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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,011
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,011 |
Dwight,
You need to organize yourself better. Its hard to see the tubing in such a "dirty" shop.
Whats the next step?
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5 |
All right Dwight. Stop posting photos of your shop. Now your just rubbing salt in a wound. (In my best Homer Simpson voice) "Dwight's stupid, stupid shop."
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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OP
Administrator Lunker
Joined: Dec 2004
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This morning I cut the perimeter frame members; two 16 footers and two 8 footers, all 45 degree angle cuts. I squared (very basic squaring) it all up on the saw horses with the 90 degree magnets. That is where I was going to the leave the project until Monday evening after it cools down some. Resistance was futile; so squared each corner with corner clamps, C-clamps on a heavy angle iron across the corners and the entire low tech welding guy stuff that I know. Then I tack welded it all together. The diagonal corner to corner disparity is under .125". It was 94 degrees in the shop when I decided to give it a rest. These are the 5 sweatbands I doused this afternoon. I better replenish my bodily fluids, and now!!
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 8,854 Likes: 1
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 8,854 Likes: 1 |
Better knock down a Coroner, eh?
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 773 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 773 Likes: 1 |
Another way to make sure it's square is to measure diagnally from corner to corner. When both measurements are exactly the same, it's square.
Are you going to weld it all the way around? I'm just curios about moisture and keeping it out.
It probably doesn't compare, but I just bought a stick of 2x4 tubing with 1/4 inch walls for $100. What does it go for in your area?
Eddie
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Bruce Condello - Thanks for the recommendation. I followed it! eddie_walker - I did mention that, "The diagonal corner to corner disparity is under .125". I will be welding it all the way around. First though, I am just tacking the perimeter frame and cross members. The tubing I am using is only 14 gauge so there would be a huge diference in price. The whole steel purchase as described earlier in the thread was $700 odd dollars. Steel, like everything else I buy seems to keep getting most spensive.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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Three cross members tacked into position and the remaining eight cut. This would go a lot faster if I didn’t have to work for a living.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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Some progress this evening....
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,536 Likes: 279
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,536 Likes: 279 |
Glad to see you are making progress on "The Life is Good" Bremer Barge !!
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Joined: Dec 2004
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ewest - I can still lift it, too!
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Administrator Lunker
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eddie_walker - I can still lay down a lot nicer looking bead with the old stick welder than I can with the wire welder. Is this normal, or am I old and decrepit?
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 773 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 773 Likes: 1 |
Dwight,
When I bought my welder, I never even considered a wire welder. I learned on an AC arc welder and when I discovered AC/DC arc weleders, there was nothing that compared for the price and versatility. Especialy if you have rural property, tractors and equipment!!!
Nice collection of saw horses. I have four and I'm always tripping over them, but seeing how nice the six do for keeping your platform up and level, I might just get another set.
Thanks for the updates, Eddie
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15 |
Dwight,
If you have prior welding experience, I'm surprised you're having trouble making a nice looking bead with the wire welder. You may already know this, but make sure you're using the correct polarity for the wire you're using. I'm assuming you're using flux-core wire since I don't see a shielding gas bottle in the pictures. The leads have to be reversed inside the welder to switch from solid core to flux core. You can weld using the wrong polarity, but it makes a pretty ugly bead.
Dave
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,285 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,285 Likes: 1 |
A small bottle of 75/25 is pretty cheap and would help a great deal even when using self shielding wire. Solid wire and with gas shielding is where the mig shines otherwise simply using self shielding wire you're basically welding with a very tiny infinetely long stick electrode.
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." Stephen W. Hawking
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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eddie_walker - I agree on the AC/DC welder for repair work. The MIG welder is useful when working with new clean metal and thin sheet and tubing. When I was a young pup, I would have built the barge on the floor. Now that I have some age on me, I like working on stuff at waste level or so. Live and learn. D. Helms – My Dad first taught me welding (He owned a Machine Shop) when I was 9 years old. AC/DC stick welders were all that we had in those days. I first used a MIG welder in a production environment during summer break (1970). That was welding a one inch long bead on a bracket for animal cages. I don’t know how many thousand of those I made that summer, but it was so boring I was excited to get back to college! Until this project, I had not used a MIG welder since that summer. The polarity is set correctly. I’m not really having a problem. it is just that the stick welder bead is just prettier in my view. Thanks for the tips, though. Ryan Freeze - I will be picking up a regulator and a tank of 75/25. I like the analogy of the “tiny infinitely long stick electrode”.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794 |
Dwight and Eddie, I don’t know what this welding story has to do with ponds. But it’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I worked on a pipeline welding crew in Kansas the summer of 1941, and graduated from high school in 1942. I didn’t need to go to college because I already knew everything I needed to know... After high school I worked on the “big inch” pipeline that provided oil from the East Texas oil fields to the east coast to fuel the ships of war. I learned to weld...somewhat... The Army Air Corp formed a unit called the “Air Corp Engineers” and I volunteered. Because of my experience as a welder, I came out of basic training classified as T-corporal. I went into the service as an 18 year old know-it-all and came out dumber that a rock... I went to college - the GI Bill paid me $90 a month – more money than I had ever seen... By the way, I picked up a torch a couple of years ago and laid the prettiest bead you ever saw...
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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George1 – We’ve got welders coming out of the ironwork! There is nothing quite like a nice brazed bead holding two pieces of heavy cast iron together. I once brazed a trail down to the pond or was that blazed? And yes, there is a Brazing.com
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 14,033 Likes: 300
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 14,033 Likes: 300 |
Originally posted by Dwight: George1 – We’ve got welders coming out of the ironwork! I'm not adding my $0.02 worth unless someone needs to repair round bale feeders. That's all the welding I've done for 10 years or so (every Fall).
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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Administrator Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,536 Likes: 279 |
Geeezzzz the Life is Good Barge has a bumper !! And a place to attach a ramming device !!! :p
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Administrator Lunker
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ewest - A propped ramming device on both ends with both facing the same direction for maximum ramming speed.
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Joined: Oct 2005
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by ewest: Geeezzzz the Life is Good Barge has a bumper !! And a place to attach a ramming device !!! :p - - -
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 14,033 Likes: 300
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
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I was thinking more of a trireme, Brettski, but that works too.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,285 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,285 Likes: 1 |
Looks like you're making good progress. Another tip: since you planning to get the 75/25 gas I assume you'll eventually be getting some solid wire. You may want to try some SuperArc L-56 made by Lincoln because it outperforms other wires on less than perfectly clean steel. I would also recommend .035" for your machine and general applicability. Personally, I've have a soft spot for the art of stick welding:
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." Stephen W. Hawking
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
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Ryan Freeze - That art is very familiar. Did I see it on Lincoln Electrics website, somewhere?
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