Welding Tips and Tricks

I built this welding table out of scrap to build shooting targets. I used 1/2 inch diamond plate aluminum for the top 10 gauge for the bottom shelf and 1 1/4 inch angle for the structure.

Here are some of the welds I didn't clean the mill scale because I don't have time nothing special about these just consistent ran downhill and flat. .035 ER 70 S6 wire 230 IPM. Sorry I posted in the wrong section I will post tig welds this weekend when I work on some aluminum.

jlhawtho wrote:Here are some of the welds I didn't clean the mill scale because I don't have time nothing special about these just consistent ran downhill and flat. .035 ER 70 S6 wire 230 IPM.

Except that's MIG, and you've put it in the TIG subforum...

Steve S

I broke one of those once.

Otto Nobedder wrote:

jlhawtho wrote:Here are some of the welds I didn't clean the mill scale because I don't have time nothing special about these just consistent ran downhill and flat. .035 ER 70 S6 wire 230 IPM.

Except that's MIG, and you've put it in the TIG subforum...

Steve S

Oh sorry about that I made a mistake I finally found the stick welding pictures section and I assume there is a mig I will search for that sorry guys.

Tig'd up some 20 gauge copper sheet to form a tank for a home made tig cooler. Don't have a folder or guillotine so couldn't do it with laps and solder. Silver brazing and lead solder didn't work so well with butt joints, copper just warped and moved everywhere.

Anyway I welded it up and it doesn't leak which is the main thing. Some of the welds are pretty ugly, actually most of them. Its a mix of fusion welding and some bits where I used filler. After today, were I to do it again would have just used filler on the lot but its good to know its fine without. Fairly ductile so it doesn't crack if you don't use the filler.

Brazed in some nipples. One for the pump supply, one for the bypass return line, one for the return from the radiator and a big one on top that will be plugged once tank is filled.

Its rather ironic that the one thing that would have made this easier is a smaller water cooled torch like the CK 250A I have sitting in a box rather than the giant air cooled Binzel one I had to use. Not so good on delicate work, and it along with everything else like the clamps and aluminium etc got smoking hot. Not the tig finger clamped on where I was propping my elbow. Hopefully have this project done soon so I can start using the new torch.

Made a suggestion in the Wish List for a video on some light copper tig welding. Not much of it on the Tube at all and what's there isn't that great. Which is a shame. Copper is very versatile especially with respect to brazing, bending, shaping etc. Can see myself using it for a lot of little projects.

Nicely done, Rupes.

I hear you on the pain of the big torch. All my work is smallish stuff ( usually motorcycle related) but the torch that came standard with my machine is a size 26 as big as a claw hammer.

Got a teensy size 9 on the way soon. Can't wait!

So...any tips on where to get copper at a decent price?



Kym

Rupes....welcome to the forum. I have done a little copper welding on some fittings, you had your hands full on that box! Copper in and of itself is no harder to weld than anything else, its the heat conduction that makes it so tricky. I don't do enough to warrant buying deoxegenated copper rods so I just strip wire and use that for filler. Fill us in on the particulars. I am always interested when someone welds something other than steel, SS or aluminum. Hope to see your finished product. Nice work!

Kym....there is no such thing as a decent price on copper Coppers base metal price is really low right now but the suppliers don't lower their prices accordingly so we still pay through the nose for it.

Yeah, no such thing as cheap copper. I'm a plumber and get about $7 a kilo as scrap which is pretty good. I've bought some heavy bits of copper bar from Brass and Copper here in Sydney for around $20 a kilo.

They also had a sheet of 1800 x 900 x 1.6mm for $340+gst. Didn't want to spend that much so found a cladding place on the northern beaches but they only have .55 and .9. They quoted $132 a square meter for the .9, that's about $16.50 a kilo. They said send through an email with the size and we'll get it ready for you. Email sent, 8 minutes later an invoice comes back $105 or something for the 1m x .8m along with a cutting and handling fee of $98 I rang them straight up and cancelled, they said something along the lines of its already cut blah blah. Was going to just leave it I was that ticked off but went there anyway to blow up about it. They decided to drop the price to $130 total. Still ticked off but no where near as much. Who charges $98 to cut a bit of copper off a coil?

That cutting charge is nasty!

I'm lucky, my local steel and aluminium guy often gives me deals on stuff or even off cuts for free. He says "You're learning to weld? I'll look after you now, because you'll be back for big stuff eventually!"

Smart man. But he doesn't carry copper.


Kym

ok you two guys Rupes and MosquitoMoto, one of you needs to use a profile pic turning the other way, I'm confusing you two... lol

Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

Poland308 wrote:Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

I prefer let go of the trans brake, foot to the floor, pull the chute, apply brakes

Poland308 wrote:Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

I prefer let go of the trans brake, foot to the floor, pull the chute, apply brakes

I hate right handers though

Some more 316L 1.50" sanitary

Rick_H wrote:

Poland308 wrote:Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

I prefer let go of the trans brake, foot to the floor, pull the chute, apply brakes

ok I'm guessing Poland308 is an oval track guy....

...and Rick_H, you're my style, but don't you mean, Foot to the floor, then let go of the TB?... (What kind of car do you run? I'm guessing with a chute you're probably in the 8's or quicker)

Rupes wrote:I hate right handers though

ha! well you could just do a mirror image of yourself doing a left hander, it would just look like you're doing a right hander

raticus wrote:

Rick_H wrote:

Poland308 wrote:Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

I prefer let go of the trans brake, foot to the floor, pull the chute, apply brakes

ok I'm guessing Poland308 is an oval track guy....

...and Rick_H, you're my style, but don't you mean, Foot to the floor, then let go of the TB?... (What kind of car do you run? I'm guessing with a chute you're probably in the 8's or quicker)

Yeah foot on the floor first gotta build some boost. I have a 25.5 SFI chassis 91 mustang gt, new build is 32v 4 cam mod motor with a 98mm turbo, should make 1300ish hp

I also have a GSXR 1000 and thinking about it I prefer left over right turns too....weird

Poland308 wrote:Drive fast turn left. Brake. Turn left.

Nope nope nope thats not how you go left. Use throttle to brake it loose then you go left by turning right and applying throttle. Brakes are used for pulling into pits

What I welded today:
My first weave ever. In the corner of an angle scrap. I forgot to turn on the gas, so there's porosity at the start. I touched the tungsten at the end. I didn't add enough filler, so there's undercut. Oh, and don't forget the mill scale! Lol! I pondered putting this in the "what the hell were you thinking" thread, but didn't. It's been about a year and a half since I did any DC TIG, but this is going to be great fun having it set up at home!

Nathan -

Hell, I'd be happy with that! You oughta see some of my stuff!

And to all of you brake/turn guys, it goes like this;

"Wait until you see God, then brake. Never touch the rear, it's only for scrutineers."

Right handlers, left handlers, happy with either, just give me lots of them.



Kym