A 2-part welding thread
First part: No practice makes perfect? I'm bragging, too[:D]
Had to weld a set of trailer landing gear. All the welds had cracked on the braces. One of the MIG rigs was being used and the other was being fixed, so the boss tells me to use the stick rig. I hate stick welding and I never was any kinda good at it, especially striking the arc. Always seemed to me like holding the very end (opposite the tip) of a fireplace match and trying to strike it.
Haven't used a stick welder in over 10 years. I hauled that sucker out and got everything clamped and hooked up and all. Laid down the best looking weld bead I ever saw, the textbook stack-of-nickels-laid-down. Beautiful. I figured it was a fluke, so I go on to the next bit. Same deal.
My boss comes over to inspect my work about 1/2 hour later. The welder is put away and all. He gets a little steamed and says "I told you to use the stick! So-and-so needed the MIG for such-and-such, and that needs to go out today!"
I told him I used the stick. "oatmeal!" I had to drag the stick welder out, get some scrap and do a bead for him, while he watched.
His response: "Good work."
Part 2
OK welders, what is your favorite piece of equipment?
Mine is a toss-up. Plasma cutter or the Cobramatic rig we've got. Better than a spool gun and it's got 20 feet of reach with that sucker. Everyone else hates it.
Had to weld a set of trailer landing gear. All the welds had cracked on the braces. One of the MIG rigs was being used and the other was being fixed, so the boss tells me to use the stick rig. I hate stick welding and I never was any kinda good at it, especially striking the arc. Always seemed to me like holding the very end (opposite the tip) of a fireplace match and trying to strike it.
Haven't used a stick welder in over 10 years. I hauled that sucker out and got everything clamped and hooked up and all. Laid down the best looking weld bead I ever saw, the textbook stack-of-nickels-laid-down. Beautiful. I figured it was a fluke, so I go on to the next bit. Same deal.
My boss comes over to inspect my work about 1/2 hour later. The welder is put away and all. He gets a little steamed and says "I told you to use the stick! So-and-so needed the MIG for such-and-such, and that needs to go out today!"
I told him I used the stick. "oatmeal!" I had to drag the stick welder out, get some scrap and do a bead for him, while he watched.
His response: "Good work."
Part 2
OK welders, what is your favorite piece of equipment?
Mine is a toss-up. Plasma cutter or the Cobramatic rig we've got. Better than a spool gun and it's got 20 feet of reach with that sucker. Everyone else hates it.
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I grew up with gas and arc "stick" in the 1960's. Never had a chance to use anything else and would not have a clue as to what to do with TIG, MIG, DIG or SIG![:D]
Its all in the wrist with arc and I can attest to the fact that the rod gets damn hot, coated or not.[:0][:0][:0]0 -
I like to use an oxy-act torch. Solders, heats,hardens, softens, cuts, brazes, welds about anything that can be welded(including aluminum). Not good on heavier pieces, but together with a crackerbox, I get by fine. 0 -
I have a 220 volt 200 amp Century stick welder and a 110 volt 80 amp Century "buzz box" wire feed at home. While the 110 isn't a Miller Delta Weld like I had at the shop I use to work at, you keep the internals clean and all of the contacts polished, she'll burn through a quarter inch of mild. I've had that buzz box 9 years and it won't die. My dad is demanding I take it with me the next time I visit so he has an excuse to buy a bigger MIG welder.
The one piece of equipment I'd love to get is an O/A rig. If you got a stick welder, a grinder, and an O/A torch, you can make magic happen.0 -
quote:Originally posted by badwrench
I really want to learn TIG, but I don't know anyone who can teach me or at least let me fool with their rig for a little while.
TIG's are sweet if you have a foot control, never cared for the scratch start ones. I taught myself, if you know how to weld it's simple to learn tig.0 -
I've done stick for about 9 years out at the refinery. I've been doing mig for the last 9 mnths and it does have advantages over stick. The biggest being a constant bead over long welds and less heat transference throughout the material. Hardwire is kinda fun but fluxcore is the meat and potatoes. The company I'm at will not buy mixed gas so most of our work is flat or horizontal - but straight Co2 doesn't do as good when your trying for a nice vert. 75/25 mixed gas is great for fluxcore but cost more.
At home All I have is an old Wards 220 buzz box - If you can weld with it - you can weld with anything. I also have a little 110 wire feed (on loan to my Cousin right now), but I try to stay away from welding at home unless I really have to. Wood work at home and metal work at work!!![:D]0 -
I certified in both stick and MIG. I have a TIG (with foot pedal and a Bernard radiator for the torch) that I use for Alum (hi frequency), and SS and Ti. Once you learn stick welding (and a buzz box is the toughest to learn on), the rest is easy. Stick welding with the right rod, in DC with reverse polarity can be as easy as MIG. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by catpealer111
quote:Originally posted by badwrench
I really want to learn TIG, but I don't know anyone who can teach me or at least let me fool with their rig for a little while.
TIG's are sweet if you have a foot control, never cared for the scratch start ones. I taught myself, if you know how to weld it's simple to learn tig.
If you don't have a TIG, get an O/A rig and some welding tips. That's basically the same type of welding, just TIG uses electricity instead of a flame.
I personally prefer O/A welding myself. I can lay some pretty sweet beads with O/A. Or I used to, at least.0 -
A TIG machine is much more versitle than a gas setup. I wouldn't put the torches and a TIG machine in the same catagory. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Alpine
A TIG machine is much more versitle than a gas setup. I wouldn't put the torches and a TIG machine in the same catagory.
how is it more versitle? If you can do it with tig, you can do it with o/a. My welding class instructor could do some amazing things with o/a.0 -
....Man, I'm stuck in the dark ages. A Lincoln 220v AC stick and an O/A torch. I do OK on horizontal welds and brazing, but vertical or inverted is beyond me. I use mostly 6011 and 6013 rods. 0 -
Shoff: Weld Alum (not talking about the zinc stuff for gas welding), weld Ti.
And you can use the same alloy as a filler as the base material. This is really a plus if what you are doing is going to anodized. If weldment and base are different very bad things happen.0
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