Ugly beads, critics welcome...

[k0ua]

That makes sense.

I thought I probably went up a touch too much on the heat, but didn't have another piece of this square tubing ready to try again. I'm pretty sure the rod angle was a bit too close to 45* as well and needed to be flatter.

I had no idea how much metal I'd be going through during this process! I found a good local supplier for scrap steel, but didn't buy nearly enough last trip. The guy let me walk around the shop and pick up whatever I wanted from the drop piles, and only charged me $5/25lbs. I guess I need to go back and buy a lot more!

This also has me shopping for a cutoff saw....it never ends!

A bandsaw is really nice.. quieter, and no sparks.

 

[GManBart]

Consider it stress relief. Look at Shield Arc, I think he enjoys buying toys as much as he enjoys using them but offers them up for anyone that wants to come over to his fantasy toy box with the 80 ton crane. :cool2:

That's what I was going to tell my wife, but she says I never stress about anything

 

[GManBart]

A bandsaw is really nice.. quieter, and no sparks.

That's the kind of bandsaw/cutoff saw I was talking about. I'm not sure why, but some folks seem to call horizontal bandsaws cutoff saws cutoff saws...maybe to differentiate between vertical bandsaws

Regardless, that's the kind I'm talking about. I went to an auction on Saturday because they had a clean Wells Model 8 listed with decent pictures....got there and the saw was nowhere to be found. All the other tools and machinery was there from the pictures, but not the bandsaw.

They seem to come up on Craigslist pretty regularly, so I'm checking that daily. This one came up last night...kind of a monster, at 10x16" cut, but would likely last forever:

MODEL 1 WELLS HORIZONTAL BANDSAW

 

[k0ua]

That's the kind of bandsaw/cutoff saw I was talking about. I'm not sure why, but some folks seem to call horizontal bandsaws cutoff saws cutoff saws...maybe to differentiate between vertical bandsaws

Regardless, that's the kind I'm talking about. I went to an auction on Saturday because they had a clean Wells Model 8 listed with decent pictures....got there and the saw was nowhere to be found. All the other tools and machinery was there from the pictures, but not the bandsaw.

They seem to come up on Craigslist pretty regularly, so I'm checking that daily. This one came up last night...kind of a monster, at 10x16" cut, but would likely last forever:

MODEL 1 WELLS HORIZONTAL BANDSAW

Maybe diferent parts of the country have different names for it, but to me and around here a cutoff saw is a 14 inch circular abrasive saw. Lotsa noise and lotsa sparks. Works, but is considerably cheaper than a good horizontal bandsaw. They are often priced under $100 in some places.

 

[ovrszd]

Maybe diferent parts of the country have different names for it, but to me and around here a cutoff saw is a 14 inch circular abrasive saw. Lotsa noise and lotsa sparks. Works, but is considerably cheaper than a good horizontal bandsaw. They are often priced under $100 in some places.

Yep, that's what us Northerners call em.

 

[Furu]

I think SA is genuine in his offer.

I know he is and it would be hard to find a better mentor.

As a person who has been a recipient of and benefited from SA mentoring and guidance I can truly attest to the accuracy of both of those statements.
He is the real deal.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I just need to retire so that I can spend more time getting his help. I still need to get over to have him help me on my Aluminum Tig with my new machine.

 

[dragoneggs]

As a person who has been a recipient of and benefited from SA mentoring and guidance I can truly attest to the accuracy of both of those statements. He is the real deal.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: I just need to retire so that I can spend more time getting his help. I still need to get over to have him help me on my Aluminum Tig with my new machine.

I can second that. I also need to retire to take more advantage of SA's hospitality. I learned more than I can remember in the couple hours I spent with him.

 

[Shield Arc]

You guys need to stop, you're going to make me

 

[GManBart]

I had a few minutes to run a couple more fillet welds...this was probably the best (ignore the ugly start!). I have so much to learn, but with the help here I feel like I'm making some progress!

 

[Arc weld]

Too cold and too fast. A 1/8" rod should burn about 6" on that material and give about a 1/4" fillet weld.

 

[GManBart]

Too cold and too fast. A 1/8" rod should burn about 6" on that material and give about a 1/4" fillet weld.

I did three pieces like that and increased the temp each time. This was the last one, so at least I was heading in the right direction, and I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. The piece was just under 8" long...didn't think to measure the fillet, but it I'd bet it was close to 1/4".

 

[Arc weld]

It looks small and the ripples on the bead are pointed which indicates too fast of travel speed.

 

[Shield Arc]

but it I'd bet it was close to 1/4".

You may never do code welding work. If you ever do, you will need a set of these. Generally getting the proper leg length is not a problem. Getting the proper throat is the hard part.

 

[GManBart]

You may never do code welding work. If you ever do, you will need a set of these. Generally getting the proper leg length is not a problem. Getting the proper throat is the hard part.

I can't imagine ever doing code work, but I still want to try doing things the right way, so they may be handy to have.

 

[Shield Arc]

When you do code work enough, you get to the point where you can make the size weld called out on the blue prints. It's like anything, you do enough of it, it becomes easy.
I've been on jobs where the welding inspectors would reject a weld for being 1/64" to small!

 

[sd455dan]

boo, go rip the exhaust off your car then, your prolly running out of stuff to weld anway

Mmm- exhaust pipe welding with stick??
That is one job that has always been a mig thing and now possibly tig for me, but each their own:thumbsup:

 

[ovrszd]

Xfaxman is right handed,,,,, that's the problem.......

 

[GManBart]

I took delivery of a 50lb can of Atom Arc 7018 today, so I had to run a couple of beads. I think I had a bit of an "Aha" moment tonight. This was 3/8" thick stock, so the first attempt was way too cold...cranked up the heat, finally really watched the puddle develop, and I think it looks quite a bit better...not great, but better. Sorry for the glare...makes it hard to see all the details, but it was dark outside, so this is under the LEDs in my shop.

 

[Shield Arc]

A lot better:thumbsup:. Still a little cold, you want the weld to flow!

 

[GManBart]

A lot better:thumbsup:. Still a little cold, you want the weld to flow!

Yeah, I underestimated how much it would take for the 3/8" stock! I'll probably grind off the weld, bump the heat up and try again.