That's gotta be one HAIRY ass, if you view it as "traveling to Uranus to battle the Klingons".

Steve

Any time I expect a lot of UV on my skin (MIG tacking, no shield, for example), I apply the SPF 50. Actually, I can weld MIG, Stick, and TIG in short sleeves for a ten-hour day like this. (Gotta re-apply every few hours.) If you suspect arc burn, try a good quality high-SPF sunblock for a while. If ...

Hey, av8r,

You actually a pilot?

My email address includes "av8r". I include the airport designator where I learned to fly.

Steve

rickbreeezy wrote:Hey don't worry, no-one cares what i think either, and i've got enough ass hair to weave an indian blanket!

Thanks.

That's just the mental image I need flashing in my head as I try to sleep tonight.



Steve

Kermdawg, These jobs were, of course, non-union. Those I was on were old-school but effective in selecting good hands. Your first day on your tools, the bosses would hand you the toughest job at this point in the sequence, and walk away. They'd walk by and look every 20 minutes or so. In two hours o...

Still makes me laugh to this day :) See I borrowed one of your lines too Otto? That quote means alot to me, it hit it right on the head. Sometimes ya do some work and everyone thinks it looks spectacular, and all you see are the tiny imperfections that gnaw at ya and yuo wanna spend hours going bac...

Oddly enough, I've been welding in industry from small job-shops to fab shops to railroad shops to industrial construction (including a power plant, two ethanol plants, and a bio-diesel), and I've never been certified. That's not entirely true. At the railroad yard, they did an "in-house" ...

That's part of why the ends of cylindrical vessels are either concave or convex. The weld around the circumference contracts like a noose.

If you must have it flat, or nearly so, there are some things you can try.

Have you solved your problem yet? If not, reply and I'll try to help.

Steve

kermdawg, I just looked up the post you are quoting (from "sarge") in your signature line. It's a lot funnier in context! :lol: The person describing his Al welds as "Monkey Nuts" was being waaaay too hard on himself. BTW, I've seen "grapes", "dog ticks" and &...

Hey, boodog,

Post a pic or two as your sculptures come along. (Everyone needs a little inspiration now and again.)

Remember, as you progress, there are no stupid questions. There are, however, stupid answers!

Steve

Dan, With an auto-lens, you're pretty much stuck with that greenish tint. I'm a stubborn "old-school" guy, so I have more options for a flip-down hood. My remark about my vision was no exaggeration. Have you had an eye exam lately? I have excellent distance vision, but I wear "+2.00 D...

Aerotek is an industrial staffing agency that has been "staffing (intentional double entenre')" the American craftsman for some time. They are taking full advantage of the 20%+ unemployment rate among industrial craftsmen, offering crappy wages, long hours, and no per diem, while still rap...

Yes.

Way too much heat reaching the cup. Stick your tungsten out farther. Don't try to "walk the cup". Up the gas flow a little for cooling.

Steve

Dan W., Nobody but a local farm owner will pay you to use 6013. It's a low penetration "patch" for most ferrous metals. If you want to make a living at this, lose the 6013. The money is in 6010/7018 rods (DC electrode positive). 8010/8018 pays even better. As for seeing the difference betw...

The 24 hr thing is (or at least was) a fed. OSHA thing. Nothing keeps a particular job site from establishing stricter rules for safety, and I can't think of a more "safety oriented" place than an airport. As for the electrical issues, I may have been confused for one of the many other &qu...

I look at it this way; Either you want a welding machine, or you don't. Why waste money on something that's "sort-of, but not quite"? Buy or don't; It's up to you, but why waste money on something you either: Won't use. -or- Isn't useful. If you're going to spend money, spend it well. If y...

kermdawg wrote:
Oh, and those bottles are supposed to be capped whenever they are not in use for more than 1 hour. Osha :p No leavin your cuttin torch setup hooked up all day :p

Oxy-acetylene bottles may be left "hooked up" up to 24 hours if on a certified "firewall" cart.

Steve

If you're creating sculpture, a wire wheel in a grinder will do just fine. Unless you are creating HUGE sculptures, structural strength is usually a minor concern. Artists tend to over-weld for safety. Just beat the rust and dirt off until you have shiny metal at your intended joint. TIG welding is ...

If each leg of the weld equals or exceeds the thickness of the 8", you have sufficient strength. the further fill and cap is purely cosmetic. The depth available on a weldolet permits it's use on pipe of several thicknesses, including sch. 160. For a weld test, you need to know if they are look...

At 95 amps max, you are limited to a 3/32 rod for 7018. You might burn an 1/8" 6011 (6010? Does this little turd do DC?) What's the duty cycle at max? If you are willing to spend a few hundred on a welder, spend a little more for the features that will actually serve your needs. If you want to ...

We would all probably go into shock if a survey was done and an actual number produced of the percentage of people out there working with high pressure and flammable gasses that are totally clueless to things such as that. Or to the proper procedure of how to start-up and then shut-down cutting tor...

Given my choice, I'll take DC every time. Duty cycle isn't really a factor; I've never been above 120A for a 1/8 7018 rod, and a hobbyist doesn't need the deposit rate of a 5/32 rod. DC also gives you the option of adding a "scratch start" TIG in the future. An AC/DC machine gives you more...

Quite true. Any high-pressure bottle has a built-in positive seal that works when the valve is fully opened. Acetylene is the exception. It is a low pressure gas, dissolved in acetone, and the valve should only be open 1/4 to 1/2 turn. This allows you to stop the flow of fuel with one wrist movement...

Hey, Steve Schefer,

I decided to use your full name, because there are several Steves here, and I'm also a "Steve S."

Good for you! It's hard to make any system helium-tight. If your high-side gauge is holding overnight, your system has very low losses for helium.

Steve S.

That's kind of my point. If you "own" the bottle, the physical object itself, where is it now? If they just hand you another one, you own the recertification cost, with the promise your bottle will never be out of date. Thank you for mentioning checking that date stamp; some hobbyists may ...