I didnt buy any. I already have 2 spools for 71T-GS and one of hard wire ER70s-2

I was at Harbor Freight this afternoon and I noticed that they didnt have any Chicago Electric wire only Vulcan wire. Looks like they are shifting to a higher quality wire. The Vulcan wire was $7.99 for a 2 # roll of 71T -GS which is the only FCAW wire that they had. That is half what I paid...

Very good info for the welder just starting out and many that have been welding for years but only aware of home/ hobby type welders.

I also got suckered into the HF drill press. The motor doesnt stall but the belt slips even with 1/4" bits. OF course the motor might stall also if the belt would put out just a tiny amount of torque. My battery powered black and decker cheapy drill has more torque but the HF is good for...

That is true but if you never throw away anything, you have no excuse to buy new stuff.

Powder coat seems to work ok till it gets a tiny chip, then the oxidation gets under it and soon you can peel off several square inches of the paint. I like the old fashioned spray on enamel or acrylic but they require a good sandblasted profile and grease free to work well, something that no...

HF still has some of those welders namely the Chicago Electric that are cheap to buy and may or may not work as you want. They also have some more expensive ones that rival the cost of Hobart, Miller and Lincoln. The Vulcan line and the Titanium line are not much cheaper than Hobart and are a...

I just welded up a test plate with my HF Titanium 125 FCAW machine and it worked pretty darn well. It came with Vulcan 71T-GS wire, perhaps it is much better wire than the HF Central Electric brand. I have a spool of that wire I bought when I bought the machine. The Vulcan wire is just about...

I just watched the video posted by MrPrice is Right and the old guy makes a lot of sense with his learning curve diagram. With stick, you have a quick learning curve from flat to where you start up the scale with your ability. It only takes one lesson (if you have a natural ability) to learn...

That was Harbor Freight Vulcan 71T-GS wire that came with the machine. I looked for some Lincoln NR211 at my local welding supply but they only had it in 18# rolls. I still have a roll of Chicago electric to use up. I will see what the difference is between the Vulcan and CE wire. The...

I also am not sure what you are calling black iron. A lot of cast iron drain pipe is "black iron" and wont be welded with a 6010 rod. You might get by with a 7018 if it doesnt crack after welding but a nickel based rod specifically for cast iron is what you would need to use. Regular steel...

The rod you used is not that great of a rod even on thicker metal. Your MIG wire is 70K tensile strength compared to the 6013 of only 60K tensile strength and it is shielded from atmosphere so some oxidation is prevented. Your MIG might have been set at the same amperage but the arc is more...

250 amp Miller AC/DC transformer type and my new Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI stick/TIG/Plasma cutter

All welding was done in vertical position with plate tilted back about 10 degrees.

I had some 1/4" rusty old piece of plate laying around so I cut it into 2 pieces with my plasma cutter and ground a quick bevel then welded it up with the Titanium 125. I ran a down hill root pass then filled it and capped it uphill. #48 is the back side of the open butt root pass which was ran...

My two stick machines 250 amp Miller AC/DC and my new Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI multi-task stick, TIG and Plasma cutter. Also added in my two wire machines: HF Titanium 125 FCAW and my 30 year old Airco MIGLite 100 which I have never hooked up. Gonna try it out soon as I get a bottle of...

So do you need more than 1/25000 of a second for the lens to darken to prevent arc burn? 1 second of exposure to UV light from welding certainly isn't going to burn your eyes. I have been there many times when working as a welder helper and also welding inside a vessel with other welders...

My original auto-dark lens was a SpeedGlas but I stored it with the batteries (it used regular AA or AAA batteries) and they leaked and ruined it. I have been using the HF auto-dark hoods ever since. My first one started taking a couple seconds to darken after non-use for a long period of...

MIG worked for many years welding all kinds of things before pulse control was invented, so I would say that you would be ok to weld anything you wanted without the pulse setting. When pulse first came out they touted that it was great for reducing lack of fusion at the sides. You were...

I dont have any info on that particular machine, but I suspect it is similar to my Everlast 206 SI unit that has a 50 amp plasma, 160 amp DC TIG and 200 Amp stick function. The Everlast has a high frequency start and pilot arc on the plasma and TIG which works great. I have used the plasma and...

I ran almost a full 2 pound spool of wire with my Titanium 125 with only few minutes of stopping and only to re-position or grind/beat to fit something. It was running on the G setting with 7 on the wire feed and it never cut out on the overload. It may only be 35% or less but it sure welds...

Contrary to popular hobbist believe, MIG is not the easiest to be proficient in. It is easiest to make a bead but the bead may not hold much. MIG welders, especially the cheaper ones are famous for producing bad welds that look good but are not well fused at the base. Most if not all...

Excellent precision grinding.

I love my little Kobalt Quiet Air compressor. It is so quiet that you can carry on a normal conversation while standing right beside it. I moved my Craftsman oiless to the outside because it is so loud. I cant recall what I paid for the Kobalt but I think it was less than $200 and it is very...

Thanks for the info. I guess I am one of those that never check them. We dont have to deal with salt corrosion here. I have never seen that part fail on a trailer. The trailers they sell here dont have any grease fitting on them.

TWO Very good reasons not to buy one with built in compressor. It doesnt take much air to run mine.

What did you use to grind those symmetrical joints with. They are almost too neat to be done by hand. Very good by the way.

I wouldnt try to lift too much with that. The boom pole is ok with the stress rod on top, but the rods holding it up look a bit weak and will fold up quit easily. Those need to be substantial in order to lift as much as your tractor 3 PH can lift. Anything less is an accident waiting to happen.

With your small welder, try preheating the piece with what ever torch you have. A propane weed burner is great for preheating a large piece and cheap to buy and use (only needs propane). Also dont try to make a one pass weld, make several small passes of not more than 1/4" wide. Any equipment...

While repairing, weld up all those stripped out holes too.

If it is shaped right and welded smoothly, it will look factory. Do the other side to match. If you just put it on the top, then make it a long oval shaped patch with long sides in the middle of the crack. 1/8" thick patch will really strengthen it up. Most transom corners have an L shaped...

When you pull the trigger (not welding) and run the wire speed dial up and down, does the wire speed up and slow down. If so, then the machine is likely working ok. I think Yomax has the right idea, turn it up on max then while welding, crank back on the wire feed till you get a good sizzle to...

I really like the simplicity of the port-a-band stand.

I wouldn't go to the expense of tri-mix unless what I was welding required it. Heck 75/25 is not cheap so why pay more when you dont get any value (unless you are doing spray arc MIG). I have never tried using straight CO2 but I have heard it works OK on carbon steel but may get some porosity...

According to the Youtube video by ABOM79 (check out his web channel) cast iron machines really well. I have watched him make many items using cast iron and machining it. Aside from that, I think most parts on tractors are cast steel. I have welded on the axle housing on my old Yanmar...

Trailer leaf springs would work really well since they are hardened and some are really thick. A local shop gave me a set a couple days ago that I planned to someday make knives out of them. Just a little sharpening on the point like a chisel plow tooth would work and they are already curved...

Looks pretty good. I am surprised that you could weld over the alumaweld since it has such a low melting point. Even though you "fixed the problem", I would still scab on a reinforcing plate on top of that repair. That is good insurance against a future failure. Maybe use it a bit to assure...

I saw a lot of them used in Canada. When approaching it there would be a sign that said "Texas gate ahead". Funny, I saw lots more of them in Canada than in Texas.

I was pleasantly surprised with my Chinese made Titanium 125 in the smoothness of arc and depth of penetration. What surprised me most is the amount of time it welded without overheating. My friend and I welded almost a whole 2 # spool of wire and it never cut out. My Everlast is Chinese made...

The secret to making uniformly good welds is getting your preheat just right. Too cold and it will be lumpy and not fused at the first few inches. Too hot and it will burn thru on you. Since aluminum doesnt change color as it gets hotter, a good infrared temp gun is a good investment. I plan...

Welcome. Got a question, just let me know, I am always happy to pass along my limited knowledge.

I have too many talents to get one of those awards.

Man, I am retired and only have time for one or two hobbies and then only one at at time. I like to build knives and weld when I have something that breaks. Much of my welding is fixing other peoples things that are broke (all for free of course).

I grew up on a farm that was 20 miles to the nearest small town. I moved to the big city (Houston, Texas) at the age of 24 where I lived of and on (when I wasnt working out of country or out of state)till I retired. Now I live 20 miles to the nearest town but only 4 miles to the first redlight...

I have been gas welding everything that is too thin for a stick weld, so basically if it is less than 3/32" thick, I would gas weld it. That will change now that I got my TIG machine. If the base metal is 1/8" it will be TIG welded. My first construction job was as a welder's helper. I was...

Let me finish the above post. I would use a 3/32" 7018 stick electrode to weld the 10mm rod with. A 20mm (about 3/4") long fillet weld on each side of the rod will hold more than the rod will support. A 6mm (about 1/4" sized) fillet weld is plenty of weld.

Yes you can be weakening the rod by grinding it if you grind past the weld area. You can get plenty of weld metal on a round rod by just welding a fillet down both sides. The round rod naturally forms a weld bevel. A fillet about 2X the diameter of the rod in length (20mm) on both sides of...

When I bought my acreage and built my shop the first thing I bought was a Phoenix dry rod electrode oven. I found a good deal on a #300 capacity one from a shop that was closing. It is well insulated, thermostat controlled and has built in shelves to keep the rods separated by size and alloy...

Looks expensive. How much to rebuild a tandem axle 12K rated load?

I used the Van Sickle red and black on my disk about 9 years ago and it is still in good shape. I just used it straight out of the can without a hardener. It took about a week to dry to a non-tacky finish but it was cool weather in the fall. I brushed it on and it smoothed out nicely. I for...

OR, drill and tap your table to bolt the vise on. Then if you need the entire flat surface, just unbolt it and remove the vise. Personally, I would weld a bracket on to the end of the table to mount the vise then you would still have the whole table free to use. You could build a swing down...

I think I would prefer to use an auxiliary compressor than lug one around with the plasma torch. To cut 1/2" metal, you need a 50 amp machine. It doesnt take a huge compressor to supply the air for plasma cutting. I run mine with my Kobalt quiet air compressor which I think is only 4.5 CFM at...

I got a lot of experience welding alloys while working at a Celanese plant. They had more than any place I have worked. I welded pressure piping with Titanium, Zirconium, Hastelloy, Monel, Carpenter 20, 316 SS, 304 SS, 9%chrome, 5% chrome, 2 1/4 chrome and 1 1/4 chrome along with lots of...

I got a buddy to pick me up a receptacle at my local hardware store. He said they had 6 or more different plugs/ receptacles for welding machines. The one I have wired to my Miller is a 50 amp 4 slot but it accepts a 3 prong 50 amp plug also. It is a little too wide for my Everlast plug...

I have a bit of thick plate that I am going to cut and prep to weld with my 120 volt wire welders. I will use my Titanium 125 and post some pictures if possible. I am a bit curious to see how it turns out myself since I have not used it to weld thick stuff, only 1/8" sheet metal so far and it...

You are totally right about in the hands of a pro BUT, many of these "fabricators" and I use the term very loosely, just hire someone with a hood to weld. NO test, NO quality control and very loosely supervised. THAT is why many times you buy a product and then have to fix all the welds that...

I have a 250 amp Miller stick machine setting in my shop. A friend and I just finished a repair job on my brother in law's bush hog. The welds at the back corners had broken and the sheet metal was bent badly (likely hit a lot of big rocks or stumps) and due to mowing with the bush hog too low...

I got my Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI unboxed today. The 220 V plug is different from my current welding machine (3 prong vs my 4 prong plug) so I have to buy some material to add a new outlet. More later.

I did ask my LWS if they sold 240 CF cylinders and they DONT. One reason is because most folks wouldnt want to pay the $600 cost. The other reason is because many of the commercial end users buy their own bottles and just swap them out so they only have a few that they actually own. My 125 CF...

I did purchase a 125 CF Argon bottle yesterday to run the TIG with but my 220 plug for my welding machine is different from the one that came on my Everlast 206 machine. I have to go to town to find a 3 prong flat plug for it. I Think it is a typical 30 amp plug whereas my welding receptacle...

I too prefer stick to FCAW or even MIG when welding thick stuff. I think it is cheaper and does a better job, less likely to have porosity, cold lap (non-fusion) between beads or between base metals. Also less spatter to clean up compared to FCAW.

For sure, lots of folks call them drills but technically a drill is the bit so you need something to turn it with, a drill motor or if you are into period stuff a brace so you can turn the bit by hand. I sure wouldn't want to drill thru even 1/4" steel with a hand powered drill. Everyone back...

I didnt take photos, but the little Titanium 125 amp FCAW machine from Harbor Freight did a great job on the exhaust pipe on my Kubota. Except for the excess amount of buckshot that it generates, it did a fine job with pretty good penetration and only a couple of blow outs that filled in...

The way you sharpen your tungsten determines how the arc will perform. Sharpened to a blunt point similar to a wedge with something like a 45 angle will produce a wide arc that doesnt penetrate very deeply but spreads the arc over a wide area. Sharpen the tungsten to a needle like point with...

Today the exhaust for my Kubota RTV900 completely broke off right at the flange onto the exhaust manifold. Tomorrow I will look at it and see I need to TIG weld it or use my FCAW machine . If I need to TIG it, I have to go buy a bottle of argon. I will post results later and possibly post...

Just my opinion, but it you filled up a 72x24 with "stuff" , then you need to get rid of some stuff or your "toys" that you seldom use. I have a 30x30 main shop with 12x 30 leanto sheds on each side for my tractors and a 14 x 30 addition for my boat and lawnmowers and I have plenty of room for...

I wonder if I could put one of those blades on my 14" abrasive cutoff saw and more importantly, what would one that size cost. What is the RPM rating on a carbide tipped blade for cutting metal. I used one in the Long Beach welding lab when I taught welding there but it turned really slow...

Take the recommendations with a grain of salt. They are just the starting point for each rod, adjust the welder so that it welds smooth, ties in to both sides but doesnt undercut of produce a lot of splatter. If it is lumpy and not tied in as in your photo, then increase the amps. I would...

I just bought the Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI. It was $629 (on Sale) so a bit more than $500 but it also has a 50 amp plasma torch and it comes with flowmeter, TIG torch and stick electrode holder. According to Mark @everlast they are discontinuing this model in favor of a $150 more expensive...

I got my check yesterday and spend it and more today. I was looking for a Plasma cutter and found and Everlast Super Ultra 206 SI that does plasma, TIG and stick. It has a 50 amp plasma cutter, a 200 amp TIG, 160 amp stick all on 220v or you can run at reduced amps with 120v. I was...

You are basically building a bridge so you need concrete footers and support beams on which to lay your pipe for the top deck. Of course you need a slight ditch underneath to keep everything out of the dirt. I would think that 6" I beams would work fine for the beam supports and 2" schedule 80...

I started learning welding in high school using an old Forney welder that was so noisy you needed ear plugs (of course we didnt have any). Went to college for a year, got a summer job as a welder's helper in 1968 making $2.75 per hour. I never did get back to college, I followed my welding...

Your first photos show lots of black "smoke" after welding, a sure sign that the metal was not cleaned properly. Get a new stainless steel wire brush, dont use it on anything else. Brush well just before welding, wipe down with acetone to remove any oily residue. Pre-heating will do wonders...

Got invite from TBN so I signed up. Later got an email to enter a contest on Welding Site and I won. Thank MC

You need to grind all that weld off and start over. I would be very attentive of that since it holds all the force applied to the bucket. You need to increase the amps by about double and go slower when welding so the puddle flows to each side.

I keep my flux core wire in my rod oven when not in use. I turned the thermostat back a bit from the 300F that I usually keep it back to 275F. I was afraid it would melt the plastic spool.

I also started out welding on the farm with a Lincoln 225 Amp tombstone AC only machine. This was after I had learned welding from experts in pipe welding on a construction job. It welded 7018 but you really had to keep the arc close (and just a few thousandth of an inch too close and it...

If you have never struck an arc in your life, try to get a good welder to give some visual instruction. A little OJT by a competent welder can do wonders for your technique and really shorten the learning curve. If you are doing something wrong, you may never find out what it is just by...

Welding rods are like diesel, stored correctly they last forever. The first thing I got after my welding machine was a Phoenix Dry Rod oven. It will hold 350# of rods if full and has 6 dividers in it to keep the sizes separated. It is only for low hydrogen rods. I keep the thermostat set at...

Forgot to add a chop saw to the convenient items, plus a oxy-acetylene cutting/heating torch and plasma cutting torch.

Basic welder tools will all fit in a 5 gallon bucket. A good AC/DC welding machine(this doesn't go in the 5 gallon bucket), a welding whip at least 10 feet long, half round pipe file for chipping slag, chipping hammer for tight spots that you cant use the file, hand wire brush, welding hood of...

For most home welders, 1/0 cable will be plenty heavy for any welding. Lots of heavy construction will use 4/0 but that is because they may end up with several hundred feet of cable added on. 1/0 will be good for 200 amps x 200 feet or more. I always used #4 welding cable for my electrode...

As for welders, the old transformer machines are probably going to be the cheapest way to get into stick welding. I bought my Miller 250 amp AC/DC machine for $350 ten years ago and it works great. I recently bought one of the HF Titanium FCAW 110V machines that were on sale for $159. I have...

I have been using the HF helmet for 10 years. Now am on my second one, the batteries wont stay charged in the 10 year old one so it has to charge a second or two from the welding arc before it will darken after setting for a week or more. I have had no problems with vision, clarity etc with...

I am also a former pipe welder (worked petro-chem construction) and at 701/2 years old, I can still run a bead but what I used to do with one hand, now takes both hands and a steady rest. I have just started getting together machines for wire feed welding (FCAW and MIG). Just light duty 110...

That is good if you have humps /valleys in the weld. Welding over a lump just increases the size of the irregularity so grinding down any unsightly objects will make the weld look better. You can also remove any slag entrapment in the process. Start clean-finish clean!

I have to disagree on using 7018 in positions other than flat. 7018 is an all position rod and can be used comfortably in vertical and overhead although it does take some adjustment to the amps used. Granted, rods larger than 1/8" are difficult to weld vertical and overhead which is why I dont...

Sometimes the voltage will be a bit different on the high setting which will make a more stable arc (sometimes noticeable, sometimes not). I always like to set the machines on the setting that puts me in the middle of the range selected. For instance if I have a range setting that is 50-125...

I constantly see folks referring to "use stick rods on rusty metal". While a stick rod like 6010 or 6011 will usually weld over rusty or dirty metal, the only real way to weld, regardless of the process is to clean the metal down to bare, shiny metal. Any rust, grease, dirt, etc. is going to...