Weld Table Rust?

[dieselscout80]

It seems to be the wire speed as the issue, I only have .030" wire and the tables on the door only cover .030" and .035" wire but if you went down to .023" or .025" wire that would increase the speed so I think you'd be in better shape. I have monkeyed with the settings from recommended by increasing the speed to just over 100in/min and dropped the voltage a touch and it welded better, would just take some playing with settings... If you understand what is going on and are aware of it I'm sure it's something that can be overcome, the welders are solid units and weld very smooth. The gun on my 170 has a switch issue I haven't dug into too far yet but I got that thing in an open box sale for like $125 so I've taken to trying to break it kinda, it's been ran on a 4000 watt generator to the point of stalling the generator several times, used in the sand dunes camping fixing wheeling rigs several times, only issue I've had is the trigger recently...

Thanks

I guess if I can keep my old Craftsman 120 volt / 140 amp mig until I got it figured out.

My old weld duty cycle only 20% and that’s a pain to deal with.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Thanks

I guess if I can keep my old Craftsman 120 volt / 140 amp mig until I got it figured out.

My old weld duty cycle only 20% and that’s a pain to deal with.

Has it ever cut off from thermal overload? I've given zero care about duty cycle on any welder I've ran... sure I've thought about it but haven't acted on it

It's hard to beat an old transformer unit unless you have to drag it around since they're bigger and heavier... If you don't need to be more portable I'm not sure there's much of a difference if it still works...

 

[dieselscout80]

Has it ever cut off from thermal overload? I've given zero care about duty cycle on any welder I've ran... sure I've thought about it but haven't acted on it

It's hard to beat an old transformer unit unless you have to drag it around since they're bigger and heavier... If you don't need to be more portable I'm not sure there's much of a difference if it still works...

Yes it shuts off due to thermal and have to wait for it to cool down and start again.

 

[5030]

Running mostly 5 cylinder manifolds at work is similar because all cylinders will equalize.

If a cylinder could talk as some I come across date from the early 1900’s

I’ve posted before the picture of a Linde medical Oxygen Cylinder dated 1930’s with ******** imprint… maybe on a U-Boot or Africa Core?

When cylinders no longer hydro they make awesome wind chimes.

They also make excellent bowling ball cannons that I won't allude to on here...lol

 

[gstrom99]

Yes it shuts off due to thermal and have to wait for it to cool down and start again.

I'll keep my old transformer style Ben Parsons 160amp unit. It's never cut out due to any "heat/duty cycle", and I've ran it hard sometimes. I never could get .023" wire to work. It wouldn't feed and would just turn into a wire ball. .030" works well for everything I've welded up (body work too).

 

[rangerfredbob]

Since I was welding some dumb thin stuff yesterday (pull start housing for a 10hp Briggs) I looked at the chart and had to play with the settings and there's settings for .025" wire and those speeds should feed fine

 

[MoArk Willy]

You might consider a light coat of WD-40. It is not a lubricant, its purpose is water displacement. In addition to spray cans you can purchase it by the gallon.

From the WD-40 website:
"WD-40 Multi-Use Product protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck parts, displaces moisture and lubricates almost anything. WD-40 Multi-Use Product 5-Gallon Pail is best used for heavy duty industrial jobs uses that require repeated treatment."

 

[RayIN]

I mean, you can always let it surface rust a little and just take a flapper wheel on your angle grinder to it once or twice a year to clean it up. A damp rag of WD40 should hold it off for a while tho. But some of you guys sound like you keep yours slathered in oily carcinogens, lol.

The original WD40 waxy-film is non-conductive when dry. That's why it works so well drying off wet spark plug wires.

 

[deezler]

The original WD40 waxy-film is non-conductive when dry. That's why it works so well drying off wet spark plug wires.

That's a good point. It'll keep the rust dampened but then you may not have good conduction.

 

[YLee Kioti]

Anyone consider making a solution of phosphate and water and spray the table?
The phosphate will coat and seal the metal turning it black.
Same process is used for impact sockets.
I've coated diff. covers during fluid service and then paint them. No rust after a few years of driving. Under coated ZT deck, used zinc chromate and then farm implement paint, like new.
So, why not welding table? once the phosphate dries the metal is coated. If a thin spray of WD40 is desired it will help prolong the treatment and reduce moisture exposure.

 

[gengine]

Out here in Wyoming, I don't treat mine with anything, we don't have enough humidity for rust. The only time I had rust issues is when I was purposly rusting brackets for a job by soaking them in muriatic acid. The fumes lightly rusted my welding table, tools, table saw, etc. Cleaned them up with a green scotch brite pad and life was good.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

From the WD-40 website:
"WD-40 Multi-Use Product protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck parts, displaces moisture and lubricates almost anything. WD-40 Multi-Use Product 5-Gallon Pail is best used for heavy duty industrial jobs uses that require repeated treatment."

I wouldn't trust that. What a manufacturer will say is not always the same as the truth. WD-40 is a Swiss Army knife type of fluid. It does lots of things, but not many well.

WD-40 evaporates quickly, leaving a very light film of a waxy substance behind. A lubricant that evaporates is not desirable.

I can see why they would want people to use it to lubricate things. Imagine how much money oil companies would make if engine oil evaporated as fast as WD-40.

I buy it by the gallon, mostly for machining, so I know how fast it dries up.

As for Harbor Freight welders, I bought a Titanium 200 Unlimited, which does stick, MIG, and DC TIG. I already had a Lincoln MIG and an AlphaTIG, but I like toys, and I thought a Chinese welder would be good for backup as well as 120V MIG. Titanium welders have very short warranties, which sets them apart from Vulcan, but I have a basic knowledge of electronics, and I figured I could probably replace any bad components.

I love the Titanium. I rarely use the Lincoln. The Titanium has a nice nimble torch, and I like the digital display. I have different wires in my MIG's, so I am less likely to have to replace a spool. It has worked out great for me.

I'm a hack welder, but I have fabricated a bunch of things, so I know a little about MIG. I have seen claims that red and blue welders give welds that look better when cut open and etched, though. Don't know if it's true.

Nobody is certifying my welds, so it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Jrasband]

I do not treat mine, so far it has no rust on it and it is under a roof outside.

This table is awesome, check it out, it is well worth the price.

Lincoln Electric Portable Welding Table

An adjustable height, strength to hold 500 pounds and 200+ mounting holes and slots, this is the workbench for you. It’s built to last, simple to set up and designed to meet the needs of a plethora of projects. It's the perfect helping hand in the shop or wherever a job takes you.12 ga plated...

north40.com

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

There is an engineering genius named Dan Gelbart, and he makes Youtube videos. Recently, he posted a video of obscure shop tips, and he dropped a surprise. He said the way to protect machines from rust was to spray them with a weak lye solution. He said rust can't form in a basic environment. Pretty amazing.

 

[WranglerX]

I user mine as a work table almost daily.... Keeps the top scuffed and rust at bay....

 

[YanmarFever]

Plowboy, trappers have been soaking their traps in a lye solution for years, they dont rust.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

And somehow using lye is not well known. How can that be? I have been discussing this topic with knowledgeable people since maybe 2007, and I didn't hear of this until this year.