np307
Well-known member
Just another day at the office
Metalworking Hunttalkers!
- Thread starter p_ham
- Start date
millerkiller77
Well-known member
My son wanted to make a few extra bucks over spring break so I let him weld angles and install handrail cables around a job site.
#OSHAsaidwhat?
#OSHAsaidwhat?
Redmt
Well-known member
There's some pretty ugly welds on the 2"square support tubing.
np307
Well-known member
Yep, I'll make no claims that they look good. But they were done hanging off a press with a huge (3/32 on 1/8 wall) gap to fill and they're plenty strong. You can see which ones I was able to get a good support point on and had a good fit on.
Beware the internet welding inspector. mtmuley
np307
Well-known member
It's a valid critique, they don't look great. Appearance matters in plenty of welding applications. Hopefully in 5 years I'll be able to make a weld like that look just fine. But at the end of the day, it does what it needs to.
All fun and games until someone forgets to drop their helmet and sees a flash everywhere they look for the next few minutes. Haha!
Have an aluminum welding hobby job set for tomorrow with the spool gun.
My boat ladder is mainly for climbing aboard the boat, trailered. Need a wider and longer ladder.
Plan to fashion it in some way to attach to the existing ladder that will pivot upward while boating and drop down to climb aboard from water.
Pics incoming. Rarely pull the spool gun out though a few test runs and it's back to the glue gun mig preset habit, just a bit faster for aluminum
Have an aluminum welding hobby job set for tomorrow with the spool gun.
My boat ladder is mainly for climbing aboard the boat, trailered. Need a wider and longer ladder.
Plan to fashion it in some way to attach to the existing ladder that will pivot upward while boating and drop down to climb aboard from water.
Pics incoming. Rarely pull the spool gun out though a few test runs and it's back to the glue gun mig preset habit, just a bit faster for aluminum
Redmt
Well-known member
My comments are worth exactly what he paid for it! Most any welder will lay down a bird shit weld occasionally. Fortunately there's many manufacturers that make excellent flap discs that spiff up a funky looking weld.
Addicting
Well-known member
Needed a yard roller and the box stores ones were crap. So decided to build my own. Went to the recycling yard and got some steel to repurpose it. Cutting 22” 3/8 wall pipe was a challenge. I had to tack it together and make up a makeshift cutter. 
I don’t claim to be that great of a welder, it’s a yard roller.
Weight with water came in just over 1500lbs. That should flatten a few mole hills.
I don’t claim to be that great of a welder, it’s a yard roller.Weight with water came in just over 1500lbs. That should flatten a few mole hills.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
This is the type of stuff I want to see more of.
Redneck engineering executed properly is freaking awesome. Good job man!
Is that squirt gun a Lincoln 140?
Addicting
Well-known member
Thanks, my Dad and I did projects like this my whole life. I don’t honestly remember, I inherited it from my uncle and Dad. I would have to walk out and look at it and it’s cold out. Lol
What's the setup with the cutting wheel grinder and the 2x4's? 3/8" had to burn through 4.5" wheels like there's no tomorrow!
It appears a means to mount the grinder to maintain a clean, predefined cut line?
I dig this type of, make what's needed. Very cool!
Addicting
Well-known member
I wanted a clean cut that was square. The pipe came just torched into 7-8’ sections. I had to temporarily mount the shaft to get it to turn true. From there it took me 7 cut off discs and a harbor freight grinder. I drilled holes thru the guard and screwed it to a 2x4. Then screwed that with a hinge to the wooden frame I had squared up. That cheap grinder caught fire on the last cut about 90% thru. Lol
I took my good one and finished it. It turned out good for what I had to work with.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
Flip over a flat furniture dolly next time and use it for a pipe roller. (Rotate the fixed castors 180°)
Either way dude, that came out sweet.
That is exactly how I envisioned doing it when I saw the picture of his cutting the pipe. Cheap casters squared up, or a furniture dolly if it worked out.
I love how the Harbor Freight grinder was a consumable! Nice work!
Addicting
Well-known member
My floor is sloping to a drain, the pipe would likely walked, giving me a spiral cut. Also that coating on the pipe is very uneven and clumpy.
I already had the parts to do it the way I did, I just had to sacrifice a couple 2x4s from a shipping crate.
Slowly but surely, coming together... It's been a few years since I last used the spool gun (Miller 150).
I forgot how high the temp has to be. I knew it was higher for aluminum though, the world stopped shaking when I dialed it up to 7 for 1/8". Then repetition on the project, better beads each run. Chit ones to begin. Haha!
Next to figure:
Hold to secure - Trying to stay from pins and bolt/nut type connection to lock the extension to the boat ladder.
How to frame the remainder - Intend to double the thickness of the boat step with the extension.
Still figuring how to connect the pivot point of the boat ladder to the extension.
I dig these hobby projects. Clears the mind of work and other clutter. 80's rock and welding. Day one of three off. Happy to have my welding setup back and running.
I forgot how high the temp has to be. I knew it was higher for aluminum though, the world stopped shaking when I dialed it up to 7 for 1/8". Then repetition on the project, better beads each run. Chit ones to begin. Haha!
Next to figure:
Hold to secure - Trying to stay from pins and bolt/nut type connection to lock the extension to the boat ladder.
How to frame the remainder - Intend to double the thickness of the boat step with the extension.
Still figuring how to connect the pivot point of the boat ladder to the extension.
I dig these hobby projects. Clears the mind of work and other clutter. 80's rock and welding. Day one of three off. Happy to have my welding setup back and running.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
I've a longtime biker bud who would say he could weld wheat straw...never doubted him either.
GoGriz
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2021
- Messages
- 329
I got another 10 minutes of free time between the kids weekend activities so I laid down a bead of 7018 on one side and 6013 on the other, just to keep working towards something decent (my second weekend of doing any welding). My question for you guys is what are you using to practice on that is easy to find and not crazy expensive? I cut a long formwork stake in half for this, but I only get about 16” of real welding before running out. Any creative ideas would be appreciated (and I continue to apologize for the look of my welds - if I can find some time to really dedicate to practicing I hope to start improving much more).
Addicting
Well-known member
I don’t pretend to be good but I started on 2 6” pieces of flat stock and welded them flat. Then after they cooled I stuck it in a vice and tried to break it by hitting it with a hammer.
It taught me a lot of info on what I was doing. Once I got it looking good and they were strong I moved on to 90 degrees and corners.
