Search found 3096 matches

by cj737
Tue Oct 10, 2023 9:00 am
Forum: Stick Welding/Arc Welding - Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Topic: generators
Replies: 2
Views: 8948

Re: generators

The issue is with the generator and not much you can do to it/about it to overcome the current capacity. Not all generators will run welding machines, even when they advertise ample range. I’ve had a similar issue with running a power saw on a generator in the field to cut steel. Damn thing wouldn’t...
by cj737
Sun Oct 01, 2023 2:46 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Lincoln Square Wave 200 Inverter Tig read out
Replies: 4
Views: 6303

Re: Lincoln Square Wave 200 Inverter Tig read out

If it doesn’t have that, then does your amperage vary at the torch with more or less pedal depressed? Set the amperage to 150, then only depress the pedal a small amount. Is the arc strength behaving correctly? I don’t have that machine so I’m asking some routine questions. If the display isn’t chan...
by cj737
Sun Sep 17, 2023 2:16 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: TIG Welding 5052 Aluminum with Brad
Replies: 4
Views: 7123

Re: TIG Welding 5052 Aluminum with Brad

Brad’s got game! I wish I loved my dogs enough to buy them some of his work… sadly, my truck needs more love than they do 😉
by cj737
Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:10 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Stainless Tig Bead
Replies: 11
Views: 9568

Re: Stainless Tig Bead

If you lay the torch back and “push” the puddle, then yes, you’ll diminish the shielding gas from protecting the puddle behind you. I’ll say it again, stainless “ain’t easy”. Heat shows all flaws in technique, equipment, speed, etc. But don’t despair, you will now be able to compare your next coupon...
by cj737
Mon Sep 11, 2023 3:31 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Stainless Tig Bead
Replies: 11
Views: 9568

Re: Stainless Tig Bead

One other nuance I notice about your beads is the torch angle. At the start, you look good, but as the heat changes, you seem to be tilting backwards causing the ridges to elongate and the HAZ to narrow. You need to be extremely sensitive to torch angle and distance with stainless. It is not toleran...
by cj737
Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:03 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Stainless Tig Bead
Replies: 11
Views: 9568

Re: Stainless Tig Bead

Start off running a bead with no filler. That will help you understand a stainless puddle, travel speed, and heat control. Once you get comfy with that, add filler. Stringers of stainless beads are very awkward. You should not ever really have a “proud” bead with stainless. Welds tend to be very flu...
by cj737
Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:45 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Stainless Tig Bead
Replies: 11
Views: 9568

Re: Stainless Tig Bead

110 amps is hot for 1/8” material. What size filler? Stainless gets hot quickly. If you are barely getting a puddle then add filler, the base will overheat before you get the puddle/filler merged. Try adding less filler or use smaller filler and add more as needed. Because the beads look “ropey” I’d...
by cj737
Thu Sep 07, 2023 7:01 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Little/no oxide area?
Replies: 8
Views: 13589

Re: Little/no oxide area?

Agree with Tweake. You have a gas flow issue. And you need to learn to taper off the amps near the end, even back step a bit while you add another dab of filler to avoid hot cracking. Aluminum is full of tricks to weld. Lastly, make sure you take some time to get your puddle before you move the torc...
by cj737
Wed Sep 06, 2023 2:12 pm
Forum: Metal Cutting
Topic: chop saw blade deflecting
Replies: 4
Views: 18177

Re: chop saw blade deflecting

I would ditch that type of blade and purchase an appropriate steel cutting blade (36-48 tooth). Those friction discs are too thick to make accurate cuts, deflect (as you discovered) under downward pressure, and basically take an age to get the job done. If you do opt for a steel cutting blade, use p...
by cj737
Tue Sep 05, 2023 7:25 am
Forum: Welding Forum General Shop Talk
Topic: Fuel Tank Material
Replies: 4
Views: 15755

Re: Fuel Tank Material

Probably every fuel tank on a boat is aluminum, so not sure why some people believe them to be rare. I’ve fabricated 4 sets of them in the past year in fact. Ally or stainless can crack due to vibration. Especially when mounted to a trailer, so that’s a “wash” in why choosing one over the other. I’d...
by cj737
Fri Aug 25, 2023 11:25 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Tig welder advice
Replies: 4
Views: 14850

Re: Tig welder advice

For certain they are work-beasts. Transformer-based machines not the newer Inverter type. You won’t have as many fancy features, but skill and technique can easily overcome those. And for hobby-do welding, are they genuinely required anyway?
by cj737
Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:27 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Chrome plated mild steel - How to Approach Welding a Crack
Replies: 6
Views: 14600

Re: Chrome plated mild steel - How to Approach Welding a Crack

For the money, function over form pays.

You can always come back and use a 1/2 belt grinder air tool or tube polisher and grind back some of the weld before having it re-chromed. Should make it all disappear.

Ultimately ought to seek a rearward support solution to avoid this in the future…
by cj737
Thu Aug 24, 2023 7:57 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Tig welder advice
Replies: 4
Views: 14850

Re: Tig welder advice

I’ve not welded with a 330, but the only serious consideration to selling both and buying a single, new multi process machine is amperage and space. Most decent multi machines will run dual voltage, need a much smaller circuit breaker, and take up far less space than your two behemoths. So if those ...
by cj737
Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:49 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Mild steel bead
Replies: 11
Views: 8181

Re: Mild steel bead

I would say torch angle to shallow, like you’re pointing ahead. You want as close to 90* whenever possible which normally results in about a 15* lean in one direction. Your grind angle is fine, and the only thing that polished grind ensures is a clean, crisp start and no wandering arc. For practice,...
by cj737
Sun Aug 20, 2023 8:40 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Mild steel bead
Replies: 11
Views: 8181

Re: Mild steel bead

Torch angle and too fast a travel speed. What grind angle do you have on your tungsten?
by cj737
Sun Aug 20, 2023 8:38 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum
Replies: 11
Views: 14702

Re: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum

Indeed those are cold forged cranks, so yes, 4943. Slug then drill and threadsert would be my approach. I’d thread the slug and lock it in. You could do that with a weld or LocTite green.
by cj737
Sun Aug 20, 2023 8:21 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: TIG Machine Question
Replies: 1
Views: 5260

Re: TIG Machine Question

Probably the more important feature would be a machine that is dual voltage. You’d find that machine is also likely to be a 200 amp box (the majority of welding is 200 or less). PrimeWeld makes a very good 225 machine, AC/DC, PULSE, etc for less than $1,000. Really hard to beat it. Can even buy it f...
by cj737
Sun Aug 20, 2023 8:18 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum
Replies: 11
Views: 14702

Re: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum

1. By slugging the hole you can locate the new hole anywhere within it to relocate the correct center. I get it that you’re concerned about the edge thickness, but that will also be a concern with welding it up then retapping it. 2. Before I venture a guess on filler, the 9/16 tapped hole threads to...
by cj737
Sat Aug 19, 2023 1:46 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Mild steel bead
Replies: 11
Views: 8181

Re: Mild steel bead

The bottom bead shows too long of a torch movement between pauses. The middle bead is better. The top bead reflects heat-soaked base metal and thus your beads are not using sufficient filler to create a chilled puddle. You can quench mild steel between practice beads to cool the metal down without i...
by cj737
Sat Aug 19, 2023 9:48 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Mild steel bead
Replies: 11
Views: 8181

Re: Mild steel bead

3/32 tungsten is perfectly fine for welding 1/8” steel. I would suspect the travel speed is the culprit for your “smooth” beads. As Jack said, add enough filler while you pause your torch movement until the bead get to the proper width then move and pause again. The slight pause is what creates the ...
by cj737
Sat Aug 19, 2023 9:45 am
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum
Replies: 11
Views: 14702

Re: Need recommendations on filling a hole in cold forged aluminum

This might sound a bit complicated, but it is how I have done similar repairs in alloys with unknown specs. Take a solid piece of 6061 and thread the outside of it. Drill your damaged hole a size larger than now, then thread it internally. Use LocTite, and thread the solid bar into the old hole. The...
by cj737
Tue Aug 15, 2023 1:19 pm
Forum: Welding Forum General Shop Talk
Topic: Apprentice welder looking for advice
Replies: 1
Views: 6556

Re: Apprentice welder looking for advice

I don't know that you will get a firm answer to your question. As a general rule, employers will look at your certifications, but also equally important is your experience with that cert in prior employment. A good employer will see you have the skills and help you build the experience. They are har...
by cj737
Thu Aug 10, 2023 7:06 pm
Forum: Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
Topic: Chrome plated mild steel - How to Approach Welding a Crack
Replies: 6
Views: 14600

Re: Chrome plated mild steel - How to Approach Welding a Crack

So does that piece support the exhaust pipe? If so, probably the weight of the exhaust (way thicker than needed tubing) is putting stress on the end since the bracket is not connected to the frame at the end. Does that make sense? Seeing the crack, I’d probably use a cut-off disc and slice into the ...