How do you find a good welder?

wedge40 · Nov 17, 2011

I'm not allowed to weld for medical reasons, but I always seem to find these little jobs I'd like done.. Right now I'd like a bracket welded up so I can hook my snow plow to the FEL for snow removal.
How can I find a good welder locally? And how do I know what a fair price is for welding.

Wedge

Shield Arc · Nov 17, 2011

I'd stop by the welding supply store, and see if they can recommend someone who is a good shade tree weldor.

bunchgrass · Nov 17, 2011

Yes - it's unfortunate but the "shops" end up marking up materials and charge a pretty good amount for their time. A shade tree guy or retired welder don't have the overhead of a shop etc to pay for.

woodlandfarms · Nov 17, 2011

There is someone else on the forum who has a pacemaker and that keeps him from welding electrically, but he has mastered the art of oxy acetelyne and seems quite happy with the results.

Carl

Scotty Dive · Nov 17, 2011

You might want to mention where you are.....I know I would drop a bead or two for beer to help out a fellow TBN'r

dusty74 · Nov 17, 2011

I am in the Manassas VA area, I am looking for a weilder to weild a scrap bar to my FEL 4'. I am want to just add about 2-4" to the scrap bar that is on my Kubota BX1500. I do not know how to weld, I have no idea what material to get. Do not have a trailer to bring it to you so must come to my place. Email at james.e.collins@hud.gov if interested.

wedge40 · Nov 17, 2011

Thanks guys.. I'm in the middle of Indiana.. Close to Bloomington.. Home of Indiana University. Ya know that Bob Knight dude.

Scotty CT is a drive.. I would have my brother in Michigan do it then.. He's only 400 mile away. Might have him weld up the snow plow bracket over Christmas.

Shade tree welder.. Hmm guess I'll have to check out the welding supply shop.

Wedge

Shield Arc · Nov 17, 2011

wedge40 said:
Shade tree welder.

That's what I' am!

The welding supply I deal with asks me all the time if I'd weld something up for so & so.

Gizmo2 · Nov 17, 2011

Don't know how to find one, never needed to. If the person you do find refuses or is very reluctant to fix a broken weld, he's your guy. Just sayin!

Hooked_on_HP · Nov 17, 2011

Do you have any schools near you that have welding classes. They might need some projects.
Bill

tglass · Nov 17, 2011

wedge40 said:
I'm not allowed to weld for medical reasons, but I always seem to find these little jobs I'd like done.. Right now I'd like a bracket welded up so I can hook my snow plow to the FEL for snow removal.
How can I find a good welder locally? And how do I know what a fair price is for welding.

Wedge

From what I understand from a neighbor with a pacemaker you can still weld as long as you are a distance from the welder. He has the wife start the machine and was told he could use a remote without a problem. Anything to this or am I wrong.?

wedge40 · Nov 18, 2011

tglass said:
From what I understand from a neighbor with a pacemaker you can still weld as long as you are a distance from the welder. He has the wife start the machine and was told he could use a remote without a problem. Anything to this or am I wrong.?

First, I've heard/read that you can weld as long as you're far away from the machine and the ground is very close to the weld site. They say you should have someone with you while you weld. Just in case.

The only real issue is the electromagnetic interference may turn the pace maker off. Not sure how long it will shut down for, but I'm guessing it's minutes. Enough time to trigger an "episode".

Now here is the "kicker" with me. I have an ICD.. implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Kind of combo pacemaker and defibrillator. I was told that it feels like getting kicked by a mule when it goes off. YA RIGHT!!! Mine went off like 6 or 7 times in a row. The first two I faired pretty well, but by the third one I was curled up in the fetal position waiting for things to stop.

I can laugh at this now, but lets look at what going on. Your heart is racing and out of sync. So they shock you. Now I dont know about anybody else, but when I get jolted it tends to make my heart race, so even if things are in sync but your heart is beating to fast you get shocked again. Kind of catch-22 thing happening here. And my speed limit is a mere 132 BPM. Lucky for me I was clear headed and started work on slow long deep breaths.

But... I'm not too keen on doing anything that may self induce something like that.. :laughing: :laughing:

So I'll find a shade tree welder.

Wedge

Redneck in training · Nov 18, 2011

You can shield yourself. You will need fine metal mesh and make a long sleeve "shirt" out of it. Then you connect the mesh to the ground by single wire. And you are set. Don't know what is the source of the mesh is but suitable mesh fabric is used to construct insulationg mats in example for steam turbines.

rScotty · Nov 18, 2011

wedge40 said:
I'm not allowed to weld for medical reasons, but I always seem to find these little jobs I'd like done..
Wedge

If the medical is electrical, why not do your own welding/brazing with oxyacetylene?

Torch welding & brazing is more versatile anyway.
rScotty

KML · Nov 18, 2011

Wedge, I'm about 40 miles from you, send me a pm. If you don't need it done yesterday I can help you out.

RoyJackson · Nov 18, 2011

tglass said:
From what I understand from a neighbor with a pacemaker you can still weld as long as you are a distance from the welder. He has the wife start the machine and was told he could use a remote without a problem. Anything to this or am I wrong.?

The welding cables themselves have a magnetic field around them. If you hold the stinger, MIG gun or TIG torch; you'll be in close proximately to that magnetic field.
So, if you have a pacemaker, ask your doctor...not some internet forum. Some pacemakers may be more susceptable to those magnetic fields...and I doubt there are too many cardiologists on TBN.

rjmack · Nov 18, 2011

If the medical is electrical, why not do your own welding/brazing with oxyacetylene?

oxy/acetylene has it's good points...

but welding structural steel is not one of them, and most of the sort of welding that is needed on hitches/buckets/blades etc, is structural.

if you see a welding rig sitting in a driveway or backyard, stop in and talk to the guy. it's always a better price if you bring the pieces to him, and many rig welders, once they hear your story, will give you a deal, especially if it's just a small job. :thumbsup:

but whatever you do... DONT tell him 'it's a 5 minute job'! :laughing:

bunchgrass · Nov 18, 2011

I'm not a cardiologist but I play one on the internet

Just wondering if you can ask your Dr if there's something you could rig up to wear and block the EM field from impacting your pacemaker - similar to how lead aprons are used to block gamma radiation. Then you might just put on a vest and be good to go OR maybe I'm nuts.

RoyJackson · Nov 18, 2011

bunchgrass said:
I'm not a cardiologist but I play one on the internet Just wondering if you can ask your Dr if there's something you could rig up to wear and block the EM field from impacting your pacemaker - similar to how lead aprons are used to block gamma radiation. Then you might just put on a vest and be good to go OR maybe I'm nuts.

Can't hurt to ask, but I've never heard of anything blocking out or negating a magnetic field except for distance...