Your most recent welding pics

[spoonman]

I actually use Arc-Zone brand tungsten for everything. I haven't had any problems.



Oh and pure works good on older transformer machines when you ball the tungsten. But when you use an inverter and use a sharpened point I use lanthanide, well before Arc-zone

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Yah it worjed fine but balled up from a sharp tip, probably would have had a better arc focus with lanth but i wante a little broader arc. i wanted to play around with it, nothing ive read said it will hurt the machine gamble. As per my pic, i dont think you can say it doesnt weld for shit...... Lol

 

[Bo0sTdTsI]

Yes you need to apply at the local union hall. There are a few in Texas that are under the Untied Association. They all have different jurisdictions. You could "back door" if you are a good pipe welder that can pass SMAW and GTAW tests and have a history in fabrication. That would put you at journey man status.

But in my area that is very uncommon. As I went through a 5 year apprenticeship and learned to weld, fabricate, and fit pipe. But you also need to learn about steam and hydronic systems.


So if you can weld and have some knowledge you could skip a few years in the apprenticeship. This is much more common.

It all depends on the local. Some pay higher like Kansas City where I am working. Scale for a journeyman is $41. But back in omaha my home local (which is very secure with constant work) they only pay $32.78.



UA.org: Links
This link will have the locals in Texas. Pick the one closest to you and call. You should speak with the Business Agent.

Thanks for the info spoonman, I'll be sure to look into that since the closest one is an hour and a half away, really appreciate it.

 

[Mark4g63t]

Just picked up a Hobart Handler 140. I have no welding experience but am looking forward to starting. It came with a spool of flux core .030 wire so I will most likely be practicing with that tonight as I still have to buy a tank.
What do you guys recommend starting with?

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

I'd have to say the most important thing about getting good color/gas coverage for stainless is your torch setup. It took me quite a while to find a good setup that worked the way I wanted it to. Here's what I got:

Started out with this gas lense. Figured a gas lense with a decent size cup would cover well. Turned out the cup was too large for this gas lense. The only way I could get it to work decently was to shove scotch brite inside the nozzle, but still wasn't satisfied.

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I'm now using this large "gas saver" gas lense. It's working very well for me. Using around 15-20cfh but seems to work just as well with as little as 10cfh. (100% Argon)

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Also have a dual flow regulator. Back-purging is a must imo

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Yeah i am looking at the duel flow meter as we speak but dont like the quality of some over here and just look very cheap, i am also looking into nitrogen as a purging gas to see how that works too.

On this gas saving lens whats that all about? I still class myself as a novice in welding as ive only got 2 years under my belt of mig/tig so i am interested in this clear lens and details on the gas saving item, any info will help

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Just picked up a Hobart Handler 140. I have no welding experience but am looking forward to starting. It came with a spool of flux core .030 wire so I will most likely be practicing with that tonight as I still have to buy a tank.
What do you guys recommend starting with?

A tank??? You dont need gas with flux core.... Because it's flux core... Have fun chipping the slag like stick welding .

Yeah i am looking at the duel flow meter as we speak but dont like the quality of some over here and just look very cheap, i am also looking into nitrogen as a purging gas to see how that works too.

On this gas saving lens whats that all about? I still class myself as a novice in welding as ive only got 2 years under my belt of mig/tig so i am interested in this clear lens and details on the gas saving item, any info will help

Nitrogen is awesome ive heard for purging ss.

Gas saver? Unlikely... It sounds to me physically impossible to conserve gas when using a larger lens. Assuming the screen material is the same.

 

[VanIsleDSM]

Man I've always wanted to go pipelining, but no one wants to give a young guy a chance anymore these days I swear, was that a pipline in canada VanIsle?

Yeah that's in Canada. I'd head to your local U.A. union hall as suggested, or whichever one has the next job callout for pipelining. You'll almost certainly have to go out as a helper a few times, but many young welders do this to get into it. If you make the right friends and kiss enough of the right ass you might get a chance to test to go out as welder.

After you work your first job as a helper on permit and do a good job you can probably get your foreman or welder to help you become a member on the union.

urbansmoker, I just watched that "so you want to be a pipeliner?" video. I laughed. I know both of those welders, the one with the profanity on his hood had a bunk next to mine at camp one winter.

Definitely not easy work but pays quite well, and the time off between jobs is nice.

 

[Gamble97]

A tank??? You dont need gas with flux core.... Because it's flux core... Have fun chipping the slag like stick welding .



Nitrogen is awesome ive heard for purging ss.

Gas saver? Unlikely... It sounds to me physically impossible to conserve gas when using a larger lens. Assuming the screen material is the same.

It's a gas saver, because the flow is more concentrated. So you can use LESS gas and get the same or better coverage.
I run 12cfh on a gas lens and 15cfh on a stand cup.
Gas lens and gas saver are all the same. Just different names. Pyrex is a clear cup but also a gas lens/saver as well.

 

[Meshuggah]

Yeah i am looking at the duel flow meter as we speak but dont like the quality of some over here and just look very cheap, i am also looking into nitrogen as a purging gas to see how that works too.

On this gas saving lens whats that all about? I still class myself as a novice in welding as ive only got 2 years under my belt of mig/tig so i am interested in this clear lens and details on the gas saving item, any info will help

Here's exactly where I got mine. I love the shit out of mine, and haven't had any trouble with it at all. Not sure if it really does save on purging gas or not... Just might be what they call it since it's trade marked.

Gas Saver

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

It's a gas saver, because the flow is more concentrated. So you can use LESS gas and get the same or better coverage.
I run 12cfh on a gas lens and 15cfh on a stand cup.
Gas lens and gas saver are all the same. Just different names. Pyrex is a clear cup but also a gas lens/saver as well.

Just had a look and ckworldwide.com dobthis conversion kit, is there any where else you would suggest to buy this kit from? I believe my torch is a 26 if i remember correctly

Mine is a wp26 air cooler torch. So im not sure if it will work for mine or not.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Wow and i thought my wp17 was large. Lol ive still got a wp9 on the list.... Along with other things such as a large toolbox haha.

 

[Mark4g63t]

Kyle did you even read what I typed? . I said I was going to use the flux core because I don't have gas. I'm guessing i'm going to need Co2 when I do switch over to the MIG side of the machine? Obviously I wont be doing aluminum.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Kyle did you even read what I typed? . I said I was going to use the flux core because I don't have gas. I'm guessing i'm going to need Co2 when I do switch over to the MIG side of the machine? Obviously I wont be doing aluminum.

Ahhhh. I guess I'm not familier with the machine your using, ive been pretty spoiled with Miller and Lincoln.

Youll need a mix of argon/carbon dioxide. I believe at school we use a 70% argon/30% co2 mix.

Who ever said you couldn't MIG aluminum? You just need proper wire and a spool gun. (spool on the gun)

 

[Mark4g63t]

Okay. On the machine itself it says either a 70% argon/ 30% Co2 mix for less splatter, or 100% Co2 for steel. Is their a price difference between the two gasses?
Miller makes Hobart

 

[Gamble97]

Ahhhh. I guess I'm not familier with the machine your using, ive been pretty spoiled with Miller and Lincoln.

Youll need a mix of argon/carbon dioxide. I believe at school we use a 70% argon/30% co2 mix.

Who ever said you couldn't MIG aluminum? You just need proper wire and a spool gun. (spool on the gun)

You don't need a spool gun, but it helps. You can put 5356 wire in your machine and run it through your mig gun. Just make sure you are using a 12' or shorter gun.

Okay. On the machine itself it says either a 70% argon/ 30% Co2 mix for less splatter, or 100% Co2 for steel. Is their a price difference between the two gasses?
Miller makes Hobart

Miller does NOT make hobart.
They are both made by ITW. (illinois tool works)
100% co2 will make it weld hotter. So thick steel it would work good. But ideally 75/25 is used for over 90% of the applications.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

^ah ya 75/25 i was close

I had to do my mig test on 3/8plate 600fps (way ####ing fast) and 30volts everything else self adjusted on the lincoln i used. Didn't bother to look at the model because that was the one time out of the whole year i wasn't welding with a miller .


If you use straight up co2 i forsee lots of straight burn through. I had issues with this doing horizontal at 600fps my first time with a 75/25 mix. Would only add to the madness doing 100% co2

Shit i may have even gotten the mix wrong. 75%co2 25% argon? Lol i may be a certified mig welder at the moment but i have absolutely no plans to use that welding process in my career. I just find mig suuuuper boring... So i lost interest rather quickly. Stick and tig are my bread and butter, thats why my next machine is gonna be a dynasty 350. Sorry gamble, no htp for me kinda like the wifi foot pedal option amoung other things and a few extra settings than normal

 

[Mark4g63t]

Sounds good. 75%/25% it is!
"Miller does NOT make hobart.
They are both made by ITW. (illinois tool works)" Oops I knew that wasn't right too much reading. "ITW bought Miller several years ago from the Miller Family. ITW wanted to get into the filler metal business and bought the Hobart filler metal companies and some of the Hobart welding equipment line."

Kyle- You lucky duck. I want to TIG so bad and personally feel I would enjoy it much better than MIG but everyone told me to go with MIG for starting.

Was going to practice tonight but need to find some scrap metal. May just say f-it and start on the stock exhaust piping.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Tig is the best!!!! Diversion 165-180 good starter machines. I'm out growing mine as far as settings go. Because post flow and all that is pre set. But i habent found something it wouldn't weld

 

[Mark4g63t]

I mostly wanted TIG to do aluminum. I start school the 26th and i'm taking a welding class so hopefully after that I'll know more of what i'm doing and will pick up a TIG.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

I mostly wanted TIG to do aluminum. I start school the 26th and i'm taking a welding class so hopefully after that I'll know more of what i'm doing and will pick up a TIG.

Not gonna lie tig aluminum is tricky because you have to keep it clean and the oxidation OFF and it comes back fast.

You can weld anything with tig

 

[Gamble97]

Aluminum is easy! just hard to master.
Don't bother with a miller diversion. It's like a 250cc bike. You will out grow it quick.

 

[Mark4g63t]

That's how it seems. However maybe if I didn't own a DSM I could own a TIG .
I'll throw some pics up tonight so you guys can criticize my work.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Aluminum is easy! just hard to master.
Don't bother with a miller diversion. It's like a 250cc bike. You will out grow it quick.

Yes yes true this. I just mainly wish it had pulse, AC balance, and square wave. Stick capabilities would be awesome too.

 

[Gamble97]

Yes yes true this. I just mainly wish it had pulse, AC balance, and square wave. Stick capabilities would be awesome too.

Take off that torch and install a dinse connector on the + and -. A guy named george did it and has it (165) on ebay. Pretty sweet conversion but he can stick and reverse polarity.
However if you really need to stick, just shove the end of the electrode into the collet body and start stick welding. I have done it a few times and it works well. You just can't change the polarity and don't worry it won't hurt the machine.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Lol...... REALLY????? I think I'd rather get a stinger.