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
setting up a couple of slippery brass plates in the drill press this arvo and grabbed a pair of these guys....
to clamp em together, I'll probably never use toolmakers clamps again !!
Local buy via 'Bullant performance products', great stuff.
Bob
to clamp em together, I'll probably never use toolmakers clamps again !!
Local buy via 'Bullant performance products', great stuff.
Bob
Similar to grinding wheels, but with the fibre mesh built in, they seem to be more resistant to flying apart, that is cut-off wheel blades. Fortunately, because the first pic below shows what I found when using the original disc on my Ryobi cut-off wheel yesterday. Weird also, because I thought it was the cause of a problem, then found it probably made no difference. I had already cut a 1 metre length off a length of 50x25x3mm galv RHS without noticing anything. Then I set the machine to make a fairly horizontal cut across the 50mm side, as I didn't want to cut right through. Anyway, after the cut was started it got harder to push down, I actually thought the stop must have moved, preventing any further movement, but it was ok. It felt like it was glazed up, just getting very hot but not cutting even with high pressure downwards. So I look at the blade and notice the piece broken out - I don't know when that had occurred, but I had recently lent the machine to neighbour, maybe then. I thought, wow, that could have flown to bits, but it didn't.
So I bought a new wheel, Flexovit for good quality, and strangely, had the same effect with the cuts as deep as you can see in the close up. I reversed the tube and cut from each side to nearly achieve what I wanted. I then decided it just did not like the flat surface, so I gave up on that, and to cut off the smaller pieces fully through, I turned the tube on its side so it started cutting on a corner - straight through. Interesting though. Anyone else had the same experience, the wheel cuts through the thin sides easily, but doesn't like starting on the flat surface.
Looked like a bit of hand sawing to be done, but the Makita recip hacksaw did a good job quite quickly on the same cuts.
So I bought a new wheel, Flexovit for good quality, and strangely, had the same effect with the cuts as deep as you can see in the close up. I reversed the tube and cut from each side to nearly achieve what I wanted. I then decided it just did not like the flat surface, so I gave up on that, and to cut off the smaller pieces fully through, I turned the tube on its side so it started cutting on a corner - straight through. Interesting though. Anyone else had the same experience, the wheel cuts through the thin sides easily, but doesn't like starting on the flat surface.
Looked like a bit of hand sawing to be done, but the Makita recip hacksaw did a good job quite quickly on the same cuts.
patience mate.... it's got lots more work to do on the big flat side, I've cut 3" wide 1/2" thick MS here on the wide side, just needs a little patience. As soon as it bites through into the hollow bit it'll go like tram
Bob
it's got lots more work to do on the big flat side, I've cut 3" wide 1/2" thick MS here on the wide side, just needs a little patience. As soon as it bites through into the hollow bit it'll go like tram Bob
I would cut them upright: less material on the flat part.
When cutting hollow sections with a handheld angle grinder I start at a corner.
Roger
When cutting hollow sections with a handheld angle grinder I start at a corner.
Roger
So it sounds like it's normal, I just hadn't struck it before. Probably because I deliberately centred the blade over the tube as I didn't want to cut right through, just the top surface at each end. I think with the work clamp back in it's normal position, the blade would always hit a corner first, then it cuts through like a piece of cheese.patience mate....
Bob
Further posts will reveal what I am making, and it is car-related.
That is a huge surface area to try and cut at once. flip it 90degrees so it strands verticle and it'll cut much better. I have a little bandsaw I use for these sort of cuts now. its much slower, but so much better in every way than the abrasive cuttoff wheels.
I bought one of those Ryobi cut-off machines many years ago. I would still have it somewhere, probably in the junk shed behind my main shed?
I don't know if they ended up up improving them, but the one I had/have would actually twist when I started applying pressure to whatever I was cutting.
I could never get a straiģht cut out of it in the up and down direction, so it went into purgatory in the back shed.
I have a cheapo (not ryobi branded) one too... Its never made a straight usable cut no matter how hard I've tried......I bought one of those Ryobi cut-off machines many years ago. I would still have it somewhere, probably in the junk shed behind my main shed?
I don't know if they ended up up improving them, but the one I had/have would actually twist when I started applying pressure to whatever I was cutting.
I could never get a straiģht cut out of it in the up and down direction, so it went into purgatory in the back shed.
The things you see on Marketplace.
Anyone chasing barrel cleaning brushes for a Centurion tank?
Seller doesn't state the barrel diameter, but given the 1955 date, I'm guessing 84mm?
Large quantity available, $50 each, get in quick.
Anyone chasing barrel cleaning brushes for a Centurion tank?
Seller doesn't state the barrel diameter, but given the 1955 date, I'm guessing 84mm?
Large quantity available, $50 each, get in quick.
Thanks for the heads up, but I am all out of 84mm cannons at presentThe things you see on Marketplace.
Anyone chasing barrel cleaning brushes for a Centurion tank?
Seller doesn't state the barrel diameter, but given the 1955 date, I'm guessing 84mm?
Large quantity available, $50 each, get in quick.
View attachment 241742View attachment 241741
Yes, and my Centurion is an early model with the 3" gun.
When your luck's out, it's out I'm afraid.
