>>2894379 (OP)
old thread: https://warosu.org/diy/thread/2849067

white collar here. I'm awaiting my first angle grinder. Am I gonna die?

File: 20250204_185907.jpg (2.02 MB, 2419x3225)

2.02 MB JPG

>>2894379 (OP)
piddling away on turning an old worm reducer into a positioner with a 1 1/2" - 8 threaded spindle so chucks off my sb9 lathe will fit directly
biggest assache is trying to figure out how to make a foot pedal variable speed control. getting close with a 35 cent NE555 pulse generator board triggering the stepper driver. lots of trial and error with pot sizing to get the right pulse hz range
have to get the carbon brush rotary ground mounted up
still waiting on chinkshit timing pulleys and belt ordered during cny
total cost should be under $200

>>2894379 (OP)
Any advice on stick welding thin metal pipe together? The type of pipe you’d find on the posts of a chain link fence… about 1/8 inch thick. What works best?

>>2895013
3/32" 6010/6011 @50-60A DCEN which is backwards polarity to normal stick welding. if you only have an AC machine just turn it all the way down. its gonna suck major donkeyballs and youre gonna cuss a lot and burn a lot of holes until you figure it out. or more like youll rage quit

File: 20250205_183214.jpg (2.13 MB, 2419x3225)

2.13 MB JPG

>>2894967
got changs $23 grounding block mounted up. still needs some fine tuning and a stud on the back to land the lead

>>2894967
Why not just use a variable speed DC motor instead of a stepper?

>>2895208
i already had several of the nema 23 425 oz and drives laying around. also i have some other projects in mind where i want the same manual speed control so i want to figure it out anyways
plus a nema 23 and driver is half the price of a 50mm planetary reduction dc motor and has twice the low speed torque. a positioner usually has a heavier part on it when running at the slowest so the backwards speed/torque curve on the stepper is better than a dc motor in this application

File: 0928171819.jpg (385 KB, 960x1280)

385 KB JPG

>>2895213

Sounds like you got it all figured out. I just don't mess with steppers at all so didn't know if there was any reason to not run a simple "stupid" dc motor with speed control and pot to set the speed.

Do you do a lot of round welded parts? There are times when one would be handy and I even bought an old clutch machine that would be stupid simple to convert over to a rotary positioner (pic rel). Really though, on the rare occasion it would be "nice" I'd probably just fucking send it and be on my way in less time than setting up the positioner.

File: 20250205_210445.jpg (3.12 MB, 2419x3225)

3.12 MB JPG

>>2895232
>was any reason to not run a simple "stupid" dc motor
nope. it would have been easier especially with the cheap pwm boards. but im a retard and get fixated on doing shit the most retarded way possible
>Do you do a lot of round welded parts?
once in awhile. there one of those things that once you have one sitting on the bench itll get used more and more until it becomes a necessity. even silly little shit like welding nuts on plates goes so much smoother. and smooth is fast
>bought an old clutch machine
thats a sweetheart and you should absolutely figure out how to power it. you can get large welding positioner chucks from chinkistan on ebay for much less than a lathe chuck. i think a 12" is around $200. if you were down the street i give you a beat up 12" 3 jaw ive been hoarding for too long

File: pallet bench.jpg (3.28 MB, 2419x3225)

3.28 MB JPG

>>2895232
and for me being retarded i already have an mk aircrafter which is the cadillac of bench positioners. but it was modified to the vertical plate in picel and doesnt quickly change back. i wanted a horizontal unit and needed another busywork wintertime project so here i am

File: PXL_20250206_164137690.jpg (2.18 MB, 3840x2160)

2.18 MB JPG

currently learning stick welding. I know i fucked up with the ends but besides that, what do y'all think? Any tips?

>>2894849
Your balls will whither and die if you even think about putting on that guard.
You’ve been warned

>>2895379
your rod angle is changing as you progress across. focus on keeping it consistent
starts/stops are 75% of the skill so make ot a point to have several restarts in every bead. the goal is to have a start not even be noticeable mid bead. 6010 is easier to learn good starting technique with than 7018 that wants to make a glob

File: PXL_20250206_154353421.jpg (2.33 MB, 2160x3840)

2.33 MB JPG

>>2895396
i only have 7018 at my class to use but yeah, i do struggle a bit with my hand placement and handling. I often find that as the rod gets shorter, my left hand ends up getting in the way and I'll mess up a little as a try to adjust or move my hand out of the way. Any advice?

>>2895418
focus on keeping your dominant arm locked in sync with your torso but not too rigid. hard to explain but you want to hold tight but not tense up. dont use you other hand for anything but a steady reference. your right hand with the stinger should be doing most of the directional control
holding the rod with your left hand doen by the plate like a cigarette is the best way to have good starts and stop shaking around
plus turn your welder up 5 or 10 amps. seems counterintuitive but most welds run better hotter. 1/8" 7018 runs well at 130-5 with the rod jammed completely in the puddle bumping on the flux and pushing itself along

>>2895379
looks like youre moving too fast. Thats why you get those long uneven ripples. if you start getting uncomfortable dont panic, slowly loosen your grip and let go then pull away, everything has to be slow and steady. do a dry run over the metal to make sure your comfortable the whole way around. for flat welds like that id rest my right elbow on the table and hold the rod with my left hand just for the first few seconds then let go, try welding a bit one handed.
The whole weld looks rushed. when you strike that arc you gotta hold it there for a second or two to let everything warm up and establish a puddle, At the end you do the same to fill in that end so you dont leave a big hole like you did in the last weld. Just dont rush and stay calm.

Qrd on laser welding.
Saw it on some (probably many years old) brit tv show (car sos). Guy did a neat weld off the starting block. Had never heard about it before.

Never welded, but want to learn how to, any good tutorial recommendations?
I have a welder, old one and heavy like a motherfucker.
No idea if it even works, the knobs hardly even turn, everything is in german and I think it may have sat in damp basement for a while.
Im honestly kinda scared to even plug it in to test and I don't even have any electrodes.
What do?

>>2896366
that sounds like a eurotrash oil filled transformer old style welder. i think theyre ac. not much to go wrong inside as long as its still fill of oil for cooling. get some rod and burn away

>>2896366
Don't mess with sketchy high amperage power supplies, just buy a cheap new stick welder and get some TIG leads for it if you want after. Youll need a decent welding mask that wont send you to the ER with arc eye and some welding gloves.
For learning Weld.com, Timwelds and weldingtipsandtricks on youtube are good

>>2896366
https://presearch.com/search?q=oil+filled+welder+site%3Awww.mig-welding.co.uk%2Fforum

File: _42K0937.jpg (802 KB, 1800x2706)

802 KB JPG

i have a family history of skin cancer and i want to avoid having to get shit cut off me. what works to keep the UV off me? i've tried sunscreen but i'm in the south and i just pour sweat the whole time. i thought about those things fishermen wear but they're polyester so i dunno if that would fly.
i don't really care about looking like an idiot. i don't wanna get skin cancer.

>>2896879
Im sure you could sew yourself a burka out of old tshirts or something.

File: wleding hood.jpg (61 KB, 720x720)

61 KB JPG

>>2896879
Full-coverage densely-woven cotton (jean material, not T shirt material). So boots, long socks, jeans, long-sleeved denim shirt, gauntleted welding gloves, welding helmet. If you want coverage for your neck/ears, they make welding hoods like pic related.

File: alu.png (169 KB, 511x331)

169 KB PNG

did tig for first time today. aluminum went well. steel felt kind of sticky, if that makes sense. like, there's no resistance with the aluminum filler at all.
but the steel, every time i'd touch the puddle there was some resistance when i pulled away. it reminded me of when you get the mig wire stuck on the table or something and you have to pulse it to get it off.
does that make sense? is tig welding steel just like that? it kind of fucks up my rhythm because i'm worried i was going to move the work with the rod.

>>2896879
If you become a welder you’re gonna get cancer

>>2895927
This is good knowledge sharing.

do you have any recommendations for decent TIG welders without breaking the bank? A friend's birthday is coming soon and he started some projects which require welding. I know absolutely nothing about welders aside from what i learned in a total of 5h at university. I think my budget for the present would be around 350€

File: DONE.png (160 KB, 311x300)

160 KB PNG

Why is welding vertically with MAG so fucking hard bros?
Regular tee joints comes out great, but I just can't weld vertically for shit, no matter how much theory I get or someone show me how.
It's tiresome.

>>2897385
why tig?
mig is far handier for general purpose

>>2897466
cannot answer that myself, he talked about getting a tig welder specifically. He's the mechanical engineer and he knows about this stuff so who am i to argue

>>2897160
>steel
>sticky

never weld titanium then.

aluminum you're blasting the fuck out of it. steel/stainless should not feel sticky unless you're cold or ramming in too much wire(hence cooling the puddle) or your tungestens too far away and you're blobbling metal on each end without tying the edge together. The does look slight crowned so probably one of those 3 things.

>>2897385
>>2897488
because he probably wants to prototype parts and shit. small stuff so speed(slow tig) isn't an issue.

a bottle of gas(pure argon) will likely cost him what a cheap welder will.

if he only wants to do steel and stainless it will be cheaper. a tig welder that can do aluminum will be more expensive(likely out of that price range).

>>2897717
oh that's aluminum. i thought it was oldd the edge was gone but the puddle so high(hence your 'sticky') hence the crown.

also could be your size of filler/type. on the outer ranges of heat for filler(too low for filler) it can feel 'sticky'). and vice versa the rod might just ball off and vaporize(too high for filler/not enough feed).

you can get away with 1/16 on too high heat but you're going to be ramming feeding quickly(skill don't have yet). you can get away with 3/32 on too low of heat by dabbing like you would aluminum.

s2 and s6 carbon feel different, but you're not likely to notice starting out.

>>2897722
>i thought it was oldd the edge was gone but the puddle so high
yeah. i was struggling with letting off the gas at the end. it would start to heat up and i'd notice the puddle getting bigger and i'd either try to go faster or lift the tungsten away, both of which are bad. obviously i should just lift my foot a little.
i also find it unintuitive that pulling the torch away puts more heat into the weld. my brain imagines it like a flame. pull the flame away to make it cooler.

i think the most likely thing is that i'm poking the filler too far from the puddle. i could imagine that because the aluminum transfers heat so fast, i can get away with being further from the arc. i was really paranoid about poking the tungsten and i was putting the filler right at the edge of the puddle generally.

i'll play with it some more in a week or so. i appreciate the input.

File: titan-staring.jpg (13 KB, 480x360)

13 KB JPG

I want to get into welding so that I can work in remote areas and or on a boat. What certifications and otherwise skills would I need to do that?

I've been to Alaska before trying to work on a boat, but those guys are all drug addicts. Unknowingly hired my own replacement after a few weeks. I have no friends, no family. I have two grand but can get more money if needed, and I have all the time in the world because I'm sleeping in my truck. The ultimate goal would likely be to end up in Alaska, permanently. I'm in my late 20s. Is this reasonable?

>>2897809
theres money around the boats if you can tig weld shitty broken aluminum. get a dynasty 210 with a tl26 torch and the typical support tools and put them in the smallest knaack box you can get away with. start at the boat works in seattle for leads. expect to get ripped off and have to buy expensive puddle jumper flights. pick a different career by 32

>>2897921
>pick a different career by 32
Thanks, but why's that?

>>2897921
What's the deal with a welder's log? I hear if you don't weld for 6 months you lose your certifications. That's fucking insane.
>https://youtu.be/xJV6SGaGrLk?feature=shared [Embed]
6:29

Suppose I'm an noob welder, but has more money than I need

Is the ESAB Rebel 205ic the best multi-process welder I can get?
And an oxy-torch? And a $1000 plasma cutter?

>>2898040
When your welding at a high level you gotta be welding non stop to stay good at it, idk what it is probably muscle memory but its like your brain forgets how to weld pipes after a few months of not welding. The jump in difficulty between just sticking a few bits together at home vs welding pipes to X-ray standards in awkward positions is massive and if you fuck up you can cost companies millions in lost production time or cause some kind of an enviromental disaster.
Its just like playing video games, if you dont touch them for a few months and try to play again all of a sudden youre shit at them and you have to relearn that muscle memory.

>>2898033
>why's that?
being a field welder is typically a contortionist act. after 30 your tolerance for doing handstands in oily bilge water and rotten fish guts will rapidly disappear. even doing simple tasks start to come with new aches and pains that linger for a week
>>2898040
>What's the deal with a welder's log?
idk. never heard of it. certs are mostly a meme. structural and pipeline shit are the only jobs that typically require them. and anything critical youll have to retest for each new inspector on site and retest if the engineers have a different weld process specd. its not that big of a deal. mostly its just tun a joint and the inspector does a visual between passes. big jobs with lots of welders will have the heartbreaker set up to bend strips
aluminum shops typically only care about visual aesthetics and production speed
general fab will give ask you to weld 2 pieces of scrap together just to see if you know how to turn a welder on and which end of the gun to pick up

>>2898050
>ESAB Rebel 205ic the best multi-process welder I can get?
maybe. that's a little low on the top amperage for when you get better. i see cyberweld has the ac/dc on on a big discount which would let you tig aluminum if needed but nothing thicker than about 1/4"
the early generation rebels had issues but i think they got them fixed. hard to say. esab changes models and suppliers constantly these days. i have their 180i stick box and a couple firepower (rip) migs and plasma and theyre good shit
>And an oxy-torch?
o/a is all about what you do for gas cylinders which depends on the suppliers in you area. best is to buy a complete torch with tanks used. make sure theres no company name embossed in the ring on the tank neck. a victor torch is the most universal
>And a $1000 plasma cutter?
primeweld cut60

File: 20250219_222207.jpg (202 KB, 1073x1319)

202 KB JPG

>>2894967
>>2895205
been working on getting the potentiometer control for the pulse gen dialed in. found a 20k on the bay that should work
plus a saw blade for a good price. can never have enough spares

I picked up an o/a rig last night, buddy gave me a bunch of Victor top halves and tips. Paid 250, tanks were full but the torch is dog shit, buying a victor handle off eBay probably. Can't wait to burn puddles on exhaust pipes in my driveway

>>2894849
I almost lost a finger today with an angle grinder that had a tungsten carbide disc.

>>2899695
Had a grinder catch the lace on my hoodie one time and it shot up out of my hands straight for my neck.
got lucky and it tangled into the grinder and stalled it before it took my head off. took those stupid strings out of all my work hoodies after that one.

I'm about to do a 1 month, lvl 1+2, full time welding course because i cant find a second coding job after my first ended. Is this a good idea?

File: 20250228_192707.jpg (3.91 MB, 4032x3024)

3.91 MB JPG

>>2898513
pedal isnt exactly perfect. the pot is dirty and needs replaced even though its nos. it also lacks a trigger switch but nothing i cant fabricobble together. the guts are a hd gear segment thatll last several lifetimes so its a good starting point
new 30t sheave and belt came in on a slow boat from the orient. i had too much reduction with a 20/50t & 50:1 on the box

I need someone to help me repair the battery tray for my golf cart. See pic related. They would be welding angled aluminum(probably over the existing angled aluminum). Three pieces total, the two sides and the middle piece. You couldn't see the other side in the picture which is why there's a x2.

What's a reasonable amount to ask someone to charge to help me weld this? Preferably someone mobile.

File: f58eae752af5c42669f35aff4(...).jpg (193 KB, 1024x768)

193 KB JPG

>>2900640
Forgot Pic

>>2900640
>aluminum
>mobile
>reasonable amount
not going to be cheap. dirty, fatigued, corroded aluminum is kill even in a perfect shop environment. onsite is a total shitfest
your going to find some yesmen with a harbor freight spoolgun thatll squirt a few drops of bird shit that wont stick and theyll want $500
go to a semi truck shop and ask who does the alloy trailer repairs. hell be expensive. like $1k for 2 hrs. half if you can get it to his shop and give him a week to get to it.
boat repair or irrigation shops are the other best bets to find a good aluminum welder

File: PXL_20250225_104613972.jpg (635 KB, 3072x4080)

635 KB JPG

some shit i threw together at work, still dont really have a clue how to do this properly

>>2900644
What's so shitty about aluminum welding? For those prices, I'd be inclined to buy a cheap welder from harbor freight and try it myself. Is that a terrible idea?

>>2900660
looks better than most
turn the amperage up and use the next size bigger filler rod
>>2900690
>What's so shitty about aluminum welding?
alum is perpetually in an oxidation state which makes it want to reject bonding. it needs to be super clean for good fusion to happen. tig welding has the advantage of using part of the ac electrical current to boil off surface oxides. spoolgun welding relies on the heat of the arc to cook through the oxide which takes tons of heat
aluminum is a fantastic conductor so the heat youre trying to dump in to melt it instantly moves away from the joint. so the weld start is too cold then the heat builds and gets too hot towards the end which can blow through
additionally aluminum wire is soft shit that doesnt feed well so youre constantly battling it
and you need a tank of pure argon to weld it regardless of process
if you want to get into welding it would be a hard place to start but not impossible and its not a space shuttle so order a primeweld with spoolgun and blast away

File: image.jpg (1.95 MB, 2623x2853)

1.95 MB JPG

>>2900660
When weaving or walking watch the edges of your puddle. Ensure they're inline with what's just frozen. Usually you focus on one side and the other one will sort itself out from just natural movement(assuming flat welding and consistent feeding).

I'd just practice little weaves with no filler on thin stainless sheet(1/8th or less). So you can run a lighter shade and really see what amperage, arc length and travel speed does. Stainless color will give you a better indicator of how much heat you're dumping into it.

>>2900690
>aluminum
>cheap

Aluminum is expensive to weld. Tig you'll need AC and amperage. Most cheap machines will have neither. And if they do they sacrifice quality or something else to get them.

For mig(wire), Spool Guns attachments are an extra cost on an already noncheap welder. And now you'll need another gas bottle.

If you're deadset get a cheap Tig Welder with AC and a bottle argon. It will teach you the most about welding. You will need 220v to do aluminum.

>>2900744
>>2900840
Thank you both for the most in-depth, descriptive posts I've encountered on 4chan. Based on these responses I probably wouldn't attempt to get someone to weld it. I may just get some Angled Aluminum and rivet it to the pieces that are currently failing. I won't really know until I get the batteries out and I don't want to do that yet as they are still holding a charge.

What sucks though is I have a neighbor who is a welder, and I know either he or one of his coworkers would have the tools/experience to help me with this, but he gives a vibe that he wouldn't want to open up a can of worms for helping every neighbor that might think they need two pieces of metal connected together. I may need to start working my way into his good graces...

>>2900055
Not an answer to the question but I'm a webshit and currently looking for a short course in welding to see if I could reasonably* get into this field and register for a longer and more in depth training.

*I'm a nerd AND have bad eyesight, I already spotted some courses where the prerequisites state clearly candidates should have no eyesight issues

>>2899438

me again. oa welding isn't as simple as I thought it was. seems to be taking me a lil while to get it figured out. anywho, anyone with experience on oxyfuel know about welding without a gap? for instance, I have been trying to weld in a O2 bung into my exhaust and keep fucking up somehow. I think it's excess heat, but I'm keeping a good puddle, and at the same time not penetrating enough. hard for me to explain, idk what you guys are familiar with. weak welds! I blow through the mild steel under the bung and end up with my puddle traveling up the threads. I let it cool for a while and hit it with a thread chaser and it'll be fine for a few turns but after I get to like 20 ft/lbs i take the bung clean off, leaving a lot of the filler behind. maybe it's bc it's stainless vs mild steel? maybe someone has an idea

>>2900853
you should 1000% do that without the intentions of using his tradecraft for your benefit. My buddy is an engine builder, builds Toyota engines for folks, and himself. real technical dude, tight tolerances yada yada. we were good friends for a while, one day shows me his race bike. sick ass supermoto. He knew that I'm a carpenter. talked about work 15 dozen times.. one day has a wild idea he's trying to breakdown. I help him. he casually guided me into helping him finish his kids 'treehouse' [read:tiny home between two cedar trees] in exchange for his race bike. about 18k into this bike with a sale value of around 9k-12k, in exchange for about 6k-7.5k in labor.

be friends with the dude, not to use him for your benefit, but benefit instead from him being your friend.

Homies help each other out in the real world.

File: welds on the average ferrari.mp4 (2.7 MB, 720x1280)

2.7 MB MP4

Is this really worth showing off? This one's in a museum

File: Ace welder.mp4 (2.66 MB, 394x854)

2.66 MB MP4

>>2901961
I'm sure you'll do just fine

>>2902693
I'm an idiot, but how is """she"""" holding the bolt with bare skin while TIG welding? Short pulses like that probably wouldn't diffuse too much heat through the bolt, but what about the electricity?

>>2902633
I specialize in TIG, not oxy and I also don;t know exactly what youre talking about but it sounds like youre trying to weld a stainless steel bung made of thick material to a thinner mild steel exhaust pipe. If thats the case, angle the torch to dump most of the heat into the bung near the joint, taking care not to burn the top edges off the bung, and when you add filler, try to "wash" it down onto the thinner tube indirectly by moving the torch downwards (move the torch, dont change the angle) each time you dab filler

>>2902699
TIG isnt instant like that. someone has used video editing software to cut out the part where they make a weld pool

File: flash welding rebar.mp4 (2.82 MB, 608x1080)

2.82 MB MP4

>>2902633
>welding isn't as simple as I thought it was
You just need the right tools for the job

File: Welding in India.mp4 (2.78 MB, 406x720)

2.78 MB MP4

>>2898050
You don't need all of that

>>2902777
Reminds me of that pakastani truck channel.

File: Suisei car welding.mp4 (1.6 MB, 720x1280)

1.6 MB MP4

Combine /a/ and /diy/ and you get...

>>2902710
Thermite welding is kinda based

>>2902695
First rule of welding: grab things that are red hot with your bare hands.
Second rule: use gloves

>>2902790
that's not soijacks in the rear window is it

>>2895418
>>2895379
I hope you're wearing a welding respirato p100

I spent too long trying to figure out how you welded a 100 year old wooden plank to steel

>>2896366
Pop it open and post some pics
If there's big beefy capacitors don't touch anything in it

>>2897441
Are you going uphill or downhill?
You're gonna need to understand it's an entirely different technique required

>>2899438
>picked up an o/a rig last night, buddy gave me a bunch of Victor top halves and tips. Paid 250, tanks were full
If you didn't get the paperwork, the shop won't switch out your tanks

>>2902803
honestly, caulk application is harder than welding dimes.

>>2902704
It is chink special welding inverter. They have "cold weld" mode which dumps a lot of current in a very short pulse.

>>2895013
1/8 thick.. that is 3 mm...
So 3/32 rod, any really. 6010, 6011, 6013. Maybe even 7018.
Go fast. Make sure fit is tight. If you blow through holes, reduce current. If you still do blow holes, just tack weld it (like idk, make a blob, wait it to cool, weld another blob, etc)

>>2903044
>If you didn't get the paperwork, the shop won't switch out your tanks
Depends on the shop and area. I don't have paperwork on any of my tanks. As long as they don't say Airgas on the collar and you try to swap them out at the LWS here you're golden. And actually they might even take Airgas tanks now, because the somewhat local Airgas shop has been closed down for quite some time now...

If they are out of hydro I think you gotta pay a $20 re-hydro fee or some bullshit like that for them to hydro it and get it into their system.

>>2903074
Neat, Ive got some expired shit I didn't know what to do with. Thanks

>>2903062
It's not. Especially when it's epoxy like that.

When I get a brand new printer and print my first print does it matter what kind of filament i use ? Can I just immediately start printing with PETG CF or is it recommended to start with PLA ?

>>2902704
Do you even into high frequency ?

>>2903091
That is how it is in my area. Yours may be different, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Usually if your tank is out of hydro they will take it and charge you the hydro fee and keep it for a week or two until it gets tested and refilled and then they give you that exact tank back. Once it is in the system and up to date you can then swap it out for any of their tanks when you bring it back empty next time.

>>2903279
Funny, my shop just switches tanks.
Technically I "own" the tank. In practice they just swap them out as I buy gas. Saves on rental fees and hydro testing.

>>2903279
I did call and ask years ago, they said I had to have paperwork and one tank was so sold it was a different style as me they wouldn't do anyone with it anyway.
I'll try again, thanks for the info

>>2903300
>Funny, my shop just switches tanks.
>Technically I "own" the tank. In practice they just swap them out as I buy gas. Saves on rental fees and hydro testing.
That is what they do after the first time in with a new bottle. I assume they do this in case it doesnt pass the hydro. That way they can give you back your shitty bottle. After it passes the first time you can swap it out for any bottle they have on hand in similar size and holding the same gas.