Cutting torch question - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hickster · #31 09-13-2015, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Cut a thick-walled pipe to 3ft and welded the two discs to it. The edges of the disc were pretty sharp so I ground them down flat. Then I got to looking at the thing and decided I needed to brace the bottom so cut some 3/16 rusted plate and welded triangles to the base.

I sure learned a lot. For example, I knew I was supposed to tack the pieces in place before running a bead but I thought "they're small, what could go wrong?" HA! Mr Grinder came out and assisted removal and redoing it right.

I used an in-law's MIG just enough to recognize that MIG is where I'm going to end up eventually. But I really want to get pretty good at stick before I go to MIG.

Comments?

I have a pair of MIGs, both Millers. Neither of them weld outside in the wind like my Lincoln stick. My stick never runs out of gas, either. That's why I keep it around, but honestly I only use it three times a year.

INSIDIOUS · #32 09-13-2015, 10:07 AM

Better be careful bot, tis a slippery slope you are on ... pretty soon you will be working on cars!!!

TwitchKitty · #33 09-14-2015, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

I used an in-law's MIG just enough to recognize that MIG is where I'm going to end up eventually. But I really want to get pretty good at stick before I go to MIG.

Comments?

Learning MIG helped me with stick. Tried stick as a teen with no guidance and it was pretty pitiful. Learned MIG and how to set up the machine. That knowledge made stick much easier.

Simpler=Better · #34 09-15-2015, 08:12 AM

Pulse mig is incredible-it flows soooo easily

Botnst · #35 09-16-2015, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS

Better be careful bot, tis a slippery slope you are on ... pretty soon you will be working on cars!!!

Last car I thoroughly understood and was competent to do everything on was a 1974 Datsun 710. Even simpler was my 1964 F-100. I could climb inside the engine compartment! Last one I tried to work on (and f'd up everything I touched) was my 1995 E320. Okay, I could change oil & filters and stuff. But I couldn't do anything useful. I never even tried messing with my w124 diesel. I just stood back and threw money at it. Well, I made biodiesel a few years until local restaurants got wise and started selling cooking oil. Restaurants in the land of deep fat friers make a lot of waste cooking oil! Then my kid totaled it.

I've started working on tractors a bit. I have a brand new diesel that requires almost nothing and an early '60's Farmall Cub, which requires constant niggling. I think it has a bad governor and someday I'm going to tear into that. The Cub is the best garden tractor but that's all it does well. For everything else I use the diesel.

Simpler=Better · #36 09-16-2015, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Last car I thoroughly understood and was competent to do everything on was a 1974 Datsun 710. Even simpler was my 1964 F-100. I could climb inside the engine compartment! Last one I tried to work on (and f'd up everything I touched) was my 1995 E320. Okay, I could change oil & filters and stuff. But I couldn't do anything useful. I never even tried messing with my w124 diesel. I just stood back and threw money at it. Well, I made biodiesel a few years until local restaurants got wise and started selling cooking oil. Restaurants in the land of deep fat friers make a lot of waste cooking oil! Then my kid totaled it.

I've started working on tractors a bit. I have a brand new diesel that requires almost nothing and an early '60's Farmall Cub, which requires constant niggling. I think it has a bad governor and someday I'm going to tear into that. The Cub is the best garden tractor but that's all it does well. For everything else I use the diesel.

Old tractors are fun to run. Super simple with loosey goosey tolerances on all the parts

Mimzer · #37 09-16-2015, 01:16 PM

Watch Craiglist for a good deal on a used plasma cutter, a lot less hassle after the initial investment. Just have to make sure your air coming out of your compressor is very dry (add a water separator way down the line away from the compressor, so the air cools and the water vapor precipitates before the separator), otherwise you get issues with the torch tip.

Botnst · #38 10-04-2015, 01:40 PM

I have been watching a lot of welding/cutting videos on youtube. What a great resource!