What welding projects are you working on? Are you proud of something you built?
How about posting some pics so other welders can get some ideas?
Post Reply
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:38 am
  • Location:
    The Land Down Under

noddybrian wrote:I see your point of view - ( and I mean no offense by this ) but on DC at least thoriated has worked for years & why change something that works - I agree some modern innovations can make a job easier but equally the old school stuff was made that way for a reason & continues to work - look at TamJeff's work - old synchrowave I believe - no gizmos no foot pedal but how many people can replicate his work? I got into using a nice inverter for stick welding just because it was easier to move around - couple of months back it died - no idea why - switched on the old oil cooled dinosaur in the corner & it still welds fine - just a bugger if the leads don't reach !- not sure about getting another - if I could get all my jobs in the shop I probably would'nt - keep looking at the fabricator 211 as it covers all bases & is portable but I just don't trust new stuff when it's my own money - kinda waiting for a long term test from AK or someone else that talks straight. I know some local bike builders that still use exclusively oxy / acetylene for welding - I think it's what your comfortable using as long as you get the results you need plus in many trades change is not considered a good thing - I'm not sure why but the biggest welding firm left round here won't have auto darkening hoods in the shop & that is one thing I do like when they work.
I can see how the 'Thoriated only' thing is a practical approach in a workplace, but it's hardly a progressive one.

A smart workplace is one that takes time here and there to investigate new materials/techniques, introduce them to workers, discuss their merits, give people options. That possibly sounds a bit Sensitive New Age, but it doesn't necessarily have to cost much or take up much time, and the result is workers who are more informed and feel like their employer gives a damn.

It's a little thing that can keep employees happier and mean it's less likely they'll go elsewhere.

Just an opinion; I am possibly talking out of my arse, as I have never actually worked in a Fab shop, but I think there are some aspects of the work environment that are similar, regardless of the discipline at hand.



Kym
thatoneguy
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:08 pm
  • Location:
    Texas

exnailpounder wrote:
Coldman wrote:I find the same problem with lws. That's one of the great reasons to be part of this forum and wt&t is that we are up to date with what technology and the rest of the world are doing. not just a bunch of ostriches with heads in sand doing same old for thirty years.
Pulse? That's wot doctors do ain't it?
Hi frequency? Repeat orders are always good.
My friend is a union boilermaker and when we talk welding, he is lost as to new technology and up to date techniques. He brought me a 1/8" tungsten and gas lens setup from work. The tungsten had a red tip and I asked him why they use thoriated when there are better alternatives. " How do you know it's thoriated?" he said. I almost fell down dead when he said that. He told me it's what the company always provides for them and he never bothered to find out what it was :shock: :? This from a guy that has been welding for 25 years in an industrial setting.
Hahaha that's insane. But honestly not completely surprising. I've met a couple of tradesmen that are like that.
Everlast Power I-MIG 275P
Everlast Power TIG 250EX
Everlast Power Plasma 80S
Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone
Smith OxyAcetylene
exnailpounder
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 25, 2014 9:25 am
  • Location:
    near Chicago

thatoneguy wrote:
exnailpounder wrote:
Coldman wrote:I find the same problem with lws. That's one of the great reasons to be part of this forum and wt&t is that we are up to date with what technology and the rest of the world are doing. not just a bunch of ostriches with heads in sand doing same old for thirty years.
Pulse? That's wot doctors do ain't it?
Hi frequency? Repeat orders are always good.
My friend is a union boilermaker and when we talk welding, he is lost as to new technology and up to date techniques. He brought me a 1/8" tungsten and gas lens setup from work. The tungsten had a red tip and I asked him why they use thoriated when there are better alternatives. " How do you know it's thoriated?" he said. I almost fell down dead when he said that. He told me it's what the company always provides for them and he never bothered to find out what it was :shock: :? This from a guy that has been welding for 25 years in an industrial setting.
Hahaha that's insane. But honestly not completely surprising. I've met a couple of tradesmen that are like that.
I almost understand it myself because I am a carpenter by trade and I am not up on alot of the new products on the market but I would think that refineries and power plants would be all over new and better technology and techniques but I guess not. I didn't mention that even though he welds for a living, he only does it to pay the bills and his only other interest in life is drinking himself into a coma. At one time I was impressed that he is a mirror weldor until I realized I could do it too.
Ifyoucantellmewhatthissaysiwillbuyyouabeer.
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Jul 19, 2016 6:52 am

My LWS is somewhere in the middle. They carry pure, thoriated and Ceriated tungsten. Lanthanated has to be ordered. I would think that LWSs sell most of their products to large companies who use purchasing agents. When the big company is out of the item they always use, purchasing orders more of the part number in the computer. When a large company starts using Lanthanted and ordering on a regular basis, I'm sure it will be on the shelf too.

Inweld is the brand my LWS seem to have the most of so it should be good quality. I'm not good enough to tell if the arc looks different between brands, so ingest salt grain now.
-Jon

I learned how to weld at night, but not last night. (despite how my weld looks)

Lincoln Viking 3350 K3034-2&3
Dynasty 210DX w/cps and coolmate3
Lincoln Power Mig 180c
hermit.shed on instagram
Jim FLinchbaugh
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:56 pm
  • Location:
    Kalispell Montana

I'm using these, and they seem to by fine
and they are cheap!
https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Tungsten-Wel ... =tungsten
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 26, 2013 12:41 am
  • Location:
    Laredo, Tx

Jim FLinchbaugh wrote:I'm using these, and they seem to by fine
and they are cheap!
ABN-Tungsten-Welding-Electrodes-Lanthanated
Fixed it for you. :)
Image
Jim FLinchbaugh
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:56 pm
  • Location:
    Kalispell Montana

Oscar wrote:
Jim FLinchbaugh wrote:I'm using these, and they seem to by fine
and they are cheap!
ABN-Tungsten-Welding-Electrodes-Lanthanated
Fixed it for you. :)
thanks not sure why I couldnt get the link to go?
Anyway, as someone else eluded to, these work great on steel, but I've had them do the "wonky ball" on AC a few times
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 26, 2013 12:41 am
  • Location:
    Laredo, Tx

Jim FLinchbaugh wrote:
Oscar wrote:
Jim FLinchbaugh wrote:I'm using these, and they seem to by fine
and they are cheap!
ABN-Tungsten-Welding-Electrodes-Lanthanated
Fixed it for you. :)
thanks not sure why I couldnt get the link to go?
Anyway, as someone else eluded to, these work great on steel, but I've had them do the "wonky ball" on AC a few times
You left a space between the end of the link and the "[/url]" ending tag.
Image
Post Reply