Hey CJ, It hurt to read that. Lol If 70 is really old... I guess I need to own up to that. Isn't 70 the new 50... or however that saying goes? I'll play with the different magnifications over the next several weeks and see what happens. (My garage heater failed last weekend, and it's cold out there....

Hi CJ, I have a question about your comment concerning the cheaters. Your helmet should provide fully dequate protection and not allow any “halos” given your shade setting is high enough. Don’t be surprised if you still benefit from a cheater lens after surgery though. I'm really pleased with the ca...

Hi 77cruiser, I had one eye done yesterday, next Tuesday the other one. I'm going to ask the Doc about welding. If you're on the computer writing messages here it must be a good sign about your surgery yesterday. It's great you're able jump right back into things. Good luck next Tuesday with the oth...

Hi CJ, Thanks for your thoughts. This whole experience is going to be interesting. I have heard great things about the multi-focal lenses. The two negatives most often mentioned are that I will probably need reading glasses for low light / small print conditions, and that the lenses are more prone t...

Hey Everyone, I'm still alive and kicking... still far from producing the welds that I want; but, I'm more comfortable with Tig. Kind of an odd question... I am scheduled to have cataract surgery in both eyes within the next month. I have opted to go with multifocal lenses which should correct dista...

Hi CJ, One other thing came to mind yesterday... I have watched several videos in the past where experienced welders would pump the pedal simulating pulsing. Jody did one of those videos. I started using that method about a year ago. The main reason was kind of a rhythm tool. I also remember that it...

Hi CJ,

I'll slow down and see if I can get the knack of packing the filler a little bit more.

Thanks again for all of your advice.

Jeff

Hi CJ, Thanks for your feedback. The way the blocks are set up, they are more like an open root. I thought maybe the welds looked too hot, rather than too cold. Thanks for pointing that out. I have been focusing on keeping the HAZ as narrow as possible. Seems like I am chasing what's optimum. I'll t...

Hey Everyone, Seems like the forum is pretty quiet these days. I'm following CJ's advice. I have been able to sit down every day for the last couple of weeks and spend 30 to 60 minutes with the torch. I have been focusing on outside and inside corner joints on 1/8" mild steel. Not sure why I se...

Hi CJ, I completely agree with your comment about a little bit of torch time going a long way. I just need to make it happen in the future when things get complicated. No real progress pics to post... I guess I have come to the conclusion that I pretty much know what needs to be done at the moment, ...

Hi Everyone, Just popping in to say Hi. I'm still working on getting comfortable with Tig welding. It doesn't help that I need to step away for months at a time due to real bill-paying work. It takes some time to get comfortable and coordinated again. I still enjoy reading what you guys post here, a...

Thanks CJ, This pic shows the gap. Even with the way the kit is made I could have take more time and at least made the gap more uniform. 16 Ga SS Not Okay 20240328_101744 1920 x 1080 res.jpg And this is a pic of 16 ga with a tight fit on the corner before welding. 16 Ga SS Okay 20240328_101913 1920 ...

Hi CJ,

There's not really a way to use a backing plate to weld the whole cube when it is bent into shape.

I will take a pic or two later and post here so that it makes more sense.

Thanks,

Jeff

Hey Everyone, This question is somewhat related to the original fit-up question I asked. I've purchased several 16 ga stainless dice/cube coupon kits from Amazon. The way they are pre-cut, some of the cubes are assembled by tacking individual pieces together. Others are fit together by bending the s...

Hi CJ, You need to hold three pieces that intersect together and tack them up. Then another three. Two sides of one piece aligning one side of one piece that its end aligns to the third piece. (I know, that sounds complicated but if you grab some pieces and imagine putting them together it will make...

Hi CJ

cj737 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:03 pm Big cup, lots or argon, short welds, lots of post flow. Easy peasy.

I'm trying to visualize how to keep the angle on the sides keeping in mind the stainless being less forgiving of bending after tacking than mild steel.

Jeff

Hi Everyone,

My wife bought me a small stainless steel soccer ball welding kit for Valentine's Day. It's going to be a bit more of a setup challenge than stuff with mild steel and right angles. I might need to wait on this one for a while. Lol

Jeff

Hi Arno, I sure relate on the glasses. I have tried different glasses and different cheaters. I need to accept the fact that I'll never see as well as I would like. One component of getting older is also that your eyes need much more light to work well compared to when you're younger. Strong lightin...

CJ,

Thanks,

The metal is 11 ga mild steel. I was using 3/32 SilBr. I started out at 100 A. The last few corners were at 85 A. I could feel what you described.. almost like the liquid filler just soaked up the filler rod too quickly.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Jeff

Hi CJ, A couple attempts at outside corners on an inside out cube. I always have trouble controlling heat on these cubes when using mild steel filler. With the SilBr it is still a bit of a challenge. Quite a ways to go.... One of these pics may be acceptable, the other not so much. (I also need to g...

CJ, "Who listens to Old Man Time anyway." Now that's funny. I know I certainly do. (And when I don't, I sure wish that I had listened.) Thanks for the advice on the current settings. For 1/16" Does it sound right to start out at 45 to 50 A with. 0405 filler, or possibly 1/16" fil...

Hey CJ,

I've watched a few videos on Siler.

I haven't seen much about amp settings. The settings that I've noticed seem high for not melting the base metal.

Should the same rule of thumb for mild steel work well for these joints?

Thanks,

Jeff

CJ,

Sounds interesting. Thanks.

Jeff

Hi CJ, You are right... the outside faces of the cube metal weren't in such great shape. I wasn't planning on welding any of the outside faces on these, so I didn't clean them to get down to bare metal. The edges were bright bare metal, and I acetone-wiped them, too. Most of the mild steel welding I...

Hi CJ,

Thanks... it's means a lot coming from you.

I'm a slow learner, but I'm feeling better about the results.

Jeff