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welder ?

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Another pretty handy gadget that's worth the money is the helmet with the auto darkening lense. Makes life way simpler!
 
A good grinder is also a must otherwise you will have all sorts of strength robbing inclusions. Preparation is a large part of a successful project.
 
Silver said:
Another pretty handy gadget that's worth the money is the helmet with the auto darkening lense. Makes life way simpler!
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Maybe the best suggestion yet!

They are getting pretty affordable now. My first one, quite a few years ago, was close to $300 and compared to the new ones, was a piece of garbage!

Now you can buy one with quite a few settings for way less than $100. One parts store had them on for $59 recently.
 
No way on the autodarkening helmet! :D Gotta stay old school and learn to strike a weld and nod your head hard (but not too hard or ya lose your helmet) enough to get your helmet down a split second before you bo blind! :lol: :lol: Let him really experience welding before he gets all fancy.


A leather welding shirt really helps if your gonna be working all day on a project. Slag burns will get your attention pretty fast. Had a buddy in shop class at the brand new high school in Eureka back in the early 80's. He was working on a welding project when a piece of slag landed right below his belt buckle in some pretty sensitive real estate. He hollered some bad words, ripped off his helmet, started sprinting for the sink while tearing off his cover-alls and levis and commenced to splash cold water on his equipment in order to cool the area down. After things werent afire anymore he looked around to see why it was so quiet. Seems the school board and some county dignitaries were in the middle of a tour of the new school and witnessed the entire episode. Nobody would make eye contact with him and they all kinda stared at the floor and hurriedly left the shop. The rest of the class waited til they left and then totally lost it in laughter! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Poor Doug gave up welding and became a butcher. :lol:
 
When stuff falls apart its because there wasn't proper penetration on both pieces that were welded. That's the number one thing you need to remember its more important to get penetration on both items than it is to look pretty. Also a wire welder will weld things better and easier than a stick. The problem is with the person behind the mask.
 
More great stuff that I'm eating up! ...much appreciated!

Funny story, leanin' H! :D :D

edited: and shhh about the mega-estate, leanin' H. Your going to blow my cover. It's hard taking pics of just Herfy in a pen of 74 bulls. Don't ruin what I have been hiding....sniffle sniffle.... :D :D :D
 
Remember welding is just like round baling with a 510 JD never go down the middle of the windrow - - - always on one side or the other the middle will take care of itself. - - - Never weld the break, weld both sides of the break in a basket weave pattern and you will penetrate both pieces - - - this is true of both stick and mig.

As far as your buzz box welder not handling a 7018 - - - you got the wrong rod - - - most on the shelf are DC electrodes and are hard to operate on AC - - - go to a knowledgeable welding supply store and tell them what welder you have and the 7018 made for it will work great.

Take that pile of old horse shoes and weld them together and get a sledge hammer and break them apart - - - you will soon learn what works. But a good evening class at your local hi school would be great!

I still have the 225 Lincoln I bought new in 1973 for $69.00 - - - it is in one of the service trucks and does not get used over 2 or 3 time a year any more as I have an 800 amp Lincoln in the shop at the gravel pit and an even older Lincoln that my son got from his father in law when he bought the farm in the shop there. He also has a miller bobcat that can go in the back of the ranger ( I used it yesterday to put a heater under one of the excavators at +9F and battery chargers to get it started and back to the shop ).

If I'm going to fabricate I bought a 185amp Century Mig about 10 years ago that sure is fast and if you remember to not weld the break will weld with any of them. It is also handy to weld your name on equipment as you can almost write just like a pen with a little practice.

But the little 225 Lincoln still performs just like the day it was new.
 
OK Guys I can tell several of you know what is going on but for the guy that has not welded much, From what I have learned (I'm not ashamed to say I'm not done learning), Silver absolutely got it right a 6010 root pass with a 7018 cover pass. What I did not see is the fact that You want to do this only with a DC welder set DCRP or Direct Current Reverse Polarity. Now First let me say that It has been a while so I could have this backwards but I believe when your DC welder is set Reverse Polarity your electrode is Positive and your work is Negetive. The electrons flow from negetive to positive and this "Blows" the rust or any dirt etc out of the weld essentially "cleaning" ahead of your welding rod depositing metal into your weld. The cleaner the weld the better it will hold. From what I've been told by a Pipe welder, a 6010FP+ is an Ideal rod for welding oil fileld pipe and suck rods etc due to this clensing factor.
Now to jump horses so to speak, some one was talking about a wire welder not getting enough penetration. Don't over look the gas on this one. In my opinion (yes I know every one has one) Take that bottle of CO2 back and get an 80%Argon 20% CO2 Blend. Every welding sales outfit has this blend, it just goes by a different name at each outfit. I promise you you won't be dissapointed and your welds will look better and you will have deeper penetration. I most likely have this backward too but I think I remember you push a stick and drag a mig. I can tell you which is right while welding but I cant be sure here at the computer. Trust me you will know when you try it. I don't mean to ramble but I hope this will help someone with a little less experience. It has taken me a half a lifetime to get here and I'm not "There" yet!! :lol:
 
I've welder for more then 40 years but since I don't do it for a living just fixing and some fabricating I find I get out of practice and always seem to be welding better when I am done a project then when I start. :?

Thanks for you post Porkchop. It brings back points as person tends to forget.

RA if you could pick a community college night course it would probably get you started off on the right foot. :D
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
I've welder for more then 40 years but since I don't do it for a living just fixing and some fabricating I find I get out of practice and always seem to be welding better when I am done a project then when I start. :?

Thanks for you post Porkchop. It brings back points as person tends to forget.

RA if you could pick a community college night course it would probably get you started off on the right foot. :D
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I agree 100%!! I too have been welding for 40 years, and while I enjoy welding, and there are times when I weld everyday for 8 hours a day, most of the time if I weld once a month, that is about it. This is another one of those the more you do, the better you are.
 

When I was in High School we had a welding class one year, and have found use for it through the years.
We have an old Almand welder here at the business and use it occasionally.
 
leanin' H said:
No way on the autodarkening helmet! :D Gotta stay old school and learn to strike a weld and nod your head hard (but not too hard or ya lose your helmet) enough to get your helmet down a split second before you bo blind! :lol: :lol: Let him really experience welding before he gets all fancy.


A leather welding shirt really helps if your gonna be working all day on a project. Slag burns will get your attention pretty fast. Had a buddy in shop class at the brand new high school in Eureka back in the early 80's. He was working on a welding project when a piece of slag landed right below his belt buckle in some pretty sensitive real estate. He hollered some bad words, ripped off his helmet, started sprinting for the sink while tearing off his cover-alls and levis and commenced to splash cold water on his equipment in order to cool the area down. After things werent afire anymore he looked around to see why it was so quiet. Seems the school board and some county dignitaries were in the middle of a tour of the new school and witnessed the entire episode. Nobody would make eye contact with him and they all kinda stared at the floor and hurriedly left the shop. The rest of the class waited til they left and then totally lost it in laughter! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Poor Doug gave up welding and became a butcher. :lol:
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Great points~~there's also UV rays or somesuch that ain't good that leather shields. And no polyester! Or open cowboy overshoes--you want to see a one legged hop, one leg can-can, drop a hot piece of iron between overshoe and foot---wet surfaces and standing in mud puddles should be avoided--some smoke--like the zinc that's in galvanizing is plum poisonous---guy was telling me the other day that even plasma cutters should be very well ventilated--some rod, it's easy to watch the flow of slag and get ahead of the actual weld--and the slag is there for a reason, let it cool a little before you chip it off---and always protect your eyes
 
littlejoe said:
leanin' H said:
No way on the autodarkening helmet! :D Gotta stay old school and learn to strike a weld and nod your head hard (but not too hard or ya lose your helmet) enough to get your helmet down a split second before you bo blind! :lol: :lol: Let him really experience welding before he gets all fancy.


A leather welding shirt really helps if your gonna be working all day on a project. Slag burns will get your attention pretty fast. Had a buddy in shop class at the brand new high school in Eureka back in the early 80's. He was working on a welding project when a piece of slag landed right below his belt buckle in some pretty sensitive real estate. He hollered some bad words, ripped off his helmet, started sprinting for the sink while tearing off his cover-alls and levis and commenced to splash cold water on his equipment in order to cool the area down. After things werent afire anymore he looked around to see why it was so quiet. Seems the school board and some county dignitaries were in the middle of a tour of the new school and witnessed the entire episode. Nobody would make eye contact with him and they all kinda stared at the floor and hurriedly left the shop. The rest of the class waited til they left and then totally lost it in laughter! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Poor Doug gave up welding and became a butcher. :lol:
Click to expand...

Great points~~there's also UV rays or somesuch that ain't good that leather shields. And no polyester! Or open cowboy overshoes--you want to see a one legged hop, one leg can-can, drop a hot piece of iron between overshoe and foot---wet surfaces and standing in mud puddles should be avoided--some smoke--like the zinc that's in galvanizing is plum poisonous---guy was telling me the other day that even plasma cutters should be very well ventilated--some rod, it's easy to watch the flow of slag and get ahead of the actual weld--and the slag is there for a reason, let it cool a little before you chip it off---and always protect your eyes
Click to expand...

:lol: :lol:

No Sandals, runners or rubber boots with the pant leg tucked in. :eek:
 
We use a 250 Lincoln mig welder. Can weld anything with it from 1/2 steel plate to thin metal. The most important thing is metal prep if its rusty old iron spend the time to clean it up before you weld and like some have said is make sure you get penetration on both pieces.
 
More great info! This board is very valuable! I can't say, well type :D , enough how much it is helping me! Just wanted to say again none of it is being wasted!


Well, I may of jumped the gun a little, but by taking in everything on here and my situation, I went and got what is pictured this evening. I got the welder, helmet, gloves, female deal, welding rod and a crash course on how to weld from a guy for $100. I hope it was a good decision.....it feels right for a place to start. I think I just made my money back already on what I needed done to my sickle bar mower....well, granted I don't mess it up worse now.... :D Man it was fun welding! I was nervous and shaking some... :D He instructed me as I was welding...things like slow down, keep the stick down and stuff like that. Good time!

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I'm sure I'll have lots of questions to come! We were pulling these 6013 3/32 rods with a little side to side motion and he said some ya push with circles and some ya do something else and so on.
 
Find you a bunch of scrap iron, and go to practicing. You can only get better, and when you plateau, ask an old welder in your neck of the woods. Most of the time they like to teach a good student.

I think you made an excellent buy!!
 
You can't go wrong on that deal. You can always upgrade for the fancy stuff later. I know of many guys who use those welders and have for years. It will do most jobs you need done.
 
That will be paid for by the time this thread slows down, you made a great deal, IMO. Welding is practical, and then practice. The best advice I can think of is if you break down in the field, and you are in a hurry to get something done, take a few minutes and a glass of tea to plan your repair, before you start. That way you should only have to do part of it twice. This also applies to mechaniching. Just my experience, but rushing is almost never faster.
 

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