Tool Talk
- Thread starter jo proffi
- Start date
loose connections create heat and then eventually the joint will not conduct electricity anymore as the metal gets burnt away. I would go round and check all the other connections on the welder, both external and internal to make sure they are tight. You will then get another 35 years of good welds.I've been having some trouble with my fixed amp CIG welder for a couple of years now.
The thing is 35 years old, and sometimes it will lay down a nice weld, and other times it is as frustrating as f#ck.
I just put it down to old age (the welder, not me).
Well I was packing it up this morning and the earth clamp fell off the lead.
The copper was all blackened, corroded and crumbling, and I had to shorten the lead by about 3 inches before I hit nice bright copper again.
Hopefully my welding will be more consistent going forward.
Sometimes it's the simplest of things.
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I'm amazed all you guys use 9" grinders. I have a hitachi I got at a market years ago. Its my very last choice and very last option. I've had it grab and throw me ass over tit ...... I'm not weakling, but jesus that thing can kick. Its quite safe if your using it as a grinder, rather than cutting. but if I'm just grinding and don't need the depth of cut of a 9" .... I avoid the damn thing like the plague. Its tends to be cutting that will grab and pulverise a wheel.
5" is my goto grinder, its more econical as the wheels cut deeper ... but tends to be friendlier to the person holding it if it grabs. I usually use 1mm wheels. if your careful they cut better so are less likely to grab.
5" is my goto grinder, its more econical as the wheels cut deeper ... but tends to be friendlier to the person holding it if it grabs. I usually use 1mm wheels. if your careful they cut better so are less likely to grab.
man you need to try youreself a modern mig welder with gas ..... and a self dimming helmet. it'll be a revelation!The leads themselves are only 15 years old, they don't make sh#t like they used to.
Well I was packing it up this morning and the earth clamp fell off the lead.
The copper was all blackened, corroded and crumbling, and I had to shorten the lead by about 3 inches before I hit nice bright copper again.
Hopefully my welding will be more consistent going forward.
Sometimes it's the simplest of things.
View attachment 241420
When I first saw this I thought you were going to show us another example of a rogue 9" angle grinder taking off someone's arm.
I have a self dimming helmet, it came with the inverter welder (that I've used once).
My ex neighbour had an expensive (gas) MIG welder.
When I had my old Rambler I machined the alloy centers out of a couple of those '60s alloy/steel mag wheels in his old railway lathe.
They weren't Tasmans, but they were the same idea, steel plates cast into an alloy spider, which was then welded into a steel rim.
I wanted to go from 6" wide to 9" wide for the rear. As I was already over there cutting and truing them up on his lathe, I used his MIG to weld them up as well.
The MIG was OK, and the car subsequently made numerous 12 second passes at Willowbank with those wheels on the back without falling apart, so.
I like stick welding, every time you chip the slag off and see a neat weld, it's like opening up a Christmas present that you really wanted.
I get my son to do any stainless welding, he takes it to work and TIGs it for me.
He is unreal, as good as any machine weld.
I cut the stainless muffler up on my 2 stroke Kawasaki to convert it into an expansion chamber, I bought a stainless cone and some 20mm stainless tube for a stinger.
He goes "that 40 year old stainless is going to be pretty contaminated, and it's been through 1000s of heat cycles, I don't think the welds will be the best, especially trying to weld it to that heavier gauge cone".
He brings it round the next day and his welds were better than the factory welds on the rest of the exhaust, show off.
My stick welding of stainless is a bit hit and miss, and it's too expensive to practice on..
A guy I train with is a TAFE teacher, and stick welding is still part of the boilermaker's qualifications, so I guess it still has a place in some industrial applications?
I used a slow 9 inch job for cutting sandstone for walls. It was good at it. For thick blocks the cut could be easily split open. A club hammer and bolster did the rock facing.
My current grinder is a 5 inch model, which has more uses.
My current grinder is a 5 inch model, which has more uses.
there's a couple of 18V grinders here, 4" & 5", dunno how I ended up with two, maybe parts of Bosch Blue package deals.... I find that they are only useful for convenience factor, cutting off anything above tin plate gives them grief. The ancient 240V Makita 5" doesn't seen to care what you give it to eat...
Bob
I find that they are only useful for convenience factor, cutting off anything above tin plate gives them grief. The ancient 240V Makita 5" doesn't seen to care what you give it to eat...Bob