Welding Tips and Tricks

I no longer can walk or stand so all my machines need to be at sit down level. I needed a new welding/work chair so I first built the saw stand then the new chair, both have worked out great for me.

Nice work! Awesome shop you have too. How do you work in a shop so clean Is that a Miller 250 mig I see in the background? I had one and I really miss it. Also, what make is that little mini- belt sander? I just bought an air powered one from Eastwood ...Makitas electric was waaaayyy too expensive so I went air powered.

Nice work there One of a kind. And I also like seeing that clean shop and know it isn't easy keeping it that way. I too am interested in the make and model of that little mini belt sander. I have a broken air operated tool that someone gave me but it is impossible to find parts for it. I was going to adapt it to an electric tool at one point when I get caught up if that ever happens...

Nice shop. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a machinist. Quite the setup too. Like 4 welders, drill press, mill, press, heavy table

Thanks for the compliments on the shop guys, I had it built back in 2003. It's 24 X40 X 11 feet high. Because I need to wheel myself around the shop I have to keep things picked up and the floor swept. My welding equipment: miller MM251, MM180, MM172 Challenger and a Miller 180 SD..... I also have an Everlast 255 EXT and a Longevity 140? 120/220 stick machine and a Hypertherm 600 plasma cutter. The Miller equipment is 2003 and 2007 vintage.

My belt grinder is a Dynabrade electric belt grinder. It's one of my handiest/favorite tools, it was a bit over $200 about 5 years ago as I recall. If I would have known at the time HF made one I would have given theirs a try.



https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Bandf ... B01M0VBVOD

Farmwelding wrote:Nice shop. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a machinist. Quite the setup too. Like 4 welders, drill press, mill, press, heavy table

See! You can be a nerd right along with us! You have a good start anyway. Perservere in your quest and you will rise to the top. Pickin our old man brains might even help you a bit Just don't ask advice about what to wear to the bar on Friday night

exnailpounder wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:Nice shop. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a machinist. Quite the setup too. Like 4 welders, drill press, mill, press, heavy table

See! You can be a nerd right along with us! You have a good start anyway. Perservere in your quest and you will rise to the top. Pickin our old man brains might even help you a bit Just don't ask advice about what to wear to the bar on Friday night

You talk about being a nerd with you guys. I am well aware that I am a welding nerd. Everyday I end up watching or re-watching some welding video, checking the forum, reading something or talking about welding. I had this conversation with my teacher when I proved to him about knurled drive rollers. Another student who doesn't weld stood there and asked if I knew more about welding than my teacher. My teacher kind of looked at me and immediately defended himself saying that the only reason I do know more is that I spend so much time doing and looking. It is kind of sad to think that in my short life of 17 years, I know more than my instructor and he admits it. He has to admit it because it is so true. I came back from my one class at tech school and it was always "well how did you do that" or "you gotta teach me that." I find myself setting up machines now since I have watched how to do it so many times. Or like today when I told about y pans to try spray transfer, I had to tell him how spray transfer worked. My teachers "rule" is for any one who goes into a field he teaches that the student needs to come back and teach him something. Well I guess I have followed his rules.

One of a kind wrote: My belt grinder is a Dynabrade electric belt grinder. It's one of my handiest/favorite tools, it was a bit over $200 about 5 years ago as I recall. If I would have known at the time HF made one I would have given theirs a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Bandf ... B01M0VBVOD

Thanks for that link I never knew they made this in an electric version, last shop I worked had pneumatic Dynabrade belt grinders, they are the sh$t!!

For $60 this is a steal.

Welding isn't hard. No one here invented welding. We just keep reporting on what we do. In the welding world, I am just a broken shit fixer and every now and then I get to fab something but I love all of it. Welding lets me use my brain because I need to be a rudimentary metalurgist to do my job no matter what comes my way and then I need to know physics to make sure what I do isn't a waste of time and.....oh yeah...I need to do some math...don't want to step on anybodies meat here...to make sure I do the job right. There are far worse places for your mind to be than wanting to be a welder.

exnailpounder wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:Nice shop. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a machinist. Quite the setup too. Like 4 welders, drill press, mill, press, heavy table

See! You can be a nerd right along with us! You have a good start anyway. Perservere in your quest and you will rise to the top. Pickin our old man brains might even help you a bit Just don't ask advice about what to wear to the bar on Friday night

You got that right, I'm strictly a bibs and flannel shirt guy. My daughter shops for my dress clothes at a used clothing store, the clothing has hardly been worn or maybe never worn and popular brands, unbelievable clothing values.

It takes time and Christmas and birthday money to build a shop, every bit helps.

exnailpounder wrote:Welding isn't hard. No one here invented welding. We just keep reporting on what we do. In the welding world, I am just a broken shit fixer and every now and then I get to fab something but I love all of it. Welding lets me use my brain because I need to be a rudimentary metalurgist to do my job no matter what comes my way and then I need to know physics to make sure what I do isn't a waste of time and.....oh yeah...I need to do some math...don't want to step on anybodies meat here...to make sure I do the job right. There are far worse places for your mind to be than wanting to be a welder.

Pretty much the way I see it too exnailpounder.

LtBadd wrote:

One of a kind wrote: My belt grinder is a Dynabrade electric belt grinder. It's one of my handiest/favorite tools, it was a bit over $200 about 5 years ago as I recall. If I would have known at the time HF made one I would have given theirs a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Bandf ... B01M0VBVOD

Thanks for that link I never knew they made this in an electric version, last shop I worked had pneumatic Dynabrade belt grinders, they are the sh$t!!

For $60 this is a steal.

You're welcome, if my Dynabrade ever goes bad I'll give them a try.

Lol, good luck on your Dynabrade wearing out, at least anytime soon. I've had their pneumatic version for years and it still performs as new, have one of their pneumatic DA polishers too bought used from a local plant that was using it 7 days a week, still going strong!...