Got a welder, now the fun begins...

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For a guy with "little" welding experience, your threads are epic. Keep up the posts.
 
I tried welding my very first coupling tonight in a scrap keg top.

I used the "dimpling tool" to pull the coupling.

The coupling was a little over sized and I don't have a metal lathe, so I put a bolt through it and chucked it in the drill press. I then used an angle grinder to "size" the coupling. After the grinder, I smoothed it up a bit with a file. I cleaned up the keg top a little with a flap sander before welding.

I used no filler wire, it's just fusion welded. After welding, I used a hand held wire brush to clean up the weld. I didn't grind or sand the weld at all. Here is a couple pictures of the result:

IMG_3575.jpg


IMG_3580.jpg
 
Great work! Very impressive considering you didn't grind or sand afterwards! What kinda amperage were you at while doing this? I'm probably gonna TIG with my Maxstar for the first time today (been using the stick function).....I need to get comfortable with it, but one small project I'm looking at doing is welding tabs to the inside of my corny lids for dry hopping.
 
ScubaSteve said:
Great work! Very impressive considering you didn't grind or sand afterwards! What kinda amperage were you at while doing this? I'm probably gonna TIG with my Maxstar for the first time today (been using the stick function).....I need to get comfortable with it, but one small project I'm looking at doing is welding tabs to the inside of my corny lids for dry hopping.
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve.

The welder was about 125 amps, but I was no where near full pedal.
I used a big gas lens and back gassed with a GreenMonti style purge.

How have you managed NOT to try the TIG function on that new welder out??? I'm just kidding... this was my second attempt at welding Stainless and I just tried aluminum about a week ago.

I have a 10 gallon corny that leaks where someone else tried to weld the handle. I'm not comfortable welding on it yet... but someday :mug:

Ed
 
Steve, I just had another thought...
A wire brush (stainless for stainless) is perfect for removing discoloration. I read somewhere that right after welding, the temperature makes brushing the color away very easy... it's true.

Most of the scratches in my pic are from the prep, the wire brush was literally just a couple strokes.

Ed
 
Ohio-Ed said:
Thanks Steve.

How have you managed NOT to try the TIG function on that new welder out??? I'm just kidding... this was my second attempt at welding Stainless and I just tried aluminum about a week ago.


Ed
Click to expand...

Ha....I know...I feel kinda guilty about it. But I like to take my time with stuff like this. I was waiting on my flowmeter, so I said what the hell...let's burn some 6011. I had some 1/8" mild steel and just practiced running a bead. Even on 115v it seems to do pretty well. I installed a range outlet in my garage, but Miller doesn't make one of those for their MVP plug system. So I'm stuck with 115v until I get an adapter made up. But with my very limited experience, the welder seems to burn the rods very smoothly.

So today I'm gonna fool around with TIG....probably gonna do some stainless scrap like you did with the coffee mug.
 
Very nice Ed, I'd let you practice welding couplers on my system if you were nearby :)

Are you planning on welding the inside of the coupler as well? Seems like getting inside a keg to weld the backside would be a challenge.
 
klyph said:
Very nice Ed, I'd let you practice welding couplers on my system if you were nearby :)

Are you planning on welding the inside of the coupler as well? Seems like getting inside a keg to weld the backside would be a challenge.
Click to expand...

Thanks Klyph.

I think welding a keg will be a bit more challenging... Keeping the purge in place and working around the keg will be different than clamping the small top to the table. BUT, if you were closer I'd be happy to give it a shot on YOUR system :D

I don't plan to weld the inside. It would be a real pain and I don't think it is necessary. I know it would be nice to have a nice smooth surface inside, but as is, it's 100% better than what I am currently using.

Ed
 
klyph said:
Very nice Ed, I'd let you practice welding couplers on my system if you were nearby :)
Click to expand...

What you say, the only persons near you are on TV the ERA Airlines bush pilots. Training a polar bear to weld is a bad idea.

Ed, Airgas took over about all the small welding shops in my area.
They told me they only lease 330 bottles no owner owned what a crock.
A 250 bottle I was quoted now runs $307 out the door, Argon 250 fills $194
and $122 for a 250 with C25 gas.
This is way out of line since I purchased and refilled my bottles plus had refilled i'll refill with another company for damn sure I have papers on most my owner owned bottles.
 
ScubaSteve said:
Ha....I know...I feel kinda guilty about it. But I like to take my time with stuff like this. I was waiting on my flowmeter, so I said what the hell...let's burn some 6011. I had some 1/8" mild steel and just practiced running a bead. Even on 115v it seems to do pretty well. I installed a range outlet in my garage, but Miller doesn't make one of those for their MVP plug system. So I'm stuck with 115v until I get an adapter made up. But with my very limited experience, the welder seems to burn the rods very smoothly.

So today I'm gonna fool around with TIG....probably gonna do some stainless scrap like you did with the coffee mug.
Click to expand...

Stay clear of really thin material unless you want to frustrate yourself...
That coffee mug kicked my a$$.

Have fun and let us know how it goes.

Ed
 
BrewBeemer said:
What you say, the only persons near you are on TV the ERA Airlines bush pilots. Training a polar bear to weld is a bad idea.

Ed, Airgas took over about all the small welding shops in my area.
They told me they only lease 330 bottles no owner owned what a crock.
A 250 bottle I was quoted now runs $307 out the door, Argon 250 fills $194
and $122 for a 250 with C25 gas.
This is way out of line since I purchased and refilled my bottles plus had refilled i'll refill with another company for damn sure I have papers on most my owner owned bottles.
Click to expand...

That's about the same story I got from Airgas here. I ended up getting my 337cf from a little mom and pop place (well, actually just mom since pop passed away).

Ed
 
Not to hijack Ed's thread....but this seems to have become the unofficial welding forum. So here goes....MY FIRST TIME EVER TIGGING! Ed, you're right....the thin stuff was kinda frustrating...but I was only on 115v so I had to turn it up a ways before I blew through. I was just playing around....messing with fusion welding and also filler rod. Amazing how much you learn from just hooking everything up and giving it a whirl. I did get "buzzed" a few times when I stuck the tungsten and was still holding the rod. I really like the Tillman ONYX gloves, but they're too big. I need a size smaller.

It was hard to get comfortable...because of the stiffness of the cable, I felt it was pulling the torch one way or another. I had to kind of play with where I had the finger remote....seems to work well...but I feel like a pedal would be smoother. Too bad they don't make a trigger with a long pull.

I know I need to make some kind of holder for the torch...it got annoying not having a place to put it.

Say, do you guys turn off the unit when you remove the tungsten for grinding? I wasn't sure if it was safe to do it "hot".
 
ScubaSteve said:
Not to hijack Ed's thread....but this seems to have become the unofficial welding forum. So here goes....MY FIRST TIME EVER TIGGING! Ed, you're right....the thin stuff was kinda frustrating...but I was only on 115v so I had to turn it up a ways before I blew through. I was just playing around....messing with fusion welding and also filler rod. Amazing how much you learn from just hooking everything up and giving it a whirl. I did get "buzzed" a few times when I stuck the tungsten and was still holding the rod. I really like the Tillman ONYX gloves, but they're too big. I need a size smaller.

It was hard to get comfortable...because of the stiffness of the cable, I felt it was pulling the torch one way or another. I had to kind of play with where I had the finger remote....seems to work well...but I feel like a pedal would be smoother. Too bad they don't make a trigger with a long pull.

I know I need to make some kind of holder for the torch...it got annoying not having a place to put it.

Say, do you guys turn off the unit when you remove the tungsten for grinding? I wasn't sure if it was safe to do it "hot".
Click to expand...

No worries about hijacking... post away!!

You're getting there... practice, practice, practice.

Other than doing 3 things at the same time (guiding the torch, adjusting the current, and feeding the filler), I think being comfortable is the next thing to concentrate on.... Getting the torch where you want it and be able to keep it a consistent distance from the work AND see what's going on can be very challenging.

At times I think the thumb control would be better than a foot pedal. In the small amount of welding I have done, I've already found myself pushing the pedal with a knee and an elbow.

I bought a magnetic torch holder online sorta like this one:
http://compare.ebay.com/like/200348...fb3371a&itemid=200348736557&ff4=263602_304662

I turn off the welder pretty often so I have never left it on while sharpening the tungsten.

How are you sharpening your tungsten? I bought a bunch of tools off a guy on Craigslist and he threw in a benchtop belt/disk sander. I hadn't used it and decided it would be perfect as a dedicated tungsten sharpener.
 
I try to have at least three tungstens ready when I start. I will usually stick one pretty fast. I leave the unit on when I change the tungsten but try to turn it off when I go sharpen a few. Unless I have been pushing the limit of the machine then I will leave it on a few minutes to let the fans cool it down. Don't know if that is necessary but it seems like it would help.
 
Yeah....I almost scored a 300 XMT CC/CV with wire feeder and 2 guns for $1100. Woulda been easy to make it TIG as well. I still kick myself for that one, but I'm happy with what i got. It WOULD be nice to MIG though.

I need to buy more "small stuff"....my welder came with various tungstens, collets, cups, etc. But I need to find what I'll be using the most. I think the 1/16 worked pretty well....3/32" seemed too big. Once I get my "common" size, I can line them up. FWIW, I use my bench grinder...on the "SS only" wheel.

Also, this is hard to explain, but it was hard to see what I was doing. I had to mess with the helmet. On low amps, I could barely see the arc or filler rod....on high amps, it got too bright. My helmet goes from 9-13, and either the sensitivity was too high and I couldn't see jack....or too low and I'd get flashed.

When I was welding that 3/8" nut, I couldn't get a puddle to save my life....guess it was too thick in comparison to the sheet. I think with 220v, I'd have enough juice to get that quick focused puddle on a thick piece of metal...with 115v it was just heating the part but not melting it...hence the red hot nut in the pics.

I had little problem running a puddle on the flat sheet...it's actually pretty neat to see the liquid metal flowing!
 
Here's a question.....why can't you hook a spool gun up to a TIG machine? My Maxstar runs gas through the torch cable....if you have gas and you have a power supply....why not? Spool guns don't run wire through the cable, so why don't they make this an accessory?
 
ScubaSteve said:
Yeah....I almost scored a 300 XMT CC/CV with wire feeder and 2 guns for $1100. Woulda been easy to make it TIG as well. I still kick myself for that one, but I'm happy with what i got. It WOULD be nice to MIG though.

I need to buy more "small stuff"....my welder came with various tungstens, collets, cups, etc. But I need to find what I'll be using the most. I think the 1/16 worked pretty well....3/32" seemed too big. Once I get my "common" size, I can line them up. FWIW, I use my bench grinder...on the "SS only" wheel.

Also, this is hard to explain, but it was hard to see what I was doing. I had to mess with the helmet. On low amps, I could barely see the arc or filler rod....on high amps, it got too bright. My helmet goes from 9-13, and either the sensitivity was too high and I couldn't see jack....or too low and I'd get flashed.

When I was welding that 3/8" nut, I couldn't get a puddle to save my life....guess it was too thick in comparison to the sheet. I think with 220v, I'd have enough juice to get that quick focused puddle on a thick piece of metal...with 115v it was just heating the part but not melting it...hence the red hot nut in the pics.

I had little problem running a puddle on the flat sheet...it's actually pretty neat to see the liquid metal flowing!
Click to expand...

Did you adjust the shade on your helmet? Mine goes from 9-13 also, and has an adjustment knob. I definately need to adjust it depending on the thickness (current) I'm welding.

I've been using 1/16" and .040" tungstens.

Ed
 
Yeah, I adjusted it. I guess I was varying the stuff I was welding too much....if I were welding the same type of material, maybe it wouldn't be an issue.

Also....I was using ER308L filler rod....originally bought for oxyacetylene. It's the same stuff you use for TIG, right? Seemed to work okay, but then again, I'm a NOOB.
 
ScubaSteve said:
Yeah, I adjusted it. I guess I was varying the stuff I was welding too much....if I were welding the same type of material, maybe it wouldn't be an issue.

Also....I was using ER308L filler rod....originally bought for oxyacetylene. It's the same stuff you use for TIG, right? Seemed to work okay, but then again, I'm a NOOB.
Click to expand...

I think the ER308L is correct. I also got a small roll of MIG wire for welding then stuff.
 
ScubaSteve said:
Here's a question.....why can't you hook a spool gun up to a TIG machine? My Maxstar runs gas through the torch cable....if you have gas and you have a power supply....why not? Spool guns don't run wire through the cable, so why don't they make this an accessory?
Click to expand...

The Maxstar is a (CC)constant current welding machine. Tig and Stick welding are done with constant current.
You need a machine that can supply (CV)constant voltage to mig weld.
A machine that specs CC/CV is capable of Tig, Stick, and Mig. Like the XMT 350. http://www.millerwelds.com/products/multiprocess/xmt_350/
 
ScubaSteve said:
Here's a question.....why can't you hook a spool gun up to a TIG machine? My Maxstar runs gas through the torch cable....if you have gas and you have a power supply....why not? Spool guns don't run wire through the cable, so why don't they make this an accessory?
Click to expand...

Different type of power supply.
one (mig I think) is constant voltage the other is constant amps.
Something like that. I asked in a welding forum why they didn't make a tig lead for a mig welder and that's basically what they said.
 
Damn. Well, at least MIG welders can be had for cheap. I'm very happy with my setup....but it'd be nice to have a mig for some of the bigger projects. At least I can still do SMAW for less aesthetic stuff....and you can still do stainless with the AWS E308 electrodes if you just want to make quick tack welds.
 

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