Welding Tips and Tricks

Thinking about this one at the link below. They have a few different sizes and come from various sources (Ebay/Amazon, etc.)...all seem generic, though.

Anybody have good or bad experiences with them?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30KG-80W-Rotar ... SwavReQW5v

Interested to know as well, looks like everything you need for at least 1/2 the cost

I haven't so don't want to mislead you. I recently picked up a purging/repositioning fixture at auction for $25 when I bought a machine, I wasn't actually sure what it was at the online auction (really bad), but thought the Dayton motor and control was worth $25. Later I figured that the stainless was probably worth something as well. I haven't used it, but was able to figure out it must be a purging fixture as it has a gas connector on the end. It's setup for pipe best I can tell. And a bit rusty, it was sitting outside is my guess. I bought a South Bend lathe that was such a great value, I didn't care if this was useless... Too bad you're not closer, I'd sell it to you for what I paid for it, although not certain if it works.
I mainly wanted to point out to you in case you didn't know, certiflat sells a fixture that you can weld yourself. You can use a cordless drill on it, or connect a motor to the gear shaft. Might be worth checking out as you could easily do this yourself and it's cheaper than the Chinese unit you linked to, but not as turnkey.

You can read about it if you haven't seen it, on their web page I am adding a linky to (can't figure out how to create a linky pic here on WTAT).

https://weldtables.com/collections/clam ... e-everyman

Alan, that's a nice little kit from certiflat! I may even be able to use that for some light duty machining operations as well...would have to see how rigid it all is when operational. Thanks for sharing that.

And yes, I too wish you were closer! Definitely would take you up on that positioner

Spartan wrote:Alan, that's a nice little kit from certiflat! I may even be able to use that for some light duty machining operations as well...would have to see how rigid it all is when operational. Thanks for sharing that.

It's 1/4" plate, so suspect quite a bit stronger/rigid than the thin wall tubing used on the Chinese one. It is a project to be fair, but it's tab-n-slot, so not a huge project.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Spartan wrote:Alan, that's a nice little kit from certiflat! I may even be able to use that for some light duty machining operations as well...would have to see how rigid it all is when operational. Thanks for sharing that.

It's 1/4" plate, so suspect quite a bit stronger/rigid than the thin wall tubing used on the Chinese one. It is a project to be fair, but it's tab-n-slot, so not a huge project.

I've seen some of their videos, and seems like their tab and slot system (which they use on almost everything) works quite well and makes for really easy fit ups. I've considered in the past some of their smaller 2x3' table kits they sell to serve as mobile welding tables to move around the shop and semi-dedicate to specific customer jigs so I can just leave the setups in place. I should pull the trigger on that...

I looked at the bamboo ones a while back. Some of them look like they are light in construction but might be ok. My biggest criticism of them was none of them were able to turn down below 2 rpm. That might be ok for mig or stick but too fast for tig.
So I decided to build my own on the cheap.

Coldman wrote:I looked at the bamboo ones a while back. Some of them look like they are light in construction but might be ok. My biggest criticism of them was none of them were able to turn down below 2 rpm. That might be ok for mig or stick but too fast for tig.
So I decided to build my own on the cheap.

I too took issue with a lot of the cheaper positioners not going slow enough as I was researching, but the generics in the link in my OP advertise 0.5 RPM, which is attractive if it really does it (while also maintaining power and consistency). I'm close to pulling the trigger and finding out.

Welp, I just pulled the trigger on the one at the link in my original post.

I'll update if it is junk or not.

Good luck waiting to hear.

Surprisingly, FedEx tracking says it will arrive this Wednesday, 5/13. I thought for sure it would be one of those 20+ day shipping affairs from overseas even though it said the item was located in Cali. I paid $590 total for it through a best offer negotiation (List price at the time was $600 I think), and noticed they upped the price to $705 right after I bought it. Interesting.

Anyway, I'll have a full report after I get my hands on it for a few days.

Spartan wrote:
Anyway, I'll have a full report after I get my hands on it for a few days.

Looking forward to that

Finally received it yesterday after FedEx had it delayed about 30 miles from my house for a week. Who knows why...

It's not good. Came really beat up as it was loose in the crate, wiring is terrible, a lot of slop in the gear drive to set the angle, and foot pedal was unusable...luckily I had another pedal I could use. A few things had to be soldered, machined and tweaked just to get it turning.

I'll update with more details and pics soon. But for now, recommend avoiding these.

Maybe $590 gets you the beat up unit.

Coldman wrote:Maybe $590 gets you the beat up unit.

That was cold...oh wait, you are the Coldman!

Coldman wrote:Maybe $590 gets you the beat up unit.

LOL! Yeah, guess I should have paid the full $600 asking price. They're actually bumped up to $705 now if I recall. a more appropriate value I've seen out of it so far...maybe $200. Took a couple hours just to get it to turn.

Yer, the low ball bamboo price is a big temptation that mostly we come to regret. Still if you can get it going ok with some mods it might turn out to be useful.

Spartan wrote:Finally received it yesterday after FedEx had it delayed about 30 miles from my house for a week. Who knows why...

It's not good. Came really beat up as it was loose in the crate, wiring is terrible, a lot of slop in the gear drive to set the angle, and foot pedal was unusable...luckily I had another pedal I could use. A few things had to be soldered, machined and tweaked just to get it turning.

I'll update with more details and pics soon. But for now, recommend avoiding these.

That’s because it literally fell off the back of the truck and got lost in a ditch for a week, before the driver found it again.

Spartan wrote:LOL! Yeah, guess I should have paid the full $600 asking price. They're actually bumped up to $705 now if I recall. a more appropriate value I've seen out of it so far...maybe $200. Took a couple hours just to get it to turn.

Can't you just return it to them?

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Spartan wrote:LOL! Yeah, guess I should have paid the full $600 asking price. They're actually bumped up to $705 now if I recall. a more appropriate value I've seen out of it so far...maybe $200. Took a couple hours just to get it to turn.

Can't you just return it to them?

I could, but I'll just modify and tweak it until it works great. 80% there already.

After I've invested $1,000 worth of my own time into doing that, I'll only be in the hole $400 compared to if I had just bought the quality positioner for $1200 in the first place.

Spartan wrote:I could, but I'll just modify and tweak it until it works great. 80% there already.

After I've invested $1,000 worth of my own time into doing that, I'll only be in the hole $400 compared to if I had just bought the quality positioner for $1200 in the first place.

Here's 2 in my area, one they are asking $1300 cash. The other one could probably get for $600. I know location is everything...we see that type of stuff as NASA does a bunch of stuff over at Moffet Field and I think there's some SpaceX work also, not sure. NASA definitely.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bfs/d/ ... 65622.html

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Spartan wrote:I could, but I'll just modify and tweak it until it works great. 80% there already.

After I've invested $1,000 worth of my own time into doing that, I'll only be in the hole $400 compared to if I had just bought the quality positioner for $1200 in the first place.

Here's 2 in my area, one they are asking $1300 cash. The other one could probably get for $600. I know location is everything...we see that type of stuff as NASA does a bunch of stuff over at Moffet Field and I think there's some SpaceX work also, not sure. NASA definitely.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bfs/d/ ... 65622.html

Yep. Wish I had things like that in my area (MD). Kept my eye out for a long time on both CL and Ebay for a used one within 100 miles...and nothing even came close.

Spartan wrote:Yep. Wish I had things like that in my area (MD). Kept my eye out for a long time on both CL and Ebay for a used one within 100 miles...and nothing even came close.

You do realize, I'm sure, that once you buy something one will show up 5 miles from your house for $200.

Latest WTAT podcast, they talk about tools. Jody talks about a positioner/turntable is at 44:00 into the podcast.

Holy flock Spartan, look at this positioner!

(linky pic)