Welding Tips and Tricks

I've been skeptical to post anything about my hitch project, since I knew going into it that hitches and trucks add a great deal of risk, and from the start I was slammed by most people on welding forums. I had a failure on my flatbed when hauling a 12-ton tilt-top trailer back to my yard, and was really lucky I got it back home without any disastrous road issues.

My plan was to buy an inexpensive welder and learn to weld so I could fix it. Ok, that statement really throws welders with experience over the edge and gets their flame throwers going on the Internet. The worst forum is WeldingWeb, which I consider to be one of the most hostile forums on the Internet, only second to the chainsaw forums I've frequented.

First a picture of the damage:
The first thing I did was cut off all the bent metal, crappy welds, and basically anything that was not needed on the hitch.
I then proceeded to weld a 1/2" thick plate to the bottom of the rear extensions.
Now, at this point I started to realize I lack in some fabrication skills, because I should have used either angle or tube as it is much stronger, and I start to question my skills. I'm fine swallowing my pride, especially when I know I may be in over my head...so at this point I take the truck and talk to several welders and ask what they would do to fix it. During this time I welded the tube back on the crossmember I welded on, and welded a couple braces using tube...but still wasn't feeling the warm fuzzies on this projects...so I find a guy who for the first time doesn't say, "scrap it all, I'll weld you a hitch for $2k". Rather this guy says, "I can work with that, brace it from the back, and weld on diamond plate behind the frame, it will be rock solid. The shop was San Martin Specialty Shop, the owner is Jeff Moore. Can't say enough good stuff about this shop. He was able to salvage the work I did, so it makes me feel pretty good knowing I was able to do quite a bit of the work. This is where we got to.
This was not exactly what me and him had discussed, as I wanted the pintle hook mounted up directly between the frame extensions, but we were almost there. I left the truck with him and he welded another support behind the plate and attached the pintle hook to it (rated at 30,000 lbs). The reason I didn't want to use the receiver tube is that the tube is only rated for 15,000 lbs, so that would be my weak point.
This is when he welded the cross brace between the frame extensions, move the pintle hook up. All the trailer wiring is working 100% correctly, including the new brake controller I installed, and brakes are tested working. Jeff Moore also added a fused wire back to the trailer so I could charge the battery. He recommended not to charge while operating the winch, which is fine with me.
Winch mounted.
So, this is the bottom line for me. I bought an inexpensive Everlast welder for $550 on sale, it's an i-Tig 201. I taught myself how to weld both tig and stick with it, and although I wasn't able to complete the hitch project by myself, I only had to spend $500 to have the shop do the remainder of the welding for me, plus take care of all the wiring working correctly, and making sure the brakes are working as they should. A long time elapsed from the time I started the project until it was completed as I took one step at a time. During that time I have welded 3 different mobile bases for machines I own, was able to fix a stainless mixing bowl for my wife's KitchenAid mixer (saved almost $100 there), have used the welder for 2 projects I welded parts and turned on the lathe/mill, and the little Everlast is still going.

Here's an example of one of the mobile base frames I built for my Wilton bandsaw. I welded nuts on the frame and used some small wheel axles. Works a treat, to quote the folks on the other side of the pond.
I will be the first to admit that the customer service from Everlast is REALLY bad... And also that they were extremely rude to me on several occasions. I also realize the poor workmanship inside the welder, it's not what I would expect in a quality product. Yet, despite those downfalls, the little Everlast welder has paid for itself and continues to work for me until I can afford to buy either an HTP 221 or similar.

My truck hitch and trailer are performing as they should and I couldn't be happier. Sure, I had to swallow some pride when realizing I was in over my head, but I thank my lucky stars that I have the ability to think for myself.

A few people were helpful to me here. Mike from down under is the first name that comes to mind. Thanks for your help to all the people that have helped. I'm never going to be a professional welder, that's a given, but at least I can weld enough to do the projects I need to complete.

EDIT: Of course many thanks go to Jody Collier, it was his videos that taught me how to weld for the most part. Although many people over on the WeldingWeb make fun of people like me learning off Jody's videos, it has worked for me, but to be honest you don't really learn how to weld with Jody's videos, you need to apply it to real world projects in your own shop. That's how you really learn to weld. Anyone can watch a video, but until you actually apply it you won't be able to understand all of the issues with heat, metal, flux, filler, etc...

Cheers,
Alan

Welding is so cool. Nothing wrong with wanting to learn this skill and use it. You sought professional help when you were getting out of your depth rather than risking tragedy, so I think you made all the right moves. In the meantime you increased your skills and now you're able to tackle your own projects with more confidence. We like this kind of story round here.

A cheap junker box is sometimes a good way to start out welding, you will appreciate more the features and quality of the next power source when you upgrade.

You're right, Mike is a good guy for a dood that drinks VB

Coldman wrote:Welding is so cool. Nothing wrong with wanting to learn this skill and use it. You sought professional help when you were getting out of your depth rather than risking tragedy, so I think you made all the right moves.

Yes, I always seem to do that, but there's a lot of drama queens on the Internet and it's up to each of us to sort out the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

Coldman wrote:In the meantime you increased your skills and now you're able to tackle your own projects with more confidence. We like this kind of story round here.

Indeed, but ultimately I didn't save as much as I had planned, I did save the cost of the welder on just the hitch project alone. Some of that was also in the prep and removal of all the busted up pieces. In the end it was well worth it for me and my Neverlast is still lasting. Either way I'm more than happy with the final results of my hitch, and I have a welder to continue learning on, one day I'll upgrade.

Coldman wrote:A cheap junker box is sometimes a good way to start out welding, you will appreciate more the features and quality of the next power source when you upgrade.

Yes, and not sure what I will do when I upgrade. For the time being I will just keep the Neverlast as I am having a foundation contractor excavate and pour my foundation for my new shop/home. I've decided to invest in a 10HP Phase Perfect to power my machines before I upgrade my welder. In the past I have shy'd away from big heavy and old transformer welders as I don't have the power. But at the new shop I'll have enough power I believe, I'm trying to negotiate for 320 amps. Maybe I'll find something fall off a turnip truck.

I don't know about Mike's drink of choice, can you drink that vegemite stuff?

Cheers,
Alan

TraditionalToolworks wrote: Yes, I always seem to do that, but there's a lot of drama queens on the Internet and it's up to each of us to sort out the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

You mentioned God so I wanted to point out something to you. There are so many things wrong with this statement right here.

First, it's plain wrong that we are supposed to sort out the wheat from the chaff outside of the church, inside of the world. God plainly answered the angels who asked him whether they should pull out the weeds, "No lest you uproot the wheat in the process. Let them grow together and at the harvest you can separate them."

So it is God himself who does the separating as John the Baptist pointed out when he said, "But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire," where he was talking of the Lord individually, not any one of us.

Finally, in making this kind of judgment against the people on the internet you, yourself, become a judge simply on the basis of how they made you feel and you seek to feel better in judging them. But this is like that passage of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. You are simply acting in step with the Pharisee saying, "Oh Lord I thank you that you have not made me like them." But the scriptures point us higher when Paul said, "Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"

When we are reviled we do not curse in return but we bless. So I counsel you to not become a judge of evil thoughts as any of them might be but rather to give a small prayer for them since it was the Lord who said, "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

We ourselves are comforted in the Lord, not through our own hands and our own means but because of him who said, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay."

However, just to be sure this post is in keeping with the purpose of the thread, I wanted to comment about your process and your heart in looking to learn and do things for yourself, rather than let money live your life.

I think your welds look good and I'm surprised how much bracing is necessary to attach a hitch. I don't know much about mechanics and upgrading vehicles but I personally would have thought your first attempt would have been sufficient for the job myself. I think it looks good and trustworthy for the time to come.

"Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds." ~Psalm 141:5

trainingGrounds wrote:You mentioned God so I wanted to point out something to you. There are so many things wrong with this statement right here.

I only meant that in regard to GOD being a spiritual person for me, I don't believe in any Baptism or Church related reference. I have no idea about anything in any old books, just what my heart tells me to follow.

The hitch is something I just followed my heart. It came out how it did.

Cheers,
Alan

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I only meant that in regard to GOD being a spiritual person for me, I don't believe in any Baptism or Church related reference. I have no idea about anything in any old books, just what my heart tells me to follow.

Well now you know what being a godly person looks like. I'm sure you can understand how close the chaff looks to the wheat. I wouldn't reference a god without knowing who he is and what he requires since that might seem to him to be mocking.

Great work on that hitch though.

We didn't come to a welding forum to be preached at.

robtg wrote:We didn't come to a welding forum to be preached at.

It's alright. I didn't come to a welding forum to preach.

trainingGrounds wrote:

robtg wrote:We didn't come to a welding forum to be preached at.

It's alright. I didn't come to a welding forum to preach.

Then why did you?

robtg wrote:Then why did you?

Because he mentioned God.

trainingGrounds wrote:

robtg wrote:Then why did you?

Because he mentioned God.

I wonder what would have happened if he played Black Sabbath at 78 speed?

Coldman wrote:I wonder what would have happened if he played Black Sabbath at 78 speed?

Cleanup in isle two.

trainingGrounds wrote:

robtg wrote:Then why did you?

Because he mentioned God.

I removed the reference to GOD entirely as I am pretty sure what you believe GOD to be is NOT what I believe it to be. I've only met GOD once during an acid trip when I was in high school, does that count?

Point taken that it was a mistake to even reference GOD in today's fanatical world we live in, because surely we all believe in a different one. My bad, let's move on, it's removed.

Haha that's funny .
It's all cool no one is having a go, it's just we'd rather not mix politics and religion on this welding forum.
It's like that Alabama welding utubes. Start with great content and technique then boom they're into it thick and I'm like oh man I'm outa here.

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As long as you don't know God, do not mention him or I will certainly make it known to you what you are missing. Live your life and do whatever is right in your own eyes but whatever you do, do not mention God while you are doing that, deceiving yourself.

But hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't go be going down and think of everything as upside down. You also have to get over the fact that there are some people in this world different from you.

So nothing bad happened. The world didn't explode. You are all fine just because the word of God was spoken. It's not a sin to you is it?

You don't know me or my beliefs and you insult me by presuming that you do and preaching to me on this welding forum. Surely there's a born again forum somewhere that you can bore people on. Have you been brainwashed into babbling on at hearing a particular word?

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Coldman wrote:You don't know me or my beliefs and you insult me by presuming that you do and preaching to me on this welding forum. Surely there's a born again forum somewhere that you can bore people on. Have you been brainwashed into babbling on at hearing a particular word?

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Hold it. I said what I said about Traditionaltoolworks not you. I quoted the OP, not you. This doesn't have anything to do with you.

Had he not mentioned God I would not have said a thing. TraditionalToolworks spoke out of his freedom and I spoke out of mine.

Look, it's over already. There is no need to keep this going and make this thread something else. I spoke about HIS hitch HE made and I meant what I said. He spoke about God also in his post and his hitch and made it into something different from the beginning. Should he be able to talk about God and no one else? So I did the same and because it was not in his favor you think I ought to not have said anything.

Take the good with the bad and leave it. It's over.

[dupe removed]

Coldman wrote:You don't know me or my beliefs and you insult me by presuming that you do and preaching to me on this welding forum. Surely there's a born again forum somewhere that you can bore people on. Have you been brainwashed into babbling on at hearing a particular word?

I was just about to say Amen! But I suspect that will only make things worse.

I think me and you are on the same page...

trainingGrounds wrote: Hold it. I said what I said about Traditionaltoolworks not you. I quoted the OP, not you. This doesn't have anything to do with you.

I don't know if you have ever heard the saying, "when you're in a hole it's time to stop digging...", I think it applies here.

Look, I'm certain that my liberal view on religion is much different than yours. You're right, it was my mistake to mention GOD in the first place, but your experience is quite different than mine.

trainingGrounds wrote: Had he not mentioned God I would not have said a thing. TraditionalToolworks spoke out of his freedom and I spoke out of mine.

But now you're starting to act like a d!@$, so I need to call you out. I can only speak for myself, but I couldn't give 2 craps about religion, so I can only say I am not a religious person...WTF is wrong with our world when you mention GOD and all the sudden some holly roller comes along telling you what to believe?

trainingGrounds wrote:Take the good with the bad and leave it. It's over.

It was all good until you came along... now I'm thinking of cutting my trailer and hitch up with a torch...

Cheers,
Alan

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Coldman wrote:You don't know me or my beliefs and you insult me by presuming that you do and preaching to me on this welding forum. Surely there's a born again forum somewhere that you can bore people on. Have you been brainwashed into babbling on at hearing a particular word?

I was just about to say Amen! But I suspect that will only make things worse.

I think me and you are on the same page...

trainingGrounds wrote: Hold it. I said what I said about Traditionaltoolworks not you. I quoted the OP, not you. This doesn't have anything to do with you.

I don't know if you have ever heard the saying, "when you're in a hole it's time to stop digging...", I think it applies here.

Look, I'm certain that my liberal view on religion is much different than yours. You're right, it was my mistake to mention GOD in the first place, but your experience is quite different than mine.

trainingGrounds wrote: Had he not mentioned God I would not have said a thing. TraditionalToolworks spoke out of his freedom and I spoke out of mine.

But now you're starting to act like a d!@$, so I need to call you out. I can only speak for myself, but I couldn't give 2 craps about religion, so I can only say I am not a religious person...WTF is wrong with our world when you mention GOD and all the sudden some holly roller comes along telling you what to believe?

trainingGrounds wrote:Take the good with the bad and leave it. It's over.

It was all good until you came along... now I'm thinking of cutting my trailer and hitch up with a torch...

Cheers,
Alan

Yah, you are right. You should have never mentioned God. Watch out for the holy people. They are everywhere. Good luck with your hitch.

"Yah, you are right. You should have never mentioned God. Watch out for the holy people. They are everywhere. Good luck with your hitch."

What if he mentioned Allah,would that get your panties in a twist?

robtg wrote:"Yah, you are right. You should have never mentioned God. Watch out for the holy people. They are everywhere. Good luck with your hitch."

What if he mentioned Allah,would that get your panties in a twist?

What if the truth was spoken to you? Would that get your panties in a twist?

trainingGrounds wrote:

robtg wrote:"Yah, you are right. You should have never mentioned God. Watch out for the holy people. They are everywhere. Good luck with your hitch."

What if he mentioned Allah,would that get your panties in a twist?

What if the truth was spoken to you? Would that get your panties in a twist?

Faith is not truth.---- We probably should knock this shit off before the moderators have had enough of this BS.
We are not going change anything anyhow.

I'm pretty EFing happy my hitch and trailer didn't turn out like this thread...because it could have...