Killer Weldz Thread

NCJeeplover said:
Looking through some old post and was wondering if you ever elaborated on this?
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Pretty simple, really. Couple this: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-inline-die-grinder-kit-53177.html

With this: http://www.harborfreight.com/large-diamond-rotary-grinding-wheel-set-4-pc-69658.html

Specifically, the tapered-edge disk. Makes a fantastic tungsten grinder for less money and less space than a dedicated bench grinder. No, it doesn't have a fancy cover with collets for specific angles, but it's $20 and works like a champ.
 
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Not the best but it will pass
 
I haven't really been welding much in the last few years due to being In Quality control.

But I feel like I still got it...

Vertical up 1/2" weld on a 1/2" DOM. tube.

20150601_175054.jpg
 
peewee said:
If you did that over the pine needles and didn't burn down the house you have skills I don't have. I weld in green grass and still start fires.
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Ha ha, not pine needles. Was the phone or at sunset I don't remember. Just grass..
 
Try the new E3 tungsten. I've been using it on everything for a couple of years now, and so far, I've been impressed. It handles heat better than pure, balls the end better than 2% Thoriated, and works exceptionally well on DC, too. Grind a short bevel, truncate the tip to about half the diameter of the tungsten, then give it full pedal on a scrap piece to help it ball. I never liked the arc characteristics of 2% thor on AC. Pure tungsten works well, but I've been using the E3 so I only have to keep one alloy on hand. The 4043 is fine for general purpose aluminum.

You're going to be giving that 165 a workout doing much .250 AL! If you start building anything with much weld area, I think you're going to find yourself in thermal shutdown frequently if you don't mind your duty cycle. I used to use a Linc 175A squarewave machine, and I could warm it up on .125 AL. I think you've got a great machine for practice and small projects, but if you try to build a bumper, you're going to find the limitations very quickly! I know you do a lot of welding at the shop, though. If you have a hookup at the LWS, see if they can get you a bottle of 50-50% Ar/He. The helium really helps the dig on AC. Don't use it on DC, but it's a great way to get a low current welder to do things it wasn't really intended to do.
 
My main intended use is on light aluminum. Really want to build some dashes and switch panels and such. Possibly a fuel cell. I wouldn't anticipate going any thicker than .125 on anything I will build, just drug out the .250 to attempt to figure out the basics of laying a bead. Since those pics I have played with a little 1/8 corner welds, (inside and outside) with/without filler just to see how things react. hell I'm not even sure if I'm grinding the tungsten right lol.


In ex....I've heard "ball the end", but not sure what our how that is achieved. ...
 
There's plenty of resources online that discuss basic TIG techniques. I'm not going to go into too much detail there, it's too easy to find elsewhere, and they do a better job than me at explaining. Tungsten prep is extremely important to good welds. I use a $20 Horrible Freight setup that I came up with for it. Cheap straight die grinder and their $10 diamond wheel assortment kit. Don't use a grinding wheel that you've ever used on anything else. You'll contaminate the tungsten and have a shitty arc. You pretty much always need filler with aluminum. It disappears pretty quickly when it gets molten. Unless you lay out your joint just right, you'll wind up with holes or thin areas rather than a good fusion weld. Just assume that any time you're welding AL, you're gonna need filler. And if the filler is old and oxidized, run over it with a fresh scotch-brite hand pad to knock the oxidation off. Aluminum is pretty picky.
 
Thanks, yep just subscribed to welding tips and tricks.com. there's also a local instructor who will come and teach/train/certify on sight with your equipment. I may give him a call this season and see what his rates are. I'm self taught mig, 20 years now, and had to fight through my bad habits all along the way. Don't know that I have 20 more years to do that with another process. ..
 
I hate flux core but, sometimes it works. Ready for open root mig/flux fill 3&4G bend test.
IMG_20151216_191633236.jpg


Bend results.

IMG_20151216_231750403.jpg


Moving onto TIG tomorrow night.
 
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hurt4x4 said:
Nice!
I just recently passed my gmaw 3G. going for fcaw next.
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I'm far enough ahead in my curriculum that I had the option to get both gmaw and fcaw at the same time. Stick was fun too. Moving onto TIG next week and have til Feb to tackle the open root 3&4 and hopefully get into pipe.
 
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