Welding thread!!!!
#1786
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southern Maryland
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Year: 1993
Engine: 4.0
Finally got to try out my welder today, it's an Eastwood mig 135 running some. 035 Flux core onto 1/8" angle iron, this is my first time welding so any pointers or tips or anything to help my welding would be appreciated.
#1788
::CF Administrator::
Practice, practice, practice.
For first time you're doing fine, keep at it. Get some flat bar or plate, and use soapstone to draw some straight lines. Run beads on those lines. The longer the better, within the duty cycle of your machine. Practice keeping those lines straight and consistent. Work the tip of the torch in small cursive e's, or whip and pause. Once you start laying consistent beads on plate, move on to overlapping welds in the horizontal position. Then start doing lap joints. Then Butt joints. Then open groove. Then take all that, and start doing horizontal, then vertical, then overhead, using all the techniques above. There is no better teacher than time under the hood.
#1789
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 563
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Year: 1993
Engine: 4.0
Practice, practice, practice.
For first time you're doing fine, keep at it. Get some flat bar or plate, and use soapstone to draw some straight lines. Run beads on those lines. The longer the better, within the duty cycle of your machine. Practice keeping those lines straight and consistent. Work the tip of the torch in small cursive e's, or whip and pause. Once you start laying consistent beads on plate, move on to overlapping welds in the horizontal position. Then start doing lap joints. Then Butt joints. Then open groove. Then take all that, and start doing horizontal, then vertical, then overhead, using all the techniques above. There is no better teacher than time under the hood.
#1790
::CF Administrator::
So we got a new plasma cutter at work, and I barely got to use it, cut some 5/8" round stainless stock on a truck and that was about it, then our shop compressor blew.
So we got this...took some time, and had to use the service truck and portable compressor for a bit, which sucked...but this bad boy is the business...
Screw drive compressor, with liquid cooling, and a built in drier, and the noise difference is AMAZING...totally quiet
So after we got it installed I finally had a chance to put the Hypertherm to the test...cut some 3/8" plate.
Pencil thin lines, no slag. Clean up after was quick and easy with the grinder. Basically just "dressing" the cut. Night and day difference from our old machine.
DADDY LIKE
So we got this...took some time, and had to use the service truck and portable compressor for a bit, which sucked...but this bad boy is the business...
Screw drive compressor, with liquid cooling, and a built in drier, and the noise difference is AMAZING...totally quiet
So after we got it installed I finally had a chance to put the Hypertherm to the test...cut some 3/8" plate.
Pencil thin lines, no slag. Clean up after was quick and easy with the grinder. Basically just "dressing" the cut. Night and day difference from our old machine.
DADDY LIKE
#1792
CF Veteran
my hypotherm is probably my favourite tool in the shop. and i've got a lot of cool tools. i use it all the time. sometimes for cuts that i can do with a grinder, but break out the plasma for fun. lol
next i want to get a cnc table for some cool plasma artwork.
next i want to get a cnc table for some cool plasma artwork.
#1794
::CF Administrator::
Start checking your local steel supply, they usually have a remnants section of stuff they've cut for customers that they can't resell or use, unless someone like you rolls up. Also hit up some welding shops, same thing...and keep your eyes peeled for people throwing things away on trash day, LOL
#1795
No, I don't lick fish.
So we got a new plasma cutter at work, and I barely got to use it, cut some 5/8" round stainless stock on a truck and that was about it, then our shop compressor blew.
So we got this...took some time, and had to use the service truck and portable compressor for a bit, which sucked...but this bad boy is the business...
Attachment 288963
Screw drive compressor, with liquid cooling, and a built in drier, and the noise difference is AMAZING...totally quiet
So after we got it installed I finally had a chance to put the Hypertherm to the test...cut some 3/8" plate.
Attachment 288964
Attachment 288965
Attachment 288966
Attachment 288967
Pencil thin lines, no slag. Clean up after was quick and easy with the grinder. Basically just "dressing" the cut. Night and day difference from our old machine.
DADDY LIKE
So we got this...took some time, and had to use the service truck and portable compressor for a bit, which sucked...but this bad boy is the business...
Attachment 288963
Screw drive compressor, with liquid cooling, and a built in drier, and the noise difference is AMAZING...totally quiet
So after we got it installed I finally had a chance to put the Hypertherm to the test...cut some 3/8" plate.
Attachment 288964
Attachment 288965
Attachment 288966
Attachment 288967
Pencil thin lines, no slag. Clean up after was quick and easy with the grinder. Basically just "dressing" the cut. Night and day difference from our old machine.
DADDY LIKE
Start checking your local steel supply, they usually have a remnants section of stuff they've cut for customers that they can't resell or use, unless someone like you rolls up. Also hit up some welding shops, same thing...and keep your eyes peeled for people throwing things away on trash day, LOL
Well... okay... I couldn't get mad really, 'cause they hooked me up on my driver's door hinge before I even HAD a welder, but I was a little put off 'cause pound for pound, I'm sure whatever they get from the scrap guy was minuscule compared to what I'd have been willing to pay 'em for some. But hey... no is no.
Couple of months later, they relocated. After they moved everything out and I hadn't seen anyone return in a while, I went and walked the yard and parking lot with a 5 gallon bucket.... filled it full with bits and pieces of scrap perfect for just running beads on. Even wound up with a little bit of aluminum.
Cracked me up 'cause that's all I was after was the crap that fell on the ground, but they were so quick to dismiss me... guess I got the last laugh on that one
#1796
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: Golen 4.6L
If you can't find a local metal supplier willing to let you have some scrap or sell it to you cheaply, Lincoln actually has a non-profit, The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation (JFLF), that sells a kit you can use for practice. The kit is pretty small, but they're already cut up into coupons to practice beads and joints. Cost is $7.50 each + shipping, which drops to $4.50 each + shipping if you buy more than 10 at a time.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
#1797
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 563
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
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Year: 1993
Engine: 4.0
If you can't find a local metal supplier willing to let you have some scrap or sell it to you cheaply, Lincoln actually has a non-profit, The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation (JFLF), that sells a kit you can use for practice. The kit is pretty small, but they're already cut up into coupons to practice beads and joints. Cost is $7.50 each + shipping, which drops to $4.50 each + shipping if you buy more than 10 at a time.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
#1798
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 280
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Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
So I've been building a DIY bumper. Learning a little as I go along. Previously I've never had to fill corner joints to reduce grind work. Given a little time I ended up with these.
3/16" corner joint w/ about a .01" gap using .035" wire.
3/16" corner joint w/ about a .01" gap using .035" wire.
Last edited by indeepwithajeep; 05-28-2016 at 06:03 PM.
#1799
No, I don't lick fish.
If you can't find a local metal supplier willing to let you have some scrap or sell it to you cheaply, Lincoln actually has a non-profit, The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation (JFLF), that sells a kit you can use for practice. The kit is pretty small, but they're already cut up into coupons to practice beads and joints. Cost is $7.50 each + shipping, which drops to $4.50 each + shipping if you buy more than 10 at a time.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
#1800
CF Veteran
If you can't find a local metal supplier willing to let you have some scrap or sell it to you cheaply, Lincoln actually has a non-profit, The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation (JFLF), that sells a kit you can use for practice. The kit is pretty small, but they're already cut up into coupons to practice beads and joints. Cost is $7.50 each + shipping, which drops to $4.50 each + shipping if you buy more than 10 at a time.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.
Learn to Weld With Project Kits From JFLF
Personally, I think I would burn through one of those kits pretty fast if I were using it to try to learn from scratch, but I'm considering ordering some kits to keep around for use when setting up my machine and running test beads to make sure I'm in the ballpark before welding something important.