welding carts

[jjeff]

My homemade repurposed welding carts for heavier transformer welders. Lincoln 140c flux core on a beat up Craftsman bottom chest almost scrapped. Built a 3/16 angle frame for it, made provisions for tank if I ever wanted to put my mig on it. Used an old Yamaha snowmobile track suspension axle and idlers. My newer Hobart lx is on a 3/16" angle frame. Repurposed or cheap casters, / hangers on both are old repurposed x bracing from old beat up steel shelving. Got lazy and welded castors on frame, don't recommend unless proficient grinder operator. Also not very off road capable like some. Sure beats rolling on a slab vs carrying 70+ lbs around though. Apologies if posted before don't remember, so ignore.

 

[California]

Make a test weld with each welder. Cut the welds apart and see what they actually look like.

I've done that test a couple of times. Penetration looked good.

Here's my most recent project using the HF-180, an adapter to carry a cargo rack behind the Subaru. Note the undercut into the 1.25" bar. I think that indicates adequate heat. But I'm no pro! I won't use this adapter to pull a trailer.

 

[California]

Back on-topic!

Incidentally I found another photo, the 'welding cart' I was using for the Mig-180 a couple of years ago. A luggage cart. Now superseded by a HF 12x18" dolly so it's low enough to roll into a cabinet. (All flux core welding here since I'm essentially working outdoors, so no provision for a gas bottle).

And the 12x30"welding table, fabricated on an old tractor wheel for its base.

 

[MossRoad]

Ingenuity!

 

[WinterDeere]

The trouble I see with the venerable buzz boxes is that, while they can do anything, they certainly take a lot more practice and expertise to do it really well. I would do about one big project per year involving the welder, and everyone of them started much uglier than it finished. The MIG has its limits, but it's so much easier for the experienced hobbyist to quickly shake the rust off your skills and get to making good welds, after a few months away from it.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Yeah, I mix and match, with like 6 welders I have choices... If I'm working on big ugly stuff I jump to the stick welder with 6011 or sometimes 7018, other times flux core and recently since I got a tank solid wire and hopefully soon I'll practice some with scratch start TIG for stainless...

 

[MossRoad]

Personally, I think everyone who gets the chance should learn how to weld with gas first. Then stick. Then MIG/wire feed. Then TIG.

Gas gives you the chance to look at the metal before it liquifies. You get the idea of adding filler, shielding the puddle with the filler rod, pushing the puddle with the flame, looking at the depth of the puddle, watching for burn-through, etc.

That way, you get a bit of better understanding of what's happening in that brilliant flash of the arc weld.

MIG/wire feed is too easy to make a pretty weld that has no strength if you don't understand penetration.

I have yet to attempt TIG. Will be a retirement hobby for me.

 

[jjeff]

Personally, I think everyone who gets the chance should learn how to weld with gas first. Then stick. Then MIG/wire feed. Then TIG.

Gas gives you the chance to look at the metal before it liquifies. You get the idea of adding filler, shielding the puddle with the filler rod, pushing the puddle with the flame, looking at the depth of the puddle, watching for burn-through, etc.

That way, you get a bit of better understanding of what's happening in that brilliant flash of the arc weld.

MIG/wire feed is too easy to make a pretty weld that has no strength if you don't understand penetration.

I have yet to attempt TIG. Will be a retirement hobby for me.

Gas welding is what some tech schools teach first. Years ago in middle and highschool I recall they taught stick welding first. Funny recollection of my first attempt to Tig aluminum I attempted to repair my dad's extension ladder. Final result was ended up being a step stool lol.

 

[ArlyA]

Most people only have one or two systems.

 

[MossRoad]

Gas welding is what some tech schools teach first. Years ago in middle and highschool I recall they taught stick welding first. Funny recollection of my first attempt to Tig aluminum I attempted to repair my dad's extension ladder. Final result was ended up being a step stool lol.