3-d - tried to catch onto Sketchup a few years ago, but it took me almost 2 years to get where I could draw something decent in Generic Cadd- it's an old DOS program that useta be $199 when Autocad was $1400 - only runs on ONE of my WinXP laptops, takes ZERO screen real estate for menus 'cause nearly everything is a 2 letter command (some are 3) and it exports DXF files (older Autocad format) - I've got a few newer windoze based ones, but haven't wanted to invest the time to re-learn EVERYTHING til that old laptop finally croaks. So for now I only use the newer progs for "file conversion". I could get a newer version of the old DOS prog that runs on modern computers and can use the same commands I'm used to, but they want $600 for the basic program and it's been a LONG time since I've done any drawing for anyone but me - there's other things I could use that $$ for.
I WILL have some better drawings/more angles up sometime after I finish the cart for the mm211 - just gotta experiment with different ways of converting DXF's to JPG's for best results. I'll be making a couple changes to the way the bridge sits on the rails (stronger) so I'll convert THOSE when they're done. Also a "side" view showing legs, bracing, and another trolley detail.
I had the earlier transformer version of the mm211 too, sold it to a buddy for as good a deal as I got when I found the MM252 with dual running gear, a never-used 30A spool gun, 3 bottles (2 were full) all for $2200 - I liked the early 211, but would have liked it MORE if it could handle a 15' gun without voiding the warranty, and had more options on the autoset, etc -
The newer version's autoset does .024 up to .035 wire, flux core, mild steel (with either C25 or straight CO2), stainless, and aluminum. The drive rolls are rated for a 15' gun (NOT included, no option to swap, you just gotta buy a separate one of you want the length) and the rolls are down-firing like the other newer machines, and without a spool of wire it weighs about 50 pounds LESS than the older version, and will run full amperage using less than 25 amps @ 240 volts, either 50 OR 60 hZ (another advantage of inverters)
Speaking of which, got just about ready to tack pieces together for the cart - right now everything's clamped down to the 1" thick table and will only get UN-clamped when it's stone cold - when it's done, the 211 will sit on neoprene pads and be strapped in place, the 150 CF bottle will get locked into the corner beside the welder, and the two tallest uprights will get 1-1/4" tube inserts and a cross bar that's about 2" taller than the top of the gauges - it'll act as both a "roll bar" and a "hand truck handle", wheels will be 2 13" tires (offroad use, sorta) and 2 locking urethane wheeled casters for when it's upright.
I should get most, if not all, the welds done manana (doesn't mean I WILL :laughing: ) Anyway, here's today's doodles... Steve
(Oh, the unistrut is NOT part of the design, it's just holding the spacing between the rear uprights til it's welded out)