Ok here are the welds at the top of my cage on my new FED frame--what ya'll think? Will I live if it wrecks?
or it could be an optical illusion. but the area directly facing the camera looks like it could have used a little filler.
no, just one pass, but feeding more filler rod into the molten puddle. it will take care of the undercut.
I've been watching this thread and drooling...and feeling extremely inadequate. I want to up my game but don't have a ton of dough to throw at equipment. I currently have a Lincoln AC/DC stick welder (if that's even the right terminology...basically the big red doghouse looking unit). I also have a acetalyn set-up with the 3.5 ft tall tank and the 4.5 ft tall tank and all the Victor torches and tips you would need including about 30ft of hose. And last, I have a mig wire feed (currently using flucore) POS boxwelder with a hi/low setting and a speed setting. It's a mid 80's Crafstman blackbox and it's just not that easy to weld with or very versatile. Just wondering, what is a good unit (from personal experience using the welder) for around $400 give or take, that will net me the ability to weld thicker material and hopefully have more setting options and versatility...and preferably either comes with or has the ability to be retrofitted for gas shielding?
so... I quit being stubborn and finally tried helium on aluminum. HOLY CRAP. I was running about 40% less amps and getting better penetration and a better bead. That is 1/4 plate. I was trying all different techniques to feeding the rod. This was a bunch of quick feeds. Not the best by any means but not too bad either. I hadn't welded aluminum in over a month...
Ah ok, makes perfect sense now. I tend to wave a lot since i weld thick stuff the most, so i sorta do it all the time and didnt think of it as a off the norm situation. Thanx for clarifying thou....and i need to get a tig set up daium!
for $500 you can find used hobby tigs, like a lincoln 175 which kicks ass... Boy, maybe out on the coast, can't find them around here for that! Not in the Great White North!
hard to tell from the pic, are those "T" joint welds ? are you using a dynasty ? what filler, 5356, 4043, etc ? thanks
sweet... thanks for the info..... almost talked my boss into getting a dynasty...... hopefully one day
Marcella Manifolds <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Db6BVMANvW0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
That is killer! I tried watching the video of him welding but my work computer doesn't have speakers. I wanna check it out and see if I can steal any of his techniques
he doesnt talk about technique, just how the inverter machine allows him better control. He makes nice stuff, and admits that intake pic above was for looks. It started as a cast manifold that he sliced up and then started welding up.
tig welding by Brown Dog Welding, on Flickr Aluminum tig corner joint by Brown Dog Welding, on Flickr
As a long time welder I can say there are some beautiful welds done by great craftsmen. A long time ago my neighbor was a painter named Tom Stratton. He watched me weld blocks and cylinder head for local racers. He asked how I would fill some of the holes that connecting rods would put in blocks My responce was GAP ROD. Well Tom got a piece of round stock and gave this to me. It still sits in my office...
The AWS interviewed me last week, I'm pretty stoked about it: http://bit.ly/MHTuGR Aluminum fillets practice practice practice practice Little tig welder:
The Jalopy Journal
