7018 SMAW 3.2mm dia (1/8th-inch dia.)
Had to do it.
Overwelded anyway.
Started with a bit of v-up just to be sure.
But light frame angle-iron to a heavy steel column. Undercut on light
section difficult to avoid.
Time-served guy showed me.
I didn't want slag running-ahead. Seemed wrong to allow that.
Had nicely formed "finernail" of weld pool showing. All looked good.
So, nice medium burn of rod (Amps), slight downward slope, ran
downwards slow enough to puddle, but fast enough to leave all slag
behind.
It did look so right.

Comments about doing this? Good tips?

Rich S

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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lypmw6th0y.fsf@void.com...

7018 SMAW 3.2mm dia (1/8th-inch dia.)
Had to do it.
Overwelded anyway.
Started with a bit of v-up just to be sure.
But light frame angle-iron to a heavy steel column. Undercut on light
section difficult to avoid.
Time-served guy showed me.
I didn't want slag running-ahead. Seemed wrong to allow that.
Had nicely formed "finernail" of weld pool showing. All looked good.
So, nice medium burn of rod (Amps), slight downward slope, ran
downwards slow enough to puddle, but fast enough to leave all slag
behind.
It did look so right.

Comments about doing this? Good tips?

Rich S

-------------------------

Thanks, I have a lot of trouble joining different thicknesses. Does "slight downward slope" mean the rod or could you reposition the column?

I have enough hoisting gear to usually reposition the small-scale welding I
do. My trailer and the rusted fenders of my truck bed were much easier to
patch upside-down.

The 16' long overhead gantry track has been a very useful addition to my
kit. So far I've used it only with center support although it was tested without it. I attach wheels on one end and a trailer coupler on the other to tow the beam to the work site, and added pipe clamp bases to boat trailer winches to raise it to the tops of the supporting tripods.

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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lypmw6th0y.fsf@void.com...

7018 SMAW 3.2mm dia (1/8th-inch dia.)
Had to do it.
Overwelded anyway.
Started with a bit of v-up just to be sure.
But light frame angle-iron to a heavy steel column. Undercut on light
section difficult to avoid.
Time-served guy showed me.
I didn't want slag running-ahead. Seemed wrong to allow that.
Had nicely formed "finernail" of weld pool showing. All looked good.
So, nice medium burn of rod (Amps), slight downward slope, ran
downwards slow enough to puddle, but fast enough to leave all slag
behind.
It did look so right.

Comments about doing this? Good tips?

Rich S

-------------------------

Thanks, I have a lot of trouble joining different thicknesses. Does
"slight downward slope" mean the rod or could you reposition the
column?

I have enough hoisting gear to usually reposition the small-scale
welding I do. My trailer and the rusted fenders of my truck bed were
much easier to patch upside-down.

The 16' long overhead gantry track has been a very useful addition to
my kit. So far I've used it only with center support although it was
tested without it. I attach wheels on one end and a trailer coupler on
the other to tow the beam to the work site, and added pipe clamp bases
to boat trailer winches to raise it to the tops of the supporting
tripods.

"Slight downward slope" is the welding rod.
Your hand / the end of the electrode is higher than the tip of the
electrode.
Downward slope to tip is something like 10deg.
Keeping narrowly / accurately it at whatever is found best is
important. You mustn't move the rod by rotating your wrist - you must
move your entire hand to keep that slope.

I have seen so many "not welds" when done vertical-down with GMAW.
Conversely, even as the agency temp, the foreperson has said "Rich - I
want you to go do that weld vertical up" (knowing I will set the
machine, do it vertical-up, etc.)

So the idea of doing a vertical-down weld with SMAW 7018 didn't come
easily.
The weld is non-critical - stresses would be very very low -
especially as very over-welded.
But my impression was - there was nothing wrong with the weld -
fluidity looked good.

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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyeecluddu.fsf@void.com...

"Slight downward slope" is the welding rod.
Your hand / the end of the electrode is higher than the tip of the
electrode.
Downward slope to tip is something like 10deg.
Keeping narrowly / accurately it at whatever is found best is
important. You mustn't move the rod by rotating your wrist - you must
move your entire hand to keep that slope.

I have seen so many "not welds" when done vertical-down with GMAW.
Conversely, even as the agency temp, the foreperson has said "Rich - I
want you to go do that weld vertical up" (knowing I will set the
machine, do it vertical-up, etc.)

So the idea of doing a vertical-down weld with SMAW 7018 didn't come
easily.
The weld is non-critical - stresses would be very very low -
especially as very over-welded.
But my impression was - there was nothing wrong with the weld -
fluidity looked good.

---------------------------------
I practiced welding up and down with industrial machines in night school,
and the disappointing results convinced me to buy a lift like this as a
welding positioner so I could weld everything horizontally: https://handtrucks2go.com/Foot-Operated-Hydraulic-Platform-Stacker-Curved-Top.html

I paid $10 at the auction and $40 to have the hydraulics rebuilt so it would work again, though a lever chain hoist can substitute, doesn't droop, and is reachable from all sides for fine adjustments. The upright frame is very convenient to clamp to. It's also useful to load heavy stuff on or off the truck, support long stock on the horizontal bandsaw and fix outdoor power equipment at a comfortable height, the carb at eye level for instance. When idle it's an extra shelf.

I can reach a fair level of welding proficiency with practice but I don't
need to weld often enough to maintain it. My main problem-solving machines
are the lathe and vertical mill.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

...

I practiced welding up and down with industrial machines in night
school, and the disappointing results convinced me to buy a lift like
this as a welding positioner so I could weld everything horizontally: https://handtrucks2go.com/Foot-Operated-Hydraulic-Platform-Stacker-Curved-Top.html

I paid $10 at the auction and $40 to have the hydraulics rebuilt so it
would work again, though a lever chain hoist can substitute, doesn't
droop, and is reachable from all sides for fine adjustments. The
upright frame is very convenient to clamp to. It's also useful to load
heavy stuff on or off the truck, support long stock on the horizontal
bandsaw and fix outdoor power equipment at a comfortable height, the
carb at eye level for instance. When idle it's an extra shelf.

I can reach a fair level of welding proficiency with practice but I
don't need to weld often enough to maintain it. My main
problem-solving machines are the lathe and vertical mill.

It's so much easier and quicker to weld in the flat or the
horizontal-vertical (for fillets) - the 2F/PB.

There are welding positioners with axis rotations and a rotating
turntable to huge sizes for always presenting welds in a favourable orientation.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyv95xp5sc.fsf@void.com...
...
There are welding positioners with axis rotations and a rotating
turntable to huge sizes for always presenting welds in a favourable orientation.

-------------------

I was looking for an inexpensive and compact lift suited to a larger
hobbyist sized welding project, a plane, car or trailer frame for example,
and with multiple other uses to justify its cost and space. I think an unpowered "stacker" fork lift would also do. The advantages over a hydraulic scissors lift table are greater height and the clear space underneath, to
hang a trailer frame vertically, the disadvantage is the upright frame that makes lifting a riding mower difficult. It does hold my snow blower well.

Although I paid to have the broken hydraulics rebuilt I later found that a
1/2 ton lever chain hoist was a good substitute for it, one that doesn't
leak down like a worn cylinder and can be adjusted from the front or side to nudge a right angle joint clamped to the upright and platform into exact position.

I used mine to cut and weld the 2-story-high steel columns for a friend's
house restoration project. After buying the old house he found it had been built to third-world standards by foreign labor, which is not just a Florida problem. The steel supplier had engineered the structure and cut the top
beam to length but the columns needed individual custom fitting, and bolting plates welded on the ends.

He told me a woman had delivered the steel and helped him muscle the 600 Lb beam off the truck. I only had to hoist it into position with my 2 ton chain fall. They erected temporary stud walls on either side to support the
weight.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyv95xp5sc.fsf@void.com...
...
There are welding positioners with axis rotations and a rotating
turntable to huge sizes for always presenting welds in a favourable orientation.

-------------------

I was looking for an inexpensive and compact lift suited to a larger hobbyist sized welding project, a plane, car or trailer frame for
example, and with multiple other uses to justify its cost and space. I
think an unpowered "stacker" fork lift would also do. The advantages
over a hydraulic scissors lift table are greater height and the clear
space underneath, to hang a trailer frame vertically, the disadvantage
is the upright frame that makes lifting a riding mower difficult. It
does hold my snow blower well.

Although I paid to have the broken hydraulics rebuilt I later found
that a 1/2 ton lever chain hoist was a good substitute for it, one
that doesn't leak down like a worn cylinder and can be adjusted from
the front or side to nudge a right angle joint clamped to the upright
and platform into exact position.

I used mine to cut and weld the 2-story-high steel columns for a
friend's house restoration project. After buying the old house he
found it had been built to third-world standards by foreign labor,
which is not just a Florida problem. The steel supplier had engineered
the structure and cut the top beam to length but the columns needed individual custom fitting, and bolting plates welded on the ends.

He told me a woman had delivered the steel and helped him muscle the
600 Lb beam off the truck. I only had to hoist it into position with
my 2 ton chain fall. They erected temporary stud walls on either side
to support the weight.

Jim - your experience of arriving at "forest clearing" practical
solutions is way beyond what I cna even comprehend. Sounds to have
been a good project. Rich S

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyczs3x0dg.fsf@void.com...

Jim - your experience of arriving at "forest clearing" practical
solutions is way beyond what I cna even comprehend. Sounds to have
been a good project. Rich S

------------------------

I was fortunate to join teams of clever engineers as the tech who built what they imagined. New England has been a hotbed of innovation for 200 years.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyczs3x0dg.fsf@void.com...

Jim - your experience of arriving at "forest clearing" practical
solutions is way beyond what I cna even comprehend. Sounds to have
been a good project. Rich S

------------------------

I was fortunate to join teams of clever engineers as the tech who
built what they imagined. New England has been a hotbed of innovation
for 200 years.

{thumbs-up}

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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyo8bmi9gq.fsf@void.com...

"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyczs3x0dg.fsf@void.com...

Jim - your experience of arriving at "forest clearing" practical
solutions is way beyond what I cna even comprehend. Sounds to have
been a good project. Rich S

------------------------

I was fortunate to join teams of clever engineers as the tech who
built what they imagined. New England has been a hotbed of innovation
for 200 years.

{thumbs-up}

----------------------------

Thanks. Your own accomplishments are very impressive: http://weldsmith.co.uk/career/in_pics/career_outline_in_imgs.html

I recently looked up rope splicing. The suggestion was 4 tucks for manila, 5 for nylon and 7 for mooring lines. I used 7 for my nylon log handling
slings. Using rope loops hung from pulleys allows rotating the log to
inspect and debark it, and position it on the sawmill for best yield.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

...
I recently looked up rope splicing. The suggestion was 4 tucks for
manila, 5 for nylon and 7 for mooring lines. I used 7 for my nylon log handling slings. Using rope loops hung from pulleys allows rotating
the log to inspect and debark it, and position it on the sawmill for
best yield.

Splicing is great.
Splices are very strong and tough.
However, they take longer to make so tend to be used in something
which is permanent or has long-term use. Like a strop (you join the
rope back to itself, to produce a ring of rope).

I use a lot of tucks because polymer rope is slippery.
On a 12mm rope, I tend to make a short splice at least 200mm long
(1/2" rope - splice 8" long). Tend to do slightly longer still, then
if you use it to carry something over your shoulder, have the bigger
diameter short-splice region on your shoulder so {force over a bigger
area} is less pressure and more comfortable :-)
Can carry a lot onto a construction site that way, balanced
left-and-right with things on strops both sides :-)

You can easily make a
fid
with tinsnips from an offcut of sheet metal.
Easily produce a neat splice and doesn't introduce any bad habits or
anything like that.

Heat-seal the end of each of the 3 strands so as splicing, the strands
stay tight together as spun.

Your one about can rotate on pulleys - means wear on the rope is not concentrating on one place. = good.

On construction sites, for most applications one would advocate
3-strand cut-film polypropylene rope ("disposable rope") because

* compensate for lower, but still very high, strength with larger
diameter makes rope easily to handle / hold

* the rope is so cheap that you can freely replace it as it
accumulates wear-and-tear

The latter is the big advantage in every way.
You don't have to plead to anyone else to be able to replace 3-strand
cut-film pp. rope...

Rich S

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyo8bmi9gq.fsf@void.com...

"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> writes:

"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lyczs3x0dg.fsf@void.com...

Jim - your experience of arriving at "forest clearing" practical
solutions is way beyond what I cna even comprehend. Sounds to have
been a good project. Rich S

------------------------

I was fortunate to join teams of clever engineers as the tech who
built what they imagined. New England has been a hotbed of innovation
for 200 years.

{thumbs-up}

----------------------------

Thanks. Your own accomplishments are very impressive: http://weldsmith.co.uk/career/in_pics/career_outline_in_imgs.html

...

I wish that didn't make the current in-employment demography run
scared from me, here in Britain.
"Post-industrial" seems to have come with a reliance on a money-spring
which bubbles out of the ground and spreads across the economy at
constant invariant rate. Creating new value-system in which I am left
looking like some "Don Quixote" figure.

An impression - fair or not?
So many "entrepreneurs" driving around "the Queen's highway" in their
German limosines are solely funded by from-the-State money, in a world
which is competitive but only between each other.

I just had a good 7-day assignment as a welder on the running repairs
of a ship berthed at a nearby port.

Rich S

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"Richard Smith" wrote in message news:lybl7lgsc3.fsf_-_@void.com...

You can easily make a fid
with tinsnips from an offcut of sheet metal.
Easily produce a neat splice and doesn't introduce any bad habits or
anything like that.

-----------------------

A fid was maybe my earliest metal project as a kid. It came out well enough that I still use it.

The second was sheet metal and nail bearings for a windmill to tumble stones and scare the birds from the garden.

The next was a pair of ratchet wheels for a model catapult, cut from
aluminum on a table saw. The ratchet claw and other metalwork were filed
from brass. Otherwise I made everything from a large pile of remodeling
scrap wood, including shafts, pulleys and lantern-wheel gears.

The Latin teacher was quite impressed with my model catapult (onager) and similar cord-powered crossbow, until she found out how powerful and accurate they were. The 'lost' secret appears to be cotton for the torsion winding. I had to use only the smallest firecrackers without taped-on gravel as a
handicap in battles across the street because they could be placed and timed for an air burst so closely.

At school I made and sold silent, low-profile pocket catapults we used to instigate food fights between distant tables in the cafeteria, without
raising our arms suspiciously. Coming down the stairs, at ceiling height you could faintly make out bits of dried whipped cream protruding below the
white textured ceiling in a large circle around our table, heavier jello and peas flew lower. Otherwise we left no trace and our table with the class officers was above reproach.

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