Welding Projects

[4x4American]

My favorite welder that I've logged quite a few hours on was a Miller XMT304 wired with 3 phase power.  Mainly used it for MIG, sometimes stick, and occasionally for carbon arcing.  The Millermatic 200 is a good wire feeding unit too.  I really want to get into TIG welding.  Have not done much, but have done a bit. 

[Down_hand_dave]

I am so glad to see a post that I can actually post on. Being a welder I have lots of projects

This is large read on a pressure vessel 1.125 thick repad, on a 2" thick vessel.


This is a water header with 52 nineties coming into it.

And alittle tungsten holder I made as I waited on a fitter in a chemical plant.

I have tons more just don't wanna bore anyone.

Also on a side above about 7018. If it gets wet all you have to do is heat it slightly above 212 degrees and it will weld a lot better. We do it all the time by wrapping in foil and setting on the manifolds of our welding machines when we get caught without rod ovens.

[Kbeitz]

I am so glad to see a post that I can actually post on. Being a welder I have lots of projects

This is large read on a pressure vessel 1.125 thick repad, on a 2" thick vessel.


This is a water header with 52 nineties coming into it.

And alittle tungsten holder I made as I waited on a fitter in a chemical plant.

I have tons more just don't wanna bore anyone.

Also on a side above about 7018. If it gets wet all you have to do is heat it slightly above 212 degrees and it will weld a lot better. We do it all the time by wrapping in foil and setting on the manifolds of our welding machines when we get caught without rod ovens.

Bring it on... We all want to see pictures. welding goes right along with any sawmill.
Sometimes if I get a wet rod or two I will just stick the rod untill steam stops coming
off of it.

I know my old sears is all copper because I was into it a few times and I know
I would never trade it for any alum one. I agree that any motor driven generator
welder is the best. So smooth.

[4x4American]

Yea bring em on I enjoyed those pictures, really cool!

[Corley5]

  Cody, who works with me, is enrolled in Moran Ironworks,  http://moraniron.com/ ,  Industrial Arts Institute,   http://iaiworks.com/  , Comprehensive Industrial Welding Course.  He starts classes January 4.  He's excited about it.  So am I 8)  I'd like to take their 8 week night course to learn what I do wrong when I weld  ;) ;D
  I've got two Lincoln 225 buzz boxes.  One my Grandpa bought new a long time ago.  It still works like it always has.  I got a smoking deal on a newer one that I couldn't pass up.  I've also got an older Lincoln Weldan Power portable gas powered welder.  I like it but the carb on the 16hp Briggs is sensitive to this new junk gas and requires constant cleaning  :(  It's also really loud  8) :-\   

[Dave Shepard]

That's the same stick welder I have, got it from Sears years ago!

Thats back when they made them good with real copper wire inside.
Not like the cheap alum wound junk sold today.

I was talking to a tech at Miller (I think it was Jeff Johnson) a few years back about my (2010) Syncrowave 250 and just out of curiosity I asked him whether it had a copper or aluminum meatball and he said aluminum was actually (surprisingly) superior to copper for some things (not sure whether he meant the primary or secondary) ... and not just cost. This was definitely surprising to me, and for the life of me I can't remember why he said it was better...

Whatever it is, it's still 500 pounds of some kind of metal! (I've also got a Miller 330A/BP stick/TIG power source from 1978 and I know that's all copper wound ... 800 pounds worth ... but I'm not sure it welds any better than the Sync, although it does get a bit hotter for heavy aluminum ... 465A of AC baby!  8) )

My Miller 330 A/BP is a 1974, and I think the book says 840 pounds bare weight. Got it for $100 at auction.

[Down_hand_dave]

When it comes to copper versus aluminum in welders it makes a difference in what you see and what you "feel"  but actual quality it makes very little to any difference on. All of that is on the operator. But with that being said i also must say that all welders i own for stick welding or tig welding are complete copper. I have welded with just about every machine you can imagine from the old torpedo Lincolns made in the 30s to new engine driven machines made by all manufacturers. I weld in my shop with a 80 model 350 Miller syncrowave. On my welding car I have a 2013 model Lincoln sae 300. Now when it comes to mig welding I find no difference in aluminum versus copper.

Just a pic of my welding rig. I built the bed from the ground up. Doesn't look like it but there is over 100 hrs of fab in it.

[dustyhat]

But i see what you really love setting on the back of that truck :laugh:

[brendonv]

I took up welding a couple years ago. Another thing i needed to know how to do.  :D

I built this alum chip box as my first tig project. Then i built this trailer from the main frame up last june.

I love welding. Problem is everyone else knows i do so things appear and people appear with the dreaded "5 minutet job". 

[brendonv]