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To avoid warpage to the least amount, double V bevel (bevel equally from both sides) and alternate welding the front and back side of the joint. I would use the 7018 as you get much better ductility than with 60xx series rods. You can use a minimal gap if you grind the back side of the weld...

I like the 7018 also, but, it is very susceptible to porosity if not welded over clean metal. Rust & grease are the worst things to weld over with 7018. 6010/6011 have better compatibility with contaminates without suffering weld quality. As always with any welding process, clean metal is...

I have no doubt that Hobart, Miller and Lincoln to name a few of the big names are great machines and have an adequate service area. However, many folks just use a welder occasionally and dont have deep pockets to afford these $2-4K machines. I use the HF Vulcan OmniPro machine in my welding...

TIG is always 100% argon. MIG can let you experiment with different gas mixtures depending on the wire that you are using and the quality of welds that you can accept. As for back purge gas on stainless, Nitrogen can be used instead of pure argon if you want cheaper option. It is a bit harder...

My first auto dark was a speedglas lens (1990 era)that I inserted into my Hobart welding hood. It got ruined when the batteries leaked in it due to lack of use and My stupidity for not taking out the batteries. After many years of not welding, when I retired and got back into the welding game...

After your confirmation of the name and the 4 mm thickness, I think the OP just has a regular lawnmower, either push type or maybe riding lawnmower. Either way, heating to straighten would just be a temporary fix, good for short term use till new blades can be bought. I have successfully...

Properly heating and cooling carbon steel (mower blades, etc.) has no risk of causing breaking. The biggest change could be lack of hardness if improperly heated and cooled which would make them more susceptible to bending rather than breaking. I am amazed at the number of folks on a welding...

If you aren't completely removing the zinc coating, flux core will be your best choice when using a wire feeder process, regardless of inside or out. It is more forgiving to contaminates in the weld. MIG would just be full of porosity. Of course SMAW is always best when metal is dirty. As...

I dont think that technology will ever be at a price point for hobby welders. There is and has been technology for many decades that work well for us. That is to say MIG and TIG gets the job done for 99.999% of the time. For the other .001% it is much more reasonable to take that work to a...

Big name welding machines are good but not necessarily better welders. Recently Project Farm (check out his Youtube channel for other test also)tested several, Miller, Lincoln, Vulcan, Titanium and Arc Captain to name a few. Vulcan rivalled all the big name ones and did it at about 1/4 if the...

I think, Aussie "slasher" is slang for USA bush hog. Someone correct me if I am wrong. However 4mm thickness is more like the thickness of my lawnmower blades for mowing grass and small weeds only. I wonder why the OP hasnt commented on this.

I am not sure of the term slasher but assume from the size of the blades it is some type of light duty mower. 4mm is a lot too thin for USA bush hog type of mower so I think you have blade similar to a lawn mower. With that assumption, you might be able to put it in a small camp type fire to...

Use a larger cup size also for better gas coverage.

With the price per pound of rods these days, a good rod oven is just about the best investment you can make. Phoenix electrode ovens are top of the line and come in 10#, 50#, 300#(the one I have)and even 900# varieties. I got mine from a shop going out of business for cheap. A 50# oven would...

Yomax is right on as usual. Almost all of the cheap inverter welders and plasma cutters that are reviewed and tested are actually lower in power output than they are rated. Lots of the cheap welders that claim 200 amps actually are less than 150. Plasma rigs are the same. No doubt...

My LWS said they dont sell 240 CF bottle because they cant get them anymore so they save the large cylinders for commercial rentals. This info is from last year during the pandemic so that may have changed by now, but you know everything is still being blamed on Covid.

https://reviewed.usatoday.com/home-outdoors/best-right-now/best-plasma-cutters I wouldn't look at anything less than 40 amp and 50 amp would be supreme. I have an Everlast that I have had for a few years and it works fine but it is much more than $300. Just search the link above to get the top...

That isnt MIG welding. That is called sub-arc welding in the industry. It uses a flux compound similar to what is on a stick electrode. It is very effective for welding thicker materials also since is can use much larger wire diameters. The excess flux can be recycled for reuse.

Did you price the cost of using steel sheet metal?

The RTV weighs approx 2000# dry but add in some options I have and it might go a couple hundred more. Being able to drag it depends much on the soil condition, how much load it has (over 1600 per spec but it will carry and dump much more than that), the type of tires and most importantly, how...

I dont lease, that was the cost to buy if they were selling which they werent. A good thing with my LWS is that they take just about any bottle as trade. They will even hydrotest one that is out of date for a small fee. I would buy all the bottles I could find for $50 each. I did some...

I have seen folks plow snow with their 4 wheelers etc. but I dont think I have ever heard of anyone having to plow moose from their property. Can you show us the plow while attached to the UTV you use to plow the moose?

I think I would add some gussets to the attachment point on the blade. That material is not very thick and not a whole lot of weld onto the steel bar. A 4" triangle gusset on the inside of each bar would insure a firm attachment that wont likely break. I am also a bit curious about the pipe...

The color of your walls and ceiling make a huge difference with reflected light. I left my shop walls (plywood) unpainted to reduce the reflected glare. White walls and ceiling are the worst for reflecting light. As already mentioned, a dark cloth draped over the back of your head/hood is...

I hate to say this what with the cost of steel these days, but, your best bet is sheet metal. It doesn't have to be really thick to do the job. You would still have to be careful melting off large pieces of metal as would happen with an oxy-fuel torch but a plasma torch should be no problem...

I think that was a 2 beer each but only after all the work was finished.

As others have said, clean the control contact points. Rust on the transformer is not a problem. As long as the windings are not burned looking you should have no problem with amperage. You may need to lightly sand the contact points on the adjustment rheostats using some emery cloth (dont...

A few months back, I was going to bite the bullet and get a larger tank from my LWS. They informed me that they would only lease 300 CF tanks due to shortage of stock nationwide. He did give me a price though, $600 for the 300 CF and $300 for 180 CF (YIKES). At those prices, it would be best...

It certainly looks like more machine than the HF Titanium 125 and for $60 less PLUS it is in stock.

In regard to MIG/FCAW vs stick I have to say that each has its place. I was hit with sticker shock yesterday when I bought some 3/32" Lincoln E7018. The cost for a 50# box was $186. In 2009 I purchased a lot of rods when I built my shop for $1 per pound. Now over $3 per pound but still...

I once ran my HF Titanium 125 on over 100 feet of SO extension cord to weld on some fence bracing. It worked fine, so 25 feet of cord that is the same size as feeder wire is nothing.

I forgot to mention that another thing that can cause popping is a loose cutting tip. The seats in the cutting head or tip may be slightly scarred. I have corrected the issue using some fine emery cloth on the seat of both items. After sanding, put the tip in tight but not so tight that you...

I just quit planning projects because you cant get material to do anything unless you want to pay an arm, leg and your first born for it.

Not to be sarcastic or anything, but many farmers where I grew up were pretty good welders. Many of us (me included) would work construction during the winter months for some extra income and some of us were certified pressure piping welders in stick and TIG welding. I practiced the same...

Are you still using a spool gun? Those welds look like TIG welds

I saw the same thing and really thought about replacing my HF Titanium 125 that just quit working. With my 20% discount it would be $169 before tax. But common sense finally prevailed. I havent uses my OmniPro 220 in months now so, why do I need two welders. I did like the 125 for its 11#...

Spec wise, there is no difference in the machines. I would just weld with both and choose the one with the smoothest wire feed / best looking weld. Both brands are good. You might also consider which one has the closest dealer support for parts.

ou will pay more at a LWS but they will maybe let you try on what they have. Likely though, all they will have is premium brands like Miller and Hobart which will likely be in the $400 range. You can get a good helmet in auto-dark for around 25% of that cost if you shop on line.

Well they got you hooked now. I personally wouldnt buy a welder that requires proprietary components but I guess you are stuck with it now.

I think you got to the bottom of the problem. One thing you can do to help relieve that problem is to use a brazing rod and cap the tops of tools that get hammered on with a thick layer of brass to soften the blows so the heads dont mushroom or break. I have a center punch made from a piece...

A cleaner design would have been to just remove the 1.25 bar and weld it directly to the 2" receiver hitch. It would have used up a couple of cutoff wheels getting the plate weld removed, but then it would be much lighter. You could then install the 1.25 in the receiver, for measurement, tack...

That is a good idea for someone who climbs in their truck bed all the time, but I can count the times I have been in my bed on one hand. My hauling in the bed is done on the back 2' (gas cans and occasionally a flat tire and compressed gas bottles). I really only need my truck for towing my...

Actually they were shipped strapped on top of each other and looked pretty good but the side walls were just too soft to stand out like they should. My TLB tires were/are so stiff walled that they dont even flex when they have no air in them unless I fill the FEL with dirt or something. They...

Looks like a real knee knocker. I suspect I would forget having it in place and ram my leg into right off the bat. I can sure see how that would be nice for getting in the bed. I think I would also need a hand rail to hold onto.

Thanks, I tried everything looking for a way to delete.

You can actually buy soft jaws for vises, just order by jaw width. They have "fingers" on each side to bend around the back of the jaw to hold them in place. They can be had with copper or brass base metal.

A strap works fine on my lawnmower tires and I use it all the time, in fact, no other way to make it seat. But this big ATV tire from my Kubota RTV900 just didnt want to seat.

Did that, one first then put two and sprayed with starting fluid. Didnt work. Even after stretching the sidewalls out overnite, nothing worked. The first one I tried after overnite stretching, spraying with a generous dosing of starting fluid with the air hose blowing it, got a good pop and...

Another tire problem was getting my new ATV tires seated. The came off and new ones went on very easily. My tire shop couldnt get them to take air (he didnt have a bead blaster tank). I took them home, got some starting fluid on the way home and tried that, no success, all it would do is...

I guess I need to update this. My front tire on my B26TLB started leaking at the rim and I found a lot of rust. I ordered 2 new tires since the tires are original (2009). I then took it to a local tire shop and they couldnt break the tire off the rim. Even after cutting thru the steel cords...

Sorry , I dont know anything about that unit.

Not sure but V in welding equipment usually just signifies Valve. The O rings that you need are pretty generic for Victor torches. Internet should be your friend when looking for these.

Your breaker should be sized to the smallest wire in the circuit. Check the wire sizes and use a breaker that will trip before the wiring overloads. These old welders have either a button to push or a switch (like a light switch but heavier) to throw. I seem to recall that some of the very...

I dont believe even half of those shows on storage locker. Most folk dont put anything valuable in storage, only odd furniture and stuff that takes a lot of room. Even if they put something valuable, they pay the rent. I suppose there is the occasional guy that dies and has either no family...

I do welding for my neighbors not to make a profit, mostly just to have something to do. I would do it for free but most working class of people would be offended if I didnt charge something. Friday night a neighbor who owns 2 chicken houses (for eggs not meat) came by at 8 PM needing an auger...

I like the hand extension idea and have never thought of doing that, BUT I may do that now. I dont do a lot of weedeating now (I prefer to hire some teenagers to do that) but I do have the same problem with having to stoop so I do see a project in the future. As for tire bead breaker, it...

I think the pay was around $5 per hour plus room and board. Great food out there on the drilling rigs.

Some jobs are just not worth the time. About 50 years ago, I was working on a drilling rig (off shore) fabricating some flow tubes that had lots of rolling 45 degree offsets that I had just finished up on and the rig supt. needed some welding done on a brine tank. I had no rubber boots so had...

Most of it went into repairing my and my neighbor's broken equipment free of charge. I only recall one guy giving me $100 for repairing his broken bush hog frame which was quite a chore. All that rod burning was on my Miller Ideal Arc 250 amp AC/DC machine. I started buying my shop equipment...

AC or AC/DC is your choice but I would opt for a model with infinitely variable amperage settings rather than the Lincoln click 15-20 amps at a change or the Forney pictured that you have to move the lead from step to step. Many times one setting is too cold and the next one up is too hot...

I dont think anyone said it cant be welded, just that it will float out impurities just like in your photos with the porosity showing. Irrigation piping is no big deal if it leaks a bit but if you needed a pressure containment for something like oil or flammable liquids where you absolutely...

My last project was welding up the FEL bucket on my B26. I just noticed that a hole had worn in the back of the bucket from back dragging with the back of the bucket. I used my Vulcan Omni-Pro 220 and welded up the hole. I then decided to reinforce the back corner edge, so I found some...

Finally got my new steel target stand planted in the ground. I had some old 2" pipe someone had given me so I made a U frame to hang some steel targets that I built many years ago. I had mounted them on wood frame that had since rotted / got riddled with bullets and were falling down. I...

The extended warranty wont be much at HF for a $200 machine.

I didnt have good luck with the first Everlast multi process machine. The board went out after about 5 minutes of welding, cost me shipping charges to get it back to them and then they wanted to charge me to return it also. After much arguing the dropped that fee but when I got it back, it was...

I used to buy the HF grinders but now their prices are competitive with name brand (Dewalt) grinders if you get the 11 amp ones. I recently found some Dewalt 4.5" grinders at Atwoods on sale for $59 for the 11 amp ones so I now have 3 of the 4.5 " ones that are replacing my old HF ones that...

Someone copied your design and is now selling them:)

For the inside seats, I have rolled up emery cloth and sanded them down for repairing damaged seats with good success. I really dont understand how they could be rusted though since brass doesnt rust. It it is just corrosion, then some brass polish (Brssso) and and old Tee shirt might do the...

What bpplayer 405 said. Easy to weld, just takes a lot of cleaning to float out the trash in the casting. Welding clean aluminum plate to it will help the process a lot compared to just welding cast to cast.

You need to replace the o-ring seals on the cutting head. That will fix the problem. Your LWS should have them but take your heart medicine first so you dont have a heart attack when they tell you the price of each O-ring.

Good that you figured out a cheap way to modify it and keep it whole. I pretty much just gave away my back blades (2). I can do all I need with the FEL and dont have to hook up to any thing which is handy since the back hoe is always on the tractor.

We usually hit drought conditions around August. One year it rained all of May then just a shower or 2 of less that .1" \ which barely wet the grass from June till October. Water bill was high but we kept the yard green but the pastures were all brown. Cattlemen were hauling hay from Texas to...

I am in south central Arkansas and we have been getting lots of rain this year. This week it has rained every day and night for 5 days and still cloudy and misting rain (flood watch in effect) so the ground is saturated. I have been mowing the high spots between rain showers but the low...

How often do you put 15 gallons of water around each tree? I would think they need that at least weekly or more frequently. I planted 6 new trees this year also. Havent needed to water them at all due to weekly rains (sometimes rain all week).

Where I grew up there was an aluminum boat factory. They used the cheapest labor they could and welding them was the lowest quality welders around. They would train helpers as welders and $5 per hour was top pay. What I am getting at is that welding on thin aluminum is not rocket science and...

How about a console on the right side to mount steering and other controls? Then a couple of pedestal seats. Then it would be like a BassTracker boat .

Man, you could have bought a nice bass boat for what you have in that repair ;)

Try using a bigger rod (3/32 or even 1/8) to soak up the heat a little better. That way you can run hotter to start and then use the rod to cool the puddle.

Aluminum welding is much faster if you have a remote so you can hammer it to start then back off as it heats up and back way off at the end to keep the crater cracks from forming. You can do it with constant current but it takes a long time to get it hot enough to flow and you really have to...

The first thing I would have to build is a boat rotator. to hold the boat on its side. No way could I bend over the gunnels or kneel inside to get all that welded. I can almost feel your pain for this project.

A great retirement job would be one where you could do piecework at your own pace. Building custom widgets that you could contract for so much per piece and do as many or as few as you had time for. That would be a good retirement job assuming the contract rate was satisfactory so you could...

From the amount of post recently, it looks like everyone, myself included, have other things to do than do welding projects. This time of year, unless it is broken, it doesnt get worked on till fall. I just got finished mowing the 6 acre yard with the help of my son in law who is here...

I know about repairing contaminated welds. I once spent 20 hours on Thanksgiving day repairing contaminated seal welds on threaded nickel pipe. Had to grind off all the weld, flush out the alkali salt contamination then reweld all because previous welders were too lazy to unscrew the pipe and...

Ok< what machine did you buy? The cheapest HF machine that I could recommend is the Titanium 125 for FCAW only welding. They were on sale a couple weeks ago for $159 but now back to $199. I cant attest to how long they last though. The one I have worked fine for several rolls of wire and...

You just might be in the aluminum boat repair business full time as soon as word gets around. I can see your proficiency improving in each progressive photo attachment. By the time you get through with your boat, you just might be an aluminum welding guru.

OK, we are talking different penetration definitions. Assuming someone knows how to weld good enough to put in an open root buttweld on a piece of pipe, use your blunt point and run a root pass (if you can without blowing out the side walls). Then sharpen to 30 degree angle and run the same...

As I said, you use your chart and I will use my 50 years of welding experience to determine what tip angle to use for best bead results and arc stability.

My friend had a little more mods to do to his 4 wheeler luggage rack. I again rolled out the Vulcan Omni-pro 220 but this time used the MIG with .030 wire and C25 gas. It worked really well on the thin expanded metal and the light wall tubing. We were using some scrap to make a hinged door to...

Regardless of what that chart says, try putting a root pass in with a blunt tip and you will get no penetration and a very unstable arc. Too sharp a point (needle point 15 degree) just burns off the tungsten though. I usually try for a 30 degree for general use. I never had much use for spot...

What I heard them used for is thawing out water lines. Not much good at that now with them mostly being plastic.

Sorry, I havent even seen one of those since high school days when we had one in the shop class that I took. I could never do much with it at the time though. So I cant be of much help there.

That is a nice machine. I just dont see enough demand for aluminum welding to buy a dedicated machine for it. Since I already have 3 machines that will do TIG (two with HF start) and an aluminum spool gun for the just in case moments, I would need for someone (a paying customer)to come to me...

I have TIG welded for over 50 years and it is you who are reversed in thinking. Try it before you speak up again. The sharper the point the more concentrated the arc therefore more heat to a pinpointed area. For application, the reason you blunt the point on the tungsten when welding aluminum...

Well after all the "advice", how did you weld them and what was the results?

Since the artic blast that produced -14F temps left us, it has been high 60 and low 70s every day. Looks like we are going to have a week or two of spring then go right into summer like we did last year.

Those look like great snow tires. The real test will be after the snow turns to mud to see how well they work then.

Being able to stop up the rivet hole with all that contamination is really an accomplishment.

What TIG machine are you using. Some of your practicing looks like you are running too many amps. Aluminum is slow to heat up and most folks make the mistake of cranking the machine up too high so it heats up quickly like CS or stainless. Just turn it down so it isnt burning thru and let is...

I certainly dont want that. As I told the few clients that I have had, I am just doing it as a favor to the community since we dont have any welding shops here now. I dont charge for my time much just enough to pay for supplies. For this one, I had about 5 minutes of heating with a rose bud...

A guy came by my shop with a broken potato plow (best discription)/ It was an 8" x 1" thick flat bar with a broken foot that was about 2"x1" thick. I beveled it and put a full pen weld on it using my MIG with .030 wire. I then put two stiffeners on each side of the 2" wide bar. The owner...

This is the weird weather time of year. Yesterday it was low of 63 and high of 70F. Today it was 45F pretty much all day long. Next week it may be freezing cold or summer weather, anyone's guess!

If the plate needs to be absolutely flat when finished, CA Bgrwldr has a good way to reduce the warping due to weld contraction. You would need to alternate welding one pass on each side to equalize the stress. Personally, I would not want to manhandle that big plate with each pass and if you...

Same here with the sinuses.

To me, TIG was one of the easiest processes to learn. I passed my first TIG pipe welding test on Nickel alloy (very hard to weld) with only a couple days of practice and that was with absolutely no previous experience welding TIG. Heck, I didnt even know how to set up the rig or sharpen the...

Still no problems here with water pressure. Snow is almost all melted (except in shady spots) and weather is nice at 70F right now as I am writing this. It was a bear Monday thru Wednesday though with -10F lowest I saw reported.

I cant believe the price of welding rods. I bought several hundred pounds when I built my shop about 10 years ago. Now I am down to about 100# of 1/8 E7018 and the same in E6010+ but almost out of 3/32" E 7018. Even buying in 50# cans they are still $150 cheapest price I can find online and...

Any ATF and acetone is best penetrant. Hot paraffin works somewhat but not nearly as well as plain motor oil. Check out the youtube video by "Project Farm" on the subject. I keep some ATF and Acetone in an oil can for penetrant use, also some PB Blaster.

I do know that you can TIG weld aluminum on DC if you use Helium on the torch instead of argon but not so much on really thin aluminum. Perhaps on thicker stuff it may be possible but it is still really hard to keep it clean enough with this process. You dont get the cleaning effect of the AC...

Then we might be serving up some of very rare A-one to the neighbors. Mmmm, grilled A-one, said the cannibal.

What, going to a flea market or garage sale? I have some doubt that those "pickers" on TV get the prices that they quote for the junk that they buy. They likely live off the TV show money.

True, best glue dissolver ever made. Best paint stripper is mosquito repellant but dont get it on plastic or wiring insulation if you dont want it dissolved also.

So far no problems with water. Glad I have a tractor with FEL. Ben using it to clean the parking pad and clear a trail to the shop and chicken pen. It is too much to try to walk thru 20" of snow . Even my German Shepherd has trouble, he has to do it like a dolphin by leaps and bounds in...

Same here, $50 return so far that doesnt cover the cost of welding wire used practicing with the MIG welder and experimenting with different types & brands of wire.

Those $7-10k FIXTURE tables are great if you do a lot , and I mean a very lot, of fabrication that requires jigs for repeatability. I worked construction fabrication shops for many years and we never needed any more than a flat top table that we welded 4x4 angle to each side for laying pipe...

Back to the what are you doing topic. I just finished moving the 20" of snow off my driveway and making a path to my shop and chicken pen. I just couldnt wait for the warm up to melt it all and got tired of the snow melt coming off my Kubota RTV after driving it to the shop and pen each day...

The snow finally let up yesterday with a total of about 20" at my house (actual measurement). Today was the start of a warming trend (35F right now) and very lucky to have had electricity all thru it unlike most of Texas. I have 3 kids in Texas and all have been off and on with electricity...

A Lincoln tombstone AC only machine was what I used on the farm back in the early '70s. NO AC 7018 back then but I still ran them fairly well. I use that machine to build 2 each 40' long x 8' wide trailers that hauled 12.000 pounds of cotton to the gin every fall. They were still in use 20...

That is one thing that I dont miss from living in snow country. Just one winter in Buffalo NY go some rust started on my car fenders. Now my 2007 truck has no rust and even the 2003 Bravada that I gave to my daughter is still pristine. Here in the South, you can actually wear out the engine...

Well guys, it is -9 here in Bismarck, Arkansas this morning with around 10" of snow on the ground and more expected tomorrow. I think we set a record for lowest low and lowest high yesterday and for sure again today. My bird feeder has been getting steady business for the last few weeks and...

Much cheaper is just a light spray with diesel mixed with a bit of oil. It makes everything shine for a while but it isnt waterproof.

Today started out at 6 am with 19F temps and stayed there so far but temps are supposed to start dropping tonight. So far we only had a little bit of sleet and a brief light snowing that lasted about 5 minutes. Got the weather channel on and lots of folks are doing a lot worse. I suspect...

Just stand to the side behind the wings, those should be a good heat deflector.

You might be in a 1% category of folks doing that

So true. Todays youth seem to want to start their careers as a VP rather than work their way up like their mothers and fathers. Not so much instant gratification as Instant Entitlement. What gripes me most it politicians calling SS entitlement, we paid for this and it belongs to us not the...

There you go being practical again. This is a welding site where we all buy $1000 + welding machines to burn 10# of wire a year.

Now place it about 18" higher so I dont have to bend over with my bad back and it would be perfect. (Except for the wood required to fire it, no wood cutting for me)

Those brands are great if you are making pressure vessels, but for my everyday use, the Vulcan wire from HF works well enough. I dont waste money on brand name unless the cheaper brands dont work for me. A few extra sparks from HF wire dont bother me enough that I am willing to spend twice as...

Those are likely to ones that were heat treated after shaping. The metal is already high carbon and hardened, any additional hardening will be too hard and easily break. Test it with a file to see how hard it is before heat treating it again.

I need a back hoe lots of times and it is also my go to tractor. I prefer it so much that I finally sold my 2010 model LS P7010. It had 186 hours on it after 10 years. My B26 has about 700 so you can see which gets used the most. I have about 850 hours on my RTV so it gets used most of all.

Yes and No, the iron powder absorbs moisture that will / can cause hydrogen embrittlement and at best porosity which can be failure point in the weld. Also the moisture accumulation in the flux will cause the wire core to rust which makes them unusable due to the amount of porosity that is...

I have never found a use for a nut splitter. If I can get a torch in to it, I can cut off the nut without damaging the threads, did it a lot with rarely even a knick in the threads. In worst case, a tri-corner file will touch up the threads to good condition.

No place to prop your feet up on the Ti-fighter either. I suspect the wings will get super hot also if you get a roaring fire in it.

Just be careful, it will likely chip easily on the corners and completely break in half if struck too hard. I suspect it is also hollow so if will be very weak.

Just a reminder, only put low hydrogen type rods in an oven. Cellulose covered rods like 6010 should never be placed in an oven, just keep the in a dry area. They actually run better when they have been in 60-70% relative humidity. I have actually had to dunk them in water to make them run...

For small amount users get a 50# Phoenix Dry Rod box with the hermetically sealing lid. Once hot, they use very little power to maintain because they are air tight and well insulated. If you have rods that have been exposed to the weather for long, just leave the lid unsealed (close it but...

I agree, their 40K tensile strength might (read MIGHT) be indicative of the rod's strength but for sure not it's bonding strength to metal. I would like to see some ASME Section IX bend and tension test done on a sample

I have a big concrete saw blade that I will eventually use up making blades. I just have to be in a creative mood to work on knives though.

They are really hard and if you dont overheat the metal when cutting out the shape, they dont require re-hardening. I do keep a bucket of oil around just in case I need to reharden. Just heat up the edge red hot and dip it. Leave the spine of the blade unhardened for flexibility.

I have used lots of CRC products while in the construction trades. Dont see any in the local stores around here. They have very good products though if you can find them. For my area, it is PB blaster for penetrant. I still keep W(ater) D(isplacement)-40 around for use as a solvent mostly to...

I suspect the HF anvil will just be a dull thud when struck, but I could be wrong, It might be a sharp thud.

Is that a homebuilt back hoe? It sure looks to do a fine job.

I suppose you have seen these with hydraulic lift side tables that you roll a piece up on and hydraulic cylinder raises it up. It wouldn't be terribly expensive to make one of those and would sure save the old back for sure.

That is very nice and VERY EXPENSIVE. If in the fabrication business full time, it is a justifiable expense. As for me, I couldnt justify the cost of all the clamps you have. Still, that is a very nice table that will be around long after you are gone. I would put that thing in my will and...

I would put the damper on the front like a wood stove so you can regulate the burn better. Having it blazing like the photo might get it too hot.

Regarding projects for the past few days. NO Welding. I have been helping my neighbor build some insulated boxes to cover his faucets. He just moved a camper onto his 10 acre property, put in 3 faucets (not frost proof) so we were building some 2'x2'x30" high boxes to cover them . It is...

Just be careful, I think those things are cast iron rather than a good anvil that is cast steel. Cast is very hard but brittle so it holds till it wont then you own both pieces.

Dont forgot the #1 reason not to retire in Cali, housing prices. I think if I wanted to be able to visit grandkids that lived there, I would look at the closest joining state (depending on north, south or central Cali location)

I make knife blades out of circular saw blades.

Since I am a cheap skate, I would just put some legs on a tire rim from a 22" heavy truck tire. It isnt as pretty but it works just as well for burning wood outdoors.

I am not sure what the "low temp" welding rods are supposed to be. They are shown joining copper, brass & steel and claim 40K tensile strength (a claim I seriously doubt) and stronger than steel which would be true if they have 40K strength seeing as how mild steel is only 36K tensile...

Now that one looks to do a good job of heat and ambiance but it looks a little overbuild. Is that 1" plate on the wings and 6" box tubing for the struts? WOW.

Looks like you got the low rider look going on. Cant get it any lower that that without smaller tires:)

Did you watch the Project Farm comparison video. Some of the so called low temp rods didnt melt till almost the melting point of the aluminum which really weakened the metal. For the difference in price, the HF rods worked really just as well as the Hobart which was the winner in the...

Really not so nice, did you see the long crack on the tail end of it. With that crack, it isnt worth $50. It might be salvageable by grinding out and welding up that crack, but for that kind of money, I would expect it to be in perfect condition.

I dont think you will find low temp welding rods but I have seen some solder looking stuff advertised on youtube commercials. They show it adhering to brass, copper and steel without flux. However low temp usually mean low strength when talking about joining two pieces of steel. I see that...

I just bought some .025 Vulcan MIG wire and I agree that it does throw lots of sparks but it does feed and weld smooth with my Vulcan OmniPro 220. I needed some to do a repair to a customers lawnmower deck and didnt want to drive to my LWS since HF was a lot closer. Unfortunately all they had...

I have always used my B26 TLB to lift my mowers up to work on them. I can get them as high as I like with it . That Kubota system was OK, but just barely high enough to change out the blades.

I got to work on repairing a commercial grade Kubota zero turn mower deck. The front of the deck had a cracked weld and two of the supports for the front anti-scalping roller were worn thru where the bolt connected. I cut a new piece of hardened plate to weld to each side. It was tough to...

My welding shop has been open for over 6 months. So far I have had 2 customers for $10 each. So far the over $2K in wire feeder, TIG, , Aluminum spool gun, oxy/fuel cutting and plasma cutting, I have only needed my Miller AC/DC stick welding machine for "business". Admittedly, I have not...

Any updates on this trailer/welding table build.

That is neat looking but maybe not so practical for a fire pit. Maybe after the propane tanks gets really hot, it will put off some heat. It seems that fire gazing would only be practical when looking straight on from the one end, but what would I know, I have never seen one in use nor ever...

If you plan to do much TIG welding, go for the 125 minimum size. Even that size will run out quickly. You need 15-20 CFH for the gun to include the pre/post flow so you can see that an 80 CF tank is only going to give you about 4 hours of weld time at most. Unless you live 5 minutes from the...

I still havent gotten around to welding on the hitch. My buddy is in the process of moving his camper under a canopy that he had built. I dug the trenches for water and sewer connections so he could run the pipe. Today I might go backfill the ditches. It has been too windy (and cold) to work...

If it is made of steel, I can copy it but I dont have the imagination to design "art". Good job, I admire your talent.

The whole hitch height, view of the ball is why I like to use my Kubota RTV to move trailers. I have a hitch front and rear and when moving trailers around, so I prefer to use the front ball. Only if I am pulling a trailer a fair piece do I use the rear ball. I have so much more control...

I hadn't considered that the height on top of the box blade might make it to high to get under some trailers. I have to mention that to my friend. The only problem with lowering it to perhaps the middle of the box is that you wont be able to see the ball when hooking up something.

Got a photo of the anvil? Maybe a video of the quality of the anvil (ringing it with a hammer if it will even ring)

Just need it to warm up a bit first. My friend wants a hitch installed on his box blade. We have a couple of options: weld on a receiver hitch or just weld on a non-removable hitch. I think the non-removable hitch would work just as well as the receiver hitch and not require a pin that...

Well so much for the better new year, and I thought Covid was the worst that could happen. I never dreamed of rioting in the capitol building itself.

My wife always loved to go to New York City but I would drive 200 miles out of my way to avoid it. Nothing there for me for sure.

I am trying to recoup from last nights festivities. Rang in the New Year with neighbors and a toast with Dom Perignon Champaign, a total waste of money in my opinion. If you have never tasted it, dont waste your money. I am not a wine fan of any kind, but to me it was no different that a...

It is not you, a hot electrode does run much better than an improperly stored one.

I wouldnt worry about getting the wheels off the ground. The perfect height for a work table is 30". How you get to that height is up to you. See if you can work your tool boxes while setting that high. I would just put corner jacks on the 2 back corners and use the tongue jack to level the...

Using a Teflon liner rather than a wound wire liner will solve that problem. Also using a felt pad with a little bit of Anti-splatter on it to lubricate will assist in cleaning the wire and letting it run smoothly thru the liner. Dont forget to occasionally re-lube the felt.

Hope everyone is enjoying this day to it's fullest. My Christmas wish is that next year will see the end of this pandemic. I think we will have a rough 6 months but hopefully the last part of the year will see us pulling thru. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

I so rarely need a chain on my B26 that I dont have any thing to hold it. When I need a chain, I just drape it between the chain hooks on the FEL and hook it back to itself so it is tight. That works for me. If I need a shovel for example when I am filling up a few potholes in the yard, I...

Heck, I have been doing that for years. All my kids have good jobs and dont need any handouts anyway. I am more concerned for my grandkids welfare which seems to be much harder for them to get started.

You could have the rollers too tight which is causing the "shavings" to break off and accumulate in the liner. Tighten the roller just enough to exert enough pressure that it will bend the wire when it is 2-3" from the tip. Note- make sure there is no ground when doing this test,

When the wire is running at sometimes over 400 IPM then it does take more amps to keep it burning off quickly, but it just keeps coming and no stopping ot change rods which is why it deposits more weld metal per hour than a stick rod. It can weld thinner metal because the arc is not as hot on...

You have the right idea about abruptly terminating the weld arc. Also when starting the arc, strike it a bit ahead of your weld and quickly traverse back to the weld area while shortening your arc to the proper length. Then you will be welding over the arc strike area which should burn out any...

Actually you dont need much more than a slight zigzag weave (not more than 3 times the width of the wire-not the rod diameter including the flux, wire only)technique to run a fillet weld with either 6010 or 7018. If you are running a root pass with a wide gap with 60XX then stepping forward out...

Porosity can be cause by holding the arc too long, rust or other contaminants in the weld and bad rods (moisture in the flux or in severe cases rust on the wire under the flux. Likely your case with start and stop porosity is long arcing or rusty metal (from the photo)

As I put in another post, switch out those 6011 with 6010 for the DC machine and you will get better results and start with clean metal.

It is convenient for sure. I used it to weld some bracing to my chain link fence corner post. In one instance I had to stretch out over 100 feet of cord to reach one corner and that little machine welded perfectly.. It does come with a shoulder strap to carry it but I removed it from mine...

Since that is a DC machine, a 6010 rod will work better in it than a 6011 which is AC rod. Also looks like you for got the #1 rule of welding which is Cleanliness is next to godliness. Clean that steel to bright metal before welding and you will see a 10X better weld. Remember the old trick...

YEP, anvil shippers (and other stuff more than 10 pounds) likely cause much of the damage to other folks goods. I had 2" of styrofoam around my welding machine and it still arrived broken on one corner. It could have been caused by the UPS folks tossing/dropping it onto a corner also since...

I just gave HF some more business. I bought some more cutoff wheels, some wire brushes, a laser thermometer, a 4 foot LED shop light to put over the welding table and the Earthquake 20V 3/8" drive impact gun. I already had the 3/4" and 1/2" drive so this completes my set. I have the adapters...

It only runs FCAW but it runs it well. You have to step up the to Titanium 170 to get MIG/FCAW capability but then it is about $500

l guess if it has a 90 day guarantee , you could smack it with a 16# sledge when you get it. IF it doesnt break, call it good, if it does you can claim it was broken in transit. You know those UPS drivers can break an anvil with the way they handle packages.;)

I wouldn't try to weld more than 1/4" thick plate with it . So far I have only welded up test coupon that is 3/8" thick but just welding fillet welds I have never had the machine overheat with at least half an hour of constant welding. I dont think I would start a trailer manufacturing...

That is a nice machine. I dont do enough TIG welding to justify even the machines I have now.

With 7018 striking the arc is the hardest part, once burning, you can lay the stinger on the table and it will run a nice bead without a hand on it. Restarting a 7018 requires something like trying to drive a tack with the stinger. Just a quick sharp blow to break the melted flux on the end...

I wish I had a good project to do but alas, all are finished at present. No welding customers, no honey-do's, no storm damage to clean up and all the grounds keeping jobs are finished for the present. I did make a start on a new knife but it is on hold for now till the tendonitis in my elbows...

Stick rod welding isnt hard to learn with just a little instruction. I taught welding to hundreds of students and usually could have a beginner who never struck an arc pass a D1.1 structural test in about 6 weeks of 2 hour sessions x 3 times a week. From that we would go to pipe welding and...

It sure pays to shop around today.

I have never used Lincoln 212, only the 211NR. The 212 seems to be the same wire that Harbor Freight sell (ER71TG) so it should work Ok for your needs. I never use .045 wire, only .030 which will weld anything up to 1/4" easily and would likely weld much thicker with a few more passes...

My two welding tables. The top photo is the one my buddy found on the side of the road. It has 1/4" plate on top and 2x2 angle for legs. I added the shelves and the wheels came from Harbor Freight The second photo is of the table I have used for 10 years. It is 2" thick particle board with...

I got a few photos of my shop tables and equipment. First is the table my buddy donated that he found on the side of the road. It took quite a while to remove all the rust, then we added the shelving. Next is the table I have used for 10 years that I got from a department store that was...

If you put 1/4" plate on it, you may as well add some HF swivel rolling locking wheels to it. Nothing beats a rolling table especially one that you can lock the wheels on. On a table that size, only 2 of the wheels need to swivel so you can push it like a shopping cart.

I wanted the 100% argon to use with my TIG so it also works with the spool gun. I bought the 75/25 for MIG welding. I actually traded in a spare oxygen bottle to get the Argon and only had to buy one bottle. The oxy-acetylene torch just used now for heating mostly since I got the plasma torch...

I just added the aluminum spool gun to my OmniPro 220. What little I did with it seems to work pretty well. I do have to remove the wire from the MIG gun and then remove the MIG gun then hook up all the attaching points of the spool gun A bit of a pain but it works OK.

Not bad if you have a small work area. I would put a solid plate on top though. Much easier to sweep up slag than to constantly be picking up items that fall thru the screen. Use the slag catcher area for a storage drawer if possible.

You could do away with the moisture absorbing gel completely by just using a bit of your MIG welding gas. Just put your torch into the ammo box for a couple seconds and the argon being dry and heavier than air will displace any moisture laden air and give a completely inert atmosphere. To keep...

I have one of those but I use it to store my tempering oil for my knife making activities. I think I will pick up a couple more next time I am at HF. I have been keeping my wire in a ziplock plastic bag. I have a dehumidifier running full time at the back of the shop. It collects about 2...

It sure seems like winter this morning, 22F this morning which may not be cold for some of you, but for here, that is pretty cold. The coldest I have seen it here in the 10 years I have been here is 14F and that was from a brief artic blast. Within a day or so it was back above freezing. It...

The photo might be sqewed a bit and not showing the correct clearance but it looks like the fenders are going to be really close to the tires. How much clearance did you allow?

I have used a formica topped wood table for years as a fabrication/welding table. A few years ago, my neighbor gave me a piece of aluminum to place on top and it works fine. I did put a piece of 3/8" plywood on top to keep from damaging the formica. This year my buddy brought in a 4x8 foot...

When sanding, work the electrode for the plasma cutter around so that the contour remains concentric just like a new one. That way the air flow will still be like it has a new tip. Any flat spots might cause an erratic cut line. That is why I chuck it up in a drill so I can sand all of it the...

Paint is always good for equipment. It is getting a bit cold here for painting, it does best when above 60F and low humidity. I sold all my equipment but I did a paint job on it first. I also touched up my B26 which I wont be getting rid of as long as I can climb on it. I worked 7 days a week...

I have all the welding equipment anyone could ever need, lots of scrap iron and nothing to build. I keep waiting for my buddy to start building something that needs trusses or something. We do have to do some welding on his trailer. Some welds that holds the tray for his loading ramps broke...

Still not doing much, still waiting on the orthopedic doctor to return out calls requesting an appointment. It seems like nothing happens now with some of the doctors since Covid started. This one doesnt even answer his phone. Maybe my elbows will get better on their own. They do seem to be...

That is the reason I just let hydraulic shops deal with cylinder repairs. No strain on anything but the wallet that way.

Sounds like you are a good candidate for a heavy duty bench vise. Did the 10' cheater bar get if off for you?

Sounds more like an outlaw and I hope he has the sense to not loan it out to him again. Nice project to keep you occupied for an afternoon. That is the kind of stuff I like to find to do.

Yep, never hurts to have a backup, which is why I still have that tip in my tool box. I keep propane tanks on hand for my grill, fire pit and back up heat in case of power failure.

I am taking it easy for the next few days. My friend and new neighbor is still moving stuff from Mississippi back to Ark and is making another trip to bring more "stuff" back. Since my work at home is caught up, I will just take it easy for a few days. Once he gets back, I will use my...

Saving sure, but the scrap yard guys dont care about the quality of cut nor amount of slag produced. For my very slight use, acetylene works fine. I once bought a propane gas tip just in case I ran out of acetylene on a weekend or something. It's been in my welding tool box for nigh on to 10...

I dont know if the tips create a need for more oxygen or not, but I do know that it takes a little longer to preheat before you can start to cut when using MAPP gas, propane or any other liquid type for oxy-fuel torches. If I remember correctly, they also create a bit more slag on the cut than...

I just got back from doctor visit with tendinitis in my elbows. 2 rounds of prednisone didnt do anything so my general prac. is to send me to an orthopedic surgeon for evaluation. The "tennis elbow" type pain has really limited me in work situations and even typing hurts a bit.

Besides myself, you are the first to show having a rod oven for your low hydrogen rods. Congratulations.

I see you have a Lincoln ranger machine. 1/8" 6010 and 3/32 and 1/8" 7018 will weld 99.9% of the material that you come across. The only and I mean only con to the iron powder rods is storage. I keep my Phoenix 350# rod storage oven on all the time. It burns very little electricity after it...

Maybe he will survive till next year and you can try for him then.

I think you must have been given some wrong info. Heck that is scuba tank size and the cost is high for refill mostly due to labor cost I would think. I would check as many LWS places as you have in Pine Bluff to verify. The 125 CF is about as small as I would want for O2. The 75 on the...

The only sizes that I cant buy are 240 CF and larger. MY LWS doesnt sell the 240/300 CF because they are like $700 each and no individual will buy them for that price. I didnt ask about swapping them out if you have one though since I dont have any.

For $300 you can buy a 125 CF bottle of O2, cant recall what I paid for the acetylene. Owning is the only way to go for occasional users. Bite the bullet one time and forget it. I havent found any good deals on rigs on Craigslist, it seems they all want the price of a bottle from the LWS.

A grapple is the one item I never got for my TLB and sure could have used it in the early years of clearing my overgrown property. Now not much use for one for the occasional downed tree. I can use my backhoe to lift and haul a few logs if needed. Most of the limbs I can just load on the FEL...

In over 50 years of construction, I only experienced 2 welders using a pancake hood, both in 1978 and both pipeline welders. I have had numerous pipeline welder come to work in petro-chem contruction but they all used regular hoods. Yes you do get the very occasional sun glare in the lens but...

I rarely use oxy/acetylene for welding anymore, but still use it for cutting sometimes. A plasma torch doesnt always get into corner that a cutting torch will. I still braze with silver solder sometimes so the torch is still needed. You cant really beat the versatility of a stick rod...

I always thought that level with the bottom of the boat was just right for the anti-cavitation plate or a little higher. Lower doesnt do anything other than produce a slight bit more drag. I have never owned a boat without power trim but the mounting height of the motor should be the same...

Why dont you try trading it in on a slightly larger bottle or better yet, just get a portable bottle cart to haul them around like I do mine as seen in the left side of this photo. That is a 125CF oxygen, dont recall the size of the acetylene but it lasts me for a year or more. It is about the...

My neighbor who is still in the construction trade told me that some jobs wont allow auto-dark hoods siting safety concerns. Likely a rule made by a safety inspector who had no idea what or how they work. Probably thinking that if it doesnt auto dark, it would burn the welders eyes. He said...

I did a welding job on a guys borrowed trailer. He bent the tongue jack and was nice enough to go buy a new one and have me cut off the bent one and weld on the new one. It only took me about 5 or 6 minutes to cut off the old one and weld on the new one. I told him $10 but he only had a $20...

Even a small amount of gasoline in oil will cause a big flare up (BTDT) so I always use a little diesel in the oil if needed. Actually, I just pour the oil all over the brush pile and then use about a quart of diesel on the edge to get the oil to start burning, the it is just wait while it...

That should work well.

Just dont loan your trailer, it will more than likely come back with a bent tongue from jack-knifing it. Most folks dont have a clue how to back up a trailer.

That is a great idea, I never thought about mixing the motor oil with a flammable substance, likely because I dont deal with a lot of sawdust. I guess I need to start collecting the little bit here and there to mix up some "candles". I guess the best place would be getting the wood chips from...

IIRC, those were 1/4", if you have a 1/4" drive socket, (check to see if it fits the tank valve) then using the 1/4" drive end for the tank valve, weld a T handle to the socket end and you have a wrench that wont ever round out the hole. Use an old spare socket that will fit at least a 3/8"...

My buddy shakes something terrible, but he can still stick and TIG pretty good. I guess he gets his shake in time with the needed oscillation of the stick. He walks the cup when TIG welding which keeps his tungsten arc the right distance, but I dont see how he feeds the wire with that shaking.

A piece of denim (leg of blue jeans) will work fine. 99% of sparks go down and the hood blocks the rest from coming behind you. In years of using a cloth for backscatter protection, I never had one catch on fire. The other great thing about using denim is that it breathes some so it is much...

Those 1/4" square valve tops are old style from the early years on even the larger tanks. I think they stopped using that style in the late 70"s or early 80's due to safety concerns (a leaking valve fire and no one had the wrench handy to turn them off). Well if you are using one and you dont...

If it still works, invest a few more dollars and get those insulators replaced and you will be good as new. Your local welding supply should have what you need to repair them (tweco brand is good).

I wasnt even thinking about putting any more golf cart batteries in my cart, just 3 plain ole 12v deep cycle marine battery which will do all I need to do with it. I hadnt thought about the charging though. I wonder if my 36 volt charger will have any issues charging 3 ea 12 volt rather than 6...

Same here, the last two days I spent sawing and brush cutting on 15 +year old overgrown fence line/yard trees on my buddy's new property. We still have at least another 1/4 mile of fenceline to do. We are going to start with just getting the trees trimmed inside the fenceline so a tractor can...

So you use 5 gallons of propane on a weed burner torch to get it going instead of a quart of diesel, what is the value in that as far as environmental issues. Any you know it is going to smoke far worse trying to get it started with a burner rather than some accelerant..

I am not aware of any flux-cored aluminum wire for arc welding. First indication of falsehood it the word MIG and flux-cored together, it has to be one or the other.

I see that a lot on Craigslist. Sometimes the seller just doesnt know, but most times they are hoping that the buyer doesnt know the cost to buy new. Sometimes it is the value of the older stuff is much more than new because the old stuff is built better.

You need to go to another company for your gas if that is the case. I would complain loudly to the LWS agent about empty bottles, leaking bottles etc. and demand replacements. Bottles should not require a pipe wrench on the valve to close and they should be hand snug, not gorilla tight, to not...

Wow, what kind of deep cycle battery cost $300 each? I run my boats trolling motor all day on a $150 deep cycle battery.

Back when money was extremely tight (wife, 5 kids, granny and great granny to take care of), I used to save to buy one small hand tool each month(a specialty wrench, hammer, saw etc). Larger tool sets maybe one a year (combination socket/wrench sets) . Birthdays and Christmas, I got tools or...

I looked at Stihl power heads one time but that was just too much money for just a motor for my existing pole saw. I havent shopped in a few years since my elcheapo Poulan is working fine *was working fine on last use about a year ago.

Not a lot if any farriers around here, most folks have gas or diesel horsepower. I havent looked in pawnshops around me for an anvil. Might be interesting to see. A little flea market close by sure knows the inflated value though. She was asking $600 for around a 100# (just estimating on the...

Which battery powered saw do you use / recommend. I see lots of bad reviews on the LYNX with leaking oil, bad chain, bad bearings, bad clutch etc. so I dont think I would be getting one of those. I see from the local HF ad that they are now on clearance (does that mean no more Lynx products in...

I am seriously thinking that when my gas powered pole saw goes down, a battery type will replace it. Most of the time it is only a few limbs at a time that I cut so I think a couple batteries with a battery powered saw would be great. Maybe HF will have one that my Earthquake batteries will...

I would keep an eye out for a used anvil. I found mine at a local pawn shop for $25. It isnt that heavy, maybe 60#, but it works for all my needs.

Great idea if you are going to lend it out.

Went to my buddy's place early this morning with my B26 TLB. Used the FEL to raise up my buddy so he could saw off a BUNCH of tree limbs. We cut limbs till 2 pm the took a lunch break. We cut all his trees in his yard then worked about 200 yards of fence line cutting everything he could reach...

Some folks think that you need to call them if you want it back and /or go get it back yourself. Another reason not to loan.

My acetylene bottles last years. I dont use it much either but there doesnt seem to be any leaks. If acetylene leaks any at all , you should smell it. Also do a soap test at all the gaskets/ seals and regulator seat area. I leave my gauges on all the time and just turn off the bottles when...

I have an old Milwaukee band saw already so the hand held saw might be the ticket.

Also a good flux core welder is right for some occasions. Even though I have bigger and more powerful machines, I use this little 11 pound Titanium 125 Fluxcore welder a lot. It is easy to move around and using 110V power, it can be used just about anywhere if you have a small genset. I have...

Likely the reason it didnt break off any chunks is because it is cast steel rather than cast iron. Most folks think tractor axles/frame/ weights etc are cast iron when it is really cast steel and can be welded cut etc very easily.

Other than a plasma torch, when cutting thin sheet metal, a metal cutting saw is probably the best method. The less heat input, the less warpage you will get. The Evolution hand held saw is likely your cheapest option and the best choice for thin (or even thick) sheet metal and even some...

That is the number 1 reason I dont loan equipment. I prefer to go do the work myself rather than loan out something even if it is just a wrench.

My trailer came with a spare tire and mount and was still the cheapest trailer I could find at the time. A 20 ft. with 4 ft. dovetail carhauler, rear slide in ramps, 12K tongue jack, brakes on both of the 6000# axles for $2700 in 2010. I suspect prices have gone up considerably since then.

I just finished running the mower over my leaf covered areas mulching them up. I do it about every couple weeks and it keeps them from getting so thick that I have to rack and burn although I did have to rake and burn the ones that fell between my welding shop and fence where the mower couldnt...

I didnt think anyone could get 300 miles from a big town anymore, I guess it all depends on your definition of "big town". Where I live now a big town is one with over 70K population (which would be Little Rock Ar. (75mi), medium 50K (Texarkana 100mi)and small would be the little red light stop...

I used to do something similar just using an old rag when welding inside a stainless steel vessel just to keep the reflected UV rays from giving me flash burn. I didnt rivet it in, just hung it over my head in the back. Without it, flash burn would occur in 5 minutes of welding. Sometimes...

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.

Be kinda like the Ford Pinto wouldnt it!!!

Note: I did check the HF abrasives and they barely meet the requirement by 300 rpm. 13,300 is max rpm on any HF item that I have and Dewalt no load speed is 13000.

I never thought of that use for the carrier since I always use my Silverado pickup to go get gas. My CRV does not have a hitch so no carrier to be had there. I suppose I could install one if the need arises (like if my truck become inoperable)

I think today I will take the head apart on the Dewalt and see how the grease looks. I will report on that later. I have a couple of projects to work on today. A friend is moving his stuff from Gulfport Miss. Yesterday he came with his Harley, Honda 4 wheeler, a box blade and a small steel...

I found them (Dewalt grinders)on sale at Atwoods Farm and Ranch store. I went back yesterday and bought another one for a spare. At this price, they cost about the same as the HF grinders. They may not be any better but hopefully they last longer. I am sure my HF ones will be biting the...

I was just reminded that we should all check the RPM rating on our grinders and only buy wheels/ disc/ sanding pads that meet the RPM of our tools. I was looking at some of my HF grinders and my DeWalt grinders and found that I doubt my HF sanding pads comply with the 13,000 RPM rating of my...

If you plan to use that center hook for lifting, put a stiffener on the top edge (after straightening it ) to help prevent a bow in the top lip. I see so many FELs with bent top edge because of lifting from the center. That is why I dont put a lift lug in the center. If I need to lift from...

That is by far the simplest and neatest way to make one. Might be a little hard to find one on short notice though. A friend was just complaining last night that if is ridiculous how trailer manufactures have so many hole patterns for the same sized/rated rim.

In construction long ago and far away in a different universe we always called those a "hickey bar" but in todays work environment, you cant use one since homemade tools of any type are a no no now due to idiots hurting themselves with them. You cant even weld a eye on a hammer to fasten a...

A bit ugly but effective. I would round those corners and edges a bit for a more professional look. I always round the corners with approximately a 1" radius, it softens the impact when you accidentally come in contact with them. Also when you slightly round the edges on plate, it makes the...

I wish I could help with this, BUT, my Kubota RTV has a pretty big box on the back that hydraulically dumps so I never had any need for a cargo carrier around the house and with just me and the wife, if we go somewhere it is just one suitcase each so even the little Honda CRV handles the luggage...

I agree with Bearskinner that the uprights might bend especially if you load the bays unequally. I dont think you would need any stiffeners as long as you load/unload in both bays so they stay stacked level across.

At least HF is stepping up with better quality tools although many times now the price is more than you can by Dewalt and other branded tools. For an example, I just bought a Dewalt 4.5" grinder on sale for $49. The HF best quality grinders are $69 for a similar amp rated grinder.

So true. MY Titanium 125 is a real champ. I then bought a 170 and it never ran right. Pull the trigger on the MIG gun and it would hesitate long enough for the wire to burn back almost to the contract tip then start feeding, then when you released the trigger, it would continue feeding up to...

Almost all steel in use today is made from scrap. I do agree that it is a bit higher in carbon content than normal structural steel angle and while some parts are extremely hard, others drill rather easily which leads me to believe that the quality control of the melt is not very well...

I have welded bedframe angle iron using 7018 rod with no issue. It is a bit high in carbon content thus it is a lot harder than A36 mild steel, but it is still weldable with low hydrogen rods. I wouldnt use a 60xx rod though.

Nothing electrical likes to be stored in a moist environment. You might try just covering it up with a plastic sheet from now on. If you can find one the breathes a bit, like a tarp, all the better. This might be detrimental to your machines if you have a dirt floor though since the plastic...

Last time I made a spare tire carrier was for my 1978 Ford truck. I moved it from underneath and up against the center of the bed (made it more difficult for a thief to reach from the ground). I just drilled the holes to fit lug bolts and pounded 3 of them into the center mount and welded the...

Looks like you got more than just one bent bar. It looks to have several bent bars and looks like one leg is broken also. It may be easier to cut out the bent bars, straighten them if possible and then weld them back in. Looking again at the photo, some of the bends look factory made but I...

I agree with California that you need to put a stiffener on the buckets top lip so as not to bend it. Looks like you need to do a jack up on the top of the bucket now. If you have some more scrap iron, law a piece across the top edge of the bucket and finish straightening the bottom lip...

I could go for some of those cheap auction bottles. Around here they all want $300 for used ones which I can buy at LWS for same price.

I sure hope I get a good burned in control board this time. The first one lasted less than 1 hour of actual weld/cutting time before it crapped out

I have one of the Miller Dial Arc 250 amp AC/DC machines and it is an awesome welder. I think I paid $350 as is with some old cracked up welding leads . It has always welded fine though. I would be interested in what needs to be done to clean and adjust it.

I am not a deer hunter but if I was, I could set on my patio and kill all I could eat. A couple of weeks ago, I looked out my bathroom window and a buck and 3 does were grazing on my peach and maple trees not 30 feet from my window. I took some photos and everytime the flash went off, they...

That is the first time I have saw one of those temp. tires on a trailer. I was under the impression that those things cost more than a full sized tire and since space isnt an issue on trailers, most trailers that come with a spare are full sized tires. Of course many dont come with a spare at...

Seen those and they do work well.. We seem to have the mouse in the house syndrome in control. Havent seen one in a week or so.

Good luck with your hunting, hope you fill both your freezers!

Hey BPlayer405, got any thing else for us on this project. It has been a while since you posted to this thread. Did you finish everything on it yet. I just got a HF spool gun for my Vulcan welder so I am going to try it out soon. May even look at my brother in laws old boat with all the...

I sure would like to know what all is in the Vulcan machines to make them so heavy compared to the Titanium. The Omni Pro 220 weighs 42# compared to the titanium 200 at 24 IIRC. Shipping weigh on my Vulcan is 72# which includes all the ground clamps, MIG gun, stick rod holder (yes it stick...

Well I will close this thread out. I posted another on my replacement machine, a Vulcan Omni Pro 220. I was a bit leery of another Titanium even though my 125 FCAW is a champion for its size.

I forgot to mention that I also got the spool gun with it too. Gonna play with some aluminum as soon as I find some plate (other than my table top)

Well guys this is what I ended up with. I hope not to ever have to buy anything else. This machine has built in programs to set everything up depending on the thickness and wire size. Just select the wire size push the master and then select the thickness and push the master switch. You can...

I may have to try that in my shop. I think I may still have one there.

Well no takers on the 215 so today I went shopping at HF and low and behold, the only 215 they had was already sold(prepaid by someone). I thought about it a minute and then went looking at what they had in stock. They did have the very expensive ($999) OMNI PRO 220 in stock so I forked over...

Big difference now than the original.

I think those things were made just for sweating copper. There is no way that you could do cutting with it even with a 000 tip to more than a few inches of metal before running out of O2.

Great idea on the hinge. Kind of vacillating lbetween the slug so it can be raised by using my FEL. Still contemplating doing a standing pole or just putting a flag pole on to my shop wall. Still thinking about where I could put a standing pole where it will be visible but not to intrusive...

Anyone with a HF Vulcan 215? I would love to hear about your experience and recommendation if any.

Every machine has it quirks. I set up the Vulcan 140 and thought sure I had another problem. It has a cold feed switch that runs the wire without energizing the gun. It would feed rapidly but when I pressed the gun trigger it just creeped out at maybe 2" in 5 seconds. I went ahead and tried...

I have no idea and wasnt about to open it up while under the 90 day full warranty. I dont think it was a relay sticking though, I could trigger it quickly and release and it would not feed 8" of wire. My Titanium 125 works well and stops immediately when the trigger is released.

It developed erratic wire feed. It would hesitate before starting and burn the wire right back to the tip before starting to feed then when the trigger was released it would continue feeding at least 8" of wire before it stopped. I swapped it for a Vulcan 140 MIG and didnt realize that it was...

There will always be some use for manual TIG on the construction jobsite due to limited visibility and work space where the machines wont fit. Most of those computer TIG is used in fab shop operations where they shine with perfect welds every time and proximity is not an issue.

Now to learn how to mud in the sheetrock and sand it smooth, repaint the area around the stairs. Stairs look good.

I used to gas weld a lot of stuff that was too thin to weld with stick rod. Still do a bit of gas welding rather than hook up the TIG torch but now most of thin stuff I can weld with my MIG or FCAW machines. TIG made gas welding completely obsolete, now pulse MIG is making TIG obsolete in...

The first lesson I learned when I started welding for a living was that you cant weld over an ugly weld to make it pretty. It just becomes larger and the abnormalities just become larger abnormalities. So if something is not to your liking, grind it down to smooth it out then reweld if...

Just grind off all that old weld that you put on with the Chicago Electric and reweld with the Titanium and it will look good. Set it on G7, no need to go higher but maybe lower if you have thin components. If it is truly solid wrought iron, G7 will work just right. I was never a fan of...

If you use a heavy extension cord with at least 12 gauge wire, you can work the FC 125 just as well as if it is plugged into the receptacle. I welded some bracing on my fence post using 100 feet of cord still using the G7 setting and I couldnt tell any difference in the welding from when it...

Well the welds certainly look better. Try a little side to side weave with it so as to make your beads wider and a bit flatter. When welding in a groove, anything above 1/16" is not adding any strength to the product and if really tall could be inducing stress into the weld.

I have both the Titanium 125 and the Titanium 170. For flux core welding, I like the 125 better, it feeds much smoother than the 170. For thicker than 1/8" I set the dials on G and 7 on the wire feed. It penetrates well and makes a smooth weld with no undercut and a nice looking surface. My...

Now that is an idea that I like. I just need to buy some pulleys and rope to attach the flag (and a flag ) and some concrete to anchor it. That will be a good project when I get caught up with my other work.

I just finished putting a new 5000# Harbor Freight Badlands winch on my Kubota RTV. The only welding was tacking a backing nut to the mount. IT took me and a friend all morning and part of the afternoon to get it on. The power cables were just barely long enough and caused us to reroute a...

I think that price is way above 50% of new . Need to be 3500 for a deal. I really dont need any thing that big for my needs. Might be ok for resell if you can get him down a bit in price.

I bought my Miller 250 amp AC/DC CC machine ($350) and my Phoenix 300# rod oven ($150) from a fab shop that was down sizing. I found them on Craigslist back when everything on it wasnt a scam. I also bought 2 of the 100 gallon fuel tanks with 15 GPM Fillrite 12v pumps for $200 each, a very...

That looks like you are welding with too low amps. Boost up your wire feed by 20 IPM and amps(put the machine on high setting). Weld should be smooth and well penetrated. I have both a 170 amp Titanium MIG by HF and the little 125 amp 110 v Titanium. The small Titanium welds so good that I...

Now that is an idea. MY daughter in law actually needs a large gate for her entrance . I just might have enough pipe to make one. It would require a substantial corner post to hold it up. That pipe looks to be about 1/4" thick and in 8 foot sections. When her better half gets here later this...

That must be a small machine if it only weighs 60 # and is a transformer. I bet my Miller weighs 200 or more.

I dont have any use for that. I use my FEL to lift anything that I need lifted. More suggestions please.

Lots of good repairs using your welder. I did a little welding on my lawnmower blades today. The ends had worn pretty thin and the blades were unbalanced. I balanced them up by welding up the worn areas using my Titanium flux 110 welder. I kept building up the thin areas, checking the...

I have a bunch of 2" pipe that I could use to build something, but what can I build that will be useful around the farm.

That one sure holds a lot of grease. Should be good for even the fattiest of meat.

5 bolt wheel pattern usually indicated 3500 # spindle rating but the axle itself may not be enough. I had a boat trailer like that and overloaded it with boat and equipment which actually bent the axle which caused the tires to wear out. I eventually bought new heavier axle piece and used...

That sounds like the Harbor Freight helmet. Same type of control. Grind mode is lowest and you have to click it in which actually turns everything off, then back clockwise and it starts at 9 -13.

I have a very good 120V MIG machine that can run very hot using .030 wire, but I doubt a 120V stick welder can produce enough amps to burn hot with anything larger than 3/32" electrodes.

The good thing about buying used (anything) is that most failures happen within a year of use. That means the original owner has taken the hit for repairs (yes even warrantied items cost you some time and money) to malfunctioning items. Just like my welder/plasma cutter that I suspect had a...

Same here, they come flying down our road 50 MPH or more. No posted speed limit but my neighbor says that if not posted it is automatic 25 mph. I guess I need to look that up for clarification. Everyone drives around 40 MPH, myself included.

Had to go buy more glue traps. Wife was in the bathroom and started screaming. Another mouse in the middle bath. More glue traps set. This one will be a while coming back. I swatted at it with a broom several times as it as running between the back of the commode and the door. It finally...

Maybe put a couple of hook holders on each side so you can fasten a bungee cord thru the handle so it doesnt bounce out.

On all my helmets with grind mode, you have to turn the dial to grind. They dont do it automatically. The one I have now has 3switch positions: grind, 4-9 and 9-13. Then you have to set the rotary dial to the setting you want

I had to pay at UPS and they said they would send me a paypal notice to pay for return shipping. Their warranty only covers parts and labor for 3 years.

Spots, yeah. Just like when you forget to take the helmet off grind mode before welding.

Well it is on it's way to the repair facility. UPS cheapest shipping cost $62 + return cost when they get it fixed.

My Everlast SuperUltra 206 SI just stopped working. It worked fine a week or so ago and then when I hooked it up yesterday, nothing. Well almost nothing. Got a very weak arc the after 2 seconds an error code E-05 and then arc dropped to almost invisible. Well what can you expect from a $700...

There is also no back flow preventer and as such the acetylene could backflow into the O2 bottle. Even if the gauge shows empty, there will be some residual o2 left there. You have a very dangerous situation there now.

my garage door stays open all day. It opens at 7am approximately and closes around 630 pm. We are in and out of it all day with the RTV so it is alway open. There is nothing in the garage for a mouse to eat but there is dog food inside the house.

Looks like you have two mixing barrels, but no cutting head for the torch. That rosebud would never run on those small bottles, not for long anyway. That acetylene gauge is either not working or in really dangerous pressure range. It could easily auto-ignite or explode under that much...

Replaceable battery is one reason I got the hood from Tool lots.com plus the claimed clarity, speed, light weight, good headband, etc.

Water!! I think that is why she was in the commode. Always going to be water there and food in the dogs tray. We keep glue traps in the garage also and catch a mouse every couple of weeks there.

Lots of plumbers use them for soldering copper pipes. I would expect the refill cost to be quiet high, labor you know vs cost of gas. I wouldnt think you could do much cutting with those small O2 bottles though. They might fulfill a small need but personally, I would go for a bit larger O2...

We keep glue traps out all the time. Caught another mouse in wife's closet a few days ago. I dont know what attracts them to that since there is no food there. I dont know how they get inside in the first place.

The site didnt show that batteries are replaceable so I guess they arent. My hood has replacement battery capability

The only way those type machines would be acceptable is if you plan to open up a fabrication shop and use them 8 hours a day, 5-7 days a week. For a homeowner, way too much power and money to be practical. Lots of cheaper IGBT inverter technology available for much less money.

Which welding hood are you talking about. Did you get one from TOOLOTS also? Mine is the lightest hood I have ever used and has a really comfortable headband.

For aluminum TIG, you should run on AC with high frequency. I recently saw a video using a Lincoln Tombstone with an attachment called ARC PIG that welded aluminum very well. Only drawback was the $350 price for the ARC PIG. Still much cheaper than buying one of those specialty TIG machines...

I used Yellow Freight to move my household goods from Canada. Cheapest rate ever.

I see you are a Yanmar fan. My first tractor was a Yanmar 4220D with 4 WD and FEL. I loved that powershift. That is almost as good as a hydrostatic drive. I also purchased a HOWSE bush hog with it.

Just bring it by my welding shop and 15-20 minutes will have it fixed up.

Charge him like a welding shop would for your work and he wont be back.

Peanut butter I have used, but never heard about using coffee. Do you mean coffee beans or do you put a tiny cup of coffee with a tiny sweet roll?

If you were using TIG you could preheat with the torch, alas, not possible with MIG. A minute(of less) of preheat saves several minutes of rework. LOL

I got my sign up on the fence right by a bunch of equipment that I need to sell: 8 foot landscape rake, 6 foot box blade, TG-72 King Kutter tiller and a 2 row cultivator. Anyone nearby interested in those items let me know.