Welding Tips and Tricks

Ever get one of those little metal slivers in your hand that are so small you can barely see them, but they hurt like heck if you push on them the wrong way?
You want to pull it out, but all of the tweezers are missing because your co-workers or bosses kid has taken them to smoke roaches out back....

Never fear, Good Shop Tips are here!

Good Shop Tip #1) Calipers make great tweezers.

Great. Thanks.

I'll find my calipers out back with a crispy roach in them...

You're a lot of help!

My #4 hemostat is missing. That was my go-to tool for removing things from my skin.

Did you look out back?

delraydella wrote:Did you look out back?

Yes, actually...

A disposable razor can snag metal slivers as well.

some emery paper work well

if you're like me, your shop is also the family garage.. so you end up with a lotta extra junk..

Here's a tip for getting fishing poles out of the way...

Some shelf brackets, different sized PVC pipe, and a piece of wood..

Good lord! My wife would tell her I have a DNR order!

I want your health plan, WerkSpace!

Hey,

My tip is for any would be rock climbers.... throw your ropes away and get a Mig gun. Ever notice how those things get snagged on the littlest obstruction and hang on like they are glued there. I know you should do a dry run and all that, but I always forget.

Mick

As mentioned on a previous post, a block of camphor in your toolbox keeps your tools from rusting.
As the camphor evaporates, it coats your tools with a very fine mist of camphor oil.
These camphor blocks are available at your local drug store for a buck or two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rvitqo7mSo

"... Keeping rust off your tools. (...) Keep small amounts of solid (block-style) camphor in the drawers of your tool boxes and cabinets. Camphor gives off fumes that will form a rust preventative coating on all your tools. It's available from many woodworking catalogs, as well as your local pharmacy. (...) Keep the camphor in ordinary, small medicine bottles, like those used for prescription medications. Drill a series of small holes in the lid (or the bottom) to allow the camphor fumes to escape and permeate the drawer or cabinet: (...)

CAUTION: Camphor fumes can be dangerous under certain conditions. Be sure to read and understand all of the instructions that come with the camphor prior to using it. ..."

Source: http://www.cabinetshoptips.com/

I saw this disc grinder adapter on YouTube.
It looks like it could have a lot of uses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ5Fu7TYuGQ

I see this all the time at work. A few air tools laying on a bench, nipple facing them, grab a grinder and start grinding all that dust right into the nipples. Pretty fast way to kill an air tool.

Same could be said for the air tool holders that hold the tools by the nipple. Put a cap of some sort over the nipple to keep the dust out.

For those tiny slivers use a piece of tape. Any tape really, but electrical and duct tape have been the best.

Put it over the sliver, rud onto skin, wait a minute or two and rip the tape off in the opposite direction of the paid....

CARS wrote:I see this all the time at work. A few air tools laying on a bench, nipple facing them, grab a grinder and start grinding all that dust right into the nipples. Pretty fast way to kill an air tool.

Same could be said for the air tool holders that hold the tools by the nipple. Put a cap of some sort over the nipple to keep the dust out.

a simple and cheap solution is to use the cap from a dried out sharpie marker.. They'll fit most nipples.

reddtigger wrote:

CARS wrote:I see this all the time at work. A few air tools laying on a bench, nipple facing them, grab a grinder and start grinding all that dust right into the nipples. Pretty fast way to kill an air tool.

Same could be said for the air tool holders that hold the tools by the nipple. Put a cap of some sort over the nipple to keep the dust out.

a simple and cheap solution is to use the cap from a dried out sharpie marker.. They'll fit most nipples.

That's a keeper. There's no shortage of dried-up sharpies at my work!

Steve S

Any of you guys ever anneal aluminum? We use a lot of 11 gauge and 1/4" such as 5052. Often times, I have to make a warped or curved fit, say, for a band-aid repair on an irregular casting. Instead of using the soot method, I just take a MAPP torch and heat it to where the 'flame' itself starts turning orange where it contacts the metal. Quench it and it becomes very pliable, even by hand. This also works with solid rod for making hardware or tie down hooks and closed loops. There is a shelf life for annealed aluminum. After so many weeks or months, much of it's temper will return, if the welding and slow cooling doesn't restore some of it. Sometimes, I have to make attachment flanges that fit into radius'd inside corners. You can bend it by hand around a piece of pipe close to the same radius as the curve, or even just eyeball it, or force fit it.

The possibilities are endless once you get a feel for it.

My wife would not have to tell Her, just fill out the Coroners paperwork for an "accident".