Metalworking Hunttalkers!

[Sytes]

Dry runs. Comfortable position / good rest point. One hand positioned for the rod or gun to lean and follow. Once dialed in, following/leading the puddle structure.

YouTube is the DIY Bible.

 

[Brandon270]

Don't know about the hood lens except it's an auto darken job. No glasses under. Welder is 140 Easy MIG. I've been trying different angles to see what works. Got some soap stone and yellow marker paint yesterday, going to try it today. Am researching whether some kind of very strong LED light might help.

Most auto lenses are adjustable (some aren't) if it is, turn it down a shade. Since you're mig welding, "push" your puddle instead of dragging it, if you arent already, the gun blocks your view of where youre going.

As sytes said there's a lot of good stuff on YouTube. I highly recommend the channel "welding tips and tricks" . He's been doing it a long time, no fluff and has some of the best arc shots on youtube to show you what it should look like under the hood.

 

[Redmt]

As sytes said there's a lot of good stuff on YouTube. I highly recommend the channel "welding tips and tricks" . He's been doing it a long time, no fluff and has some of the best arc shots on there to show you what it should look like under the hood.

X2 Jody Collier is an excellent welder. His instructional videos are spot on.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Beginner welder here. Started playing around with a bench top welder and soon found out how hard it is to see where you're going with the weld. I can't see anything but the weld pool! What do you all use to mark, or get a better view of, the weld pool?

How old are you? I found out sometime around 55 I started wearing glasses and watching my bead got harder. Especially in dark shops. Outside in the sun still ok. Started using a flood light especially tig welding inside stainless steel tankers.

 

[fmnjr]

How old are you? I found out sometime around 55 I started wearing glasses and watching my bead got harder. Especially in dark shops. Outside in the sun still ok. Started using a flood light especially tig welding inside stainless steel tankers.

OAF my eyes take forever to adjust to light changes.

 

[fmnjr]

X2 Jody Collier is an excellent welder. His instructional videos are spot on.

Yes he is but found I had problems other than actually welding that made things a lot more difficult.

 

[fmnjr]

Better welding hood. You can't go wrong with a Jackson True Sight.

You nailed it. Took me awhile to catch on. After it dawned on me the hood I was using wasn't going to cut it, I picked one up that has some type of light gathering tech built into it plus it has a 10 inch window. Works pretty good, at least I can see the weld area now thank goodness.

 

[Redmt]

You nailed it. Took me awhile to catch on. After it dawned on me the hood I was using wasn't going to cut it, I picked one up that has some type of light gathering tech built into it plus it has a 10 inch window. Works pretty good, at least I can see the weld area now thank goodness.

DO NOT wipe the plastic lense with anything dry. It will trash them pretty quickly. If you weld much at all, buy 10 packs of the plastic protectors.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Little surprise for my kid at Christmas to go along with her new gun. I made it this weekend.

 

[fmnjr]

DO NOT wipe the plastic lense with anything dry. It will trash them pretty quickly. If you weld much at all, buy 10 packs of the plastic protectors.

so what should they be cleaned with?

 

[Redmt]

If you HAVE to clean them use eyeglass cleaner. Cellulose based stick will cause the most mess on them. I used to clean them with eyeglass cleaner and soft towel. That got old quick. Now I just wipe them off on whatever is handy and change them when they get too scuffed up. The darkening cartridge is super sensitive. Clean it when necessary with cleaner and soft cloth. The cartridge is the major expense of the hood.

 

[np307]

Got a fun one going on currently. Going to be a funnel for salt and sugar at a food plant. Going to put a 3" hole through the point and weld in a fitting that can swing between 4 barrels. Everything has to be seal welded.

 

[np307]

Got a fun one going on currently. Going to be a funnel for salt and sugar at a food plant. Going to put a 3" hole through the point and weld in a fitting that can swing between 4 barrels. Everything has to be seal welded. View attachment 352869View attachment 352870View attachment 352872

Got the frame welded together and then the funnel welded into the frame and all seams sealed up. Next week I'll put the hole in it and then weld up the fittings.

 

[Redmt]

Got the frame welded together and then the funnel welded into the frame and all seams sealed up. Next week I'll put the hole in it and then weld up the fittings. View attachment 352917View attachment 352918

It looks like you passed up a good opportunity for a lot of outside corner fusion welds. I guess that an inside non welded joint could cause product to hang in any weak fit up areas. All in all, it looks pretty nice.

 

[np307]

It looks like you passed up a good opportunity for a lot of outside corner fusion welds. I guess that an inside non welded joint could cause product to hang in any weak fit up areas. All in all, it looks pretty nice.

Are you talking about on the pyramid itself? I did weld the outside corners first on that. Since it's stainless and requires no seams, I welded the outside corners on pulse laying in .045 wire as necessary keeping the penetration minimal so I didn't sugar the inside. Then once the funnel was welded into the frame I came to the inside and welded those, also on pulse but just fusion with no wire.

 

[Redmt]

You fusion welded the inside joints? Good job, abit risky but good job. I probably would have done fusion on the outside and filler on the inside but it doesn't have my name on it! You da man, you do it your way! It looks pretty nice.

 

[np307]

You fusion welded the inside joints? Good job, abit risky but good job. I probably would have done fusion on the outside and filler on the inside but it doesn't have my name on it! You da man, you do it your way! It looks pretty nice.

Thank you. I love using pulse for stuff like that. Gives you all the heat you need but you can sit there for a while before it burns through. I used some scrap to dial in the settings so I was confident I wouldn't burn through.

 

[Redmt]

I was just thinking. I wonder how an added gas shield would work underneath the joint laying the pyramid so the outside joint would all be down hand and then use fusion. Then come back and run a "lay wire" technique on the inside? It would be double expensive on gas but I bet you would have some really attractive welds.

 

[np307]

I was just thinking. I wonder how an added gas shield would work underneath the joint laying the pyramid so the outside joint would all be down hand and then use fusion. Then come back and run a "lay wire" technique on the inside? It would be double expensive on gas but I bet you would have some really attractive welds.

It would work. Definitely would have to burn a lot of gas. Only problem with fusing the outside corners is that the angle they meet at due to being a pyramid isn't 90 degrees. So it really ends up being a groove weld, almost like a bevel you have to fill.

When I weld the tubing in for the 3" connection, I will probably purge through it and tape a box to the inside of the funnel to hold the gas so I can lay a heavy bead on the outside.

 

[Redmt]

Good point on the -90* angle. Holding an appropriate angle overlap would be a bitch. I hadn't thought about that. Carry on! You do nice work. It would be fun to watch over your shoulder, I would probably learn something.