Welding Tips and Tricks

I'll start with the "mandatory" cart that probablty is one of the first welding project for most beginners.

Made this one for my first tig and later modified it to fit my new welder that was slightly larger.
Some people told me I could buy a cart for 100$ but as I said, what fun or challenge is it to buy something that you would rebuild later because it would lack rod holders and even cable hangers?
So I made my own as I wanted it, with rod holders and a holder for used rods and a holder for the torch so it can be placed hot without burning the cables. Holders for the power cord and the ground clamp, and of course a dedicated place for the tig-finger . Tilted the welder slightly upwards so I can see the display stranding next to it

The back-bone is two 1" black pipes that holds everything. Tank is strapped between them with two hose straps.

I never liked the magnetic torch holders but I have a bad habit of stepping on the hose and dropping the torch on the floor so I made a somple torch holder where I can just drop the torch and lift almost without looking at it.
Havent broken a single gas cap since I made it.

Just two 1/4" rods bent and welded to a bent plate

My contribution to the 3:d-hand collection
Some a little heavy...

Not any welding here, just wanted to show a box I made for my gas torches.
Made in 1,5mm aluminum with stainless handle and hatch.
Once again, I could by a cheap box but what do one learn from that?
I could have welded the lids so the rivets is just for the cool factor.

MAde a stand for my bench grinder, yes I dont like to make things straight...
I usually dont take pictures of my welds but I took this one to show another guy what a tig finger is.
(Wont show the one of my finger where I had a hole in the glove...)
Sometimes I can make a decent looking weld... (1" black pipe)

Made some clay-pot holder recently where they wanted them to hang on the wall in an angle.
1/4" rods, rolled and welded This is not where they were supposed to hang, just to get approval for the design

Working on a bike with my son.
Made a stand from recycled material using a bottle jack and the square frame frome my old welding cart Made a plug for the exhaust required to make it street legal.
Was removed by the previous owner, cant be bought and a new exhaust is 500$...
Made from 1mm sheet a fusion welded, except at the end of the cone. Could have cleande the sheet better...

Last week was too hot to be outside so I took some time in the garage making a shop stool
Using copper wire instead of a ground clamp is a great tip I learned here (or from one of Jody's videos), thanks whoever came up with it. (Yes, could use some heavier gauge but this was just for tacking.)

Nice bit of work.

That gas torch box is stunning - the hours spent on it show - nicely done!

Thanks guys

MinnesotaDave wrote:- the hours spent on it

Yeah, sick, isnt it...?

AndersK wrote:Thanks guys

MinnesotaDave wrote:- the hours spent on it

Yeah, sick, isnt it...?

Yep - A very nice piece of work indeed - and a crazy amount of hours

Did you use flow forming or just hammer it out?
Looks like a good candidate for flow forming.

I used a mdf form with routed edges to hammer the lids on.
The torch and the flame was pressed using a steel die and rubber.
Have about 30 hours in it

this is not a welding question but i am interested how you were able
to make such nice curved corners on the bottom and lid of the aluminum
torch case?
craig

AndersK wrote:I used a mdf form with routed edges to hammer the lids on.
The torch and the flame was pressed using a steel die and rubber.
Have about 30 hours in it

Even with a form, that's some pretty fancy hammering
30 hours is a lot faster than I would have done it

motox wrote:this is not a welding question but i am interested how you were able
to make such nice curved corners on the bottom and lid of the aluminum
torch case?
craig

About the same method as in the later posts in this thread:
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... 505#p35702
but working on the outside of the wood with hammers and mallets

You can google hammerforming for more info about this method

you are a quality metal shaper
very neat work

Repaired three deck chairs yesterday that had got a kinked tube. Have no idea what happened to them (not mine) but I think they got damaged in delivery. Cut it out and made a new tube, 22x2mm 6063
Here's it rigged. Had to pull in the "arms" since they spread when I cut the tube. Got a good fit, makes welding much easier. One of the welds, welded upside-down. Nothing to brag about but I'm pleased with the result. Getting more comfortable with aluminum as I get more practice. Just have to practice more to avoid putting the filler on the tungsten and not let the bead grow to touch the tip, and wait for the heat to build up before dipping.

Settings 80 Amps, manual pulsing (no pedal) 50% cleaning and 200 Hz. Up-slope 1s, down-slope 3s
Arctime 2,4mm tungsten. Filler is 2,4 mm 5356.

MinnesotaDave wrote:That gas torch box is stunning - the hours spent on it show - nicely done!

I agree with Dave...awesome torch box!

I noticed some of you like metal art so here's a piece I made some years ago.
Its made of 1 mm mild steel with the wings wire-edged for stability. All parts made by hand except the wing pattern

That stool looks pretty hard.
You should get a bottle of stool softener.

If that is what I think it is then there will be sitting on another chair , a long time

Was welding some 1,5 mm to 4 mm diamond plate tonight. I dont have much time with ali but this went easier than I first thought. Beveled the edges down to half thickness of the plate and pushed the sheet up to top level. 100 Amps, melted down the excess sheet and used little more than a half rod of 1,6 5356 filler for a half meter weld.

Looking alright?

Should I do a fillet weld on the outside or just put some sealer after the cap is welded in? It will sit under a car.

AndersK wrote:Was welding some 1,5 mm to 4 mm diamond plate tonight. I dont have much time with ali but this went easier than I first thought. Beveled the edges down to half thickness of the plate and pushed the sheet up to top level. 100 Amps, melted down the excess sheet and used little more than a half rod of 1,6 5356 filler for a half meter weld.

Looking alright?

Should I do a fillet weld on the outside or just put some sealer after the cap is welded in? It will sit under a car.

I'm intrigued.
What's it actually used for?

There will be a fuel tank on the diamond plate. A catch tank will be hiding behind the alu shell. Will put a fitting thru a grommet on the domed part and connect fuel line there.
The alu shell is only there to keep dirt out.

This is the joint I did