Garage hacks, adjustments and annoyances.........

[PHPaul]

So far I went through 10 lbs of rods with it and it's a little more complicated setting the heat then my former Century 250 amp welder, the dial numbers are percentages not the actual amps

Yeah it took me a minute to realize that. I usually start with the selector in the range I want and the dial at 50% and then look at the weld and adjust from there.

I also got all the pieces for the TIG side, torch, foot pedal and regulator. What little I know about TIG welding I learned on a much newer machine with a water-cooled torch but this old gal is good enough for what little I do now.

I worked for a sardine cannery (Stinson Seafood, Beach Cliff Brands, you may have heard of them). They had an old barn on the property literally stuffed to the rafters with all sorts of crapola. Lot of junk, some good spare parts, old equipment, etc. They wanted it cleaned up and I made the them a proposition. I'd do it on my time at no charge and separate the entire contents of that huge 2 story building into 3 piles: Keep It, Trash It, and I'm Taking This Home With Me, No Questions Asked.

They went for it and I spent several weekends sorting stuff. I took home that welder, a Hobart welder, a Hossfeld bender, a big ol' electric forklift (needed batteries and some wiring fixed) and some other odds and ends.

 

[jaxs]

You probably wasn't in the market for "a big ol electric forklift",but needed it to get that welder home and in case you ever needed to sweep under it some day.:laughing:

 

[Oldpath05]

Yeah it took me a minute to realize that. I usually start with the selector in the range I want and the dial at 50% and then look at the weld and adjust from there.

I also got all the pieces for the TIG side, torch, foot pedal and regulator. What little I know about TIG welding I learned on a much newer machine with a water-cooled torch but this old gal is good enough for what little I do now.

I worked for a sardine cannery (Stinson Seafood, Beach Cliff Brands, you may have heard of them). They had an old barn on the property literally stuffed to the rafters with all sorts of crapola. Lot of junk, some good spare parts, old equipment, etc. They wanted it cleaned up and I made the them a proposition. I'd do it on my time at no charge and separate the entire contents of that huge 2 story building into 3 piles: Keep It, Trash It, and I'm Taking This Home With Me, No Questions Asked.

They went for it and I spent several weekends sorting stuff. I took home that welder, a Hobart welder, a Hossfeld bender, a big ol' electric forklift (needed batteries and some wiring fixed) and some other odds and ends.

Good deal I like a treasure hunt, one mans junk.............I forgot wasn't Stinsons in Belfast and or are they still in business? Bet there not in the shrimp business........... I dont know if I'll ever use the tig funtion on that Miller Dialarc, but if I happen to get into a treasure hunt and find a tig torch, then I wouldn't mine trying that out, I took the tig class at BIW 10 years ago, didn't pass it but least I did learn how to tig weld, just not ex-ray tig.

 

[SmallChange]

That will be hard to stop after 40 years of muscle memory, you sure it's not the magnetic north pole twisting my grinding cord...............

Definitely. It's the magnetic north pole. 100% no question.

All the same, what if you try inventing some kind of very ergonomic tool rest, so your work cycle is you pick the tool up, use it, and lay it down again in the rest with a minimum of moving around, and this breaks any habit of muscle memory that might be, you know, amplifying the magnetic north pole effect?

 

[jaxs]

Can't rule out Russian interference.

 

[Oldpath05]

Last month I had to buy a new grinder https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-120-Volt-4-1-2-in-Corded-Small-Angle-Grinder-DWE402/205904316 The side affect is the twisting up power cord has subsided a little for now, I suspect after 6 months it will start doing the same twisting up phenomenon.

 

[Oldpath05]

Had my son demonstrate how to open my outta reach doors, used rope and a couple pulleys. Sometimes I have to open both doors to load in or out something.
Swing Door - YouTube

 

[Oldpath05]

My son got tired of going to a machine shop all the time to make something for his saw mill, last week he said wanted to get a lathe so I chipped in and today it showed up, hope it's worth $3,000.00, will be the next two weeks making a bench for it to find out, wonder how level a lathe bench needs to be................

 

[metalbender]

First thing, the bench needs to be straight and rigid. Then it needs to be level. Emhasis on the straight and rigid. And by the way, congrats on a new tool. The tooling will cost more than the initial purchase in short order.

 

[otlski]

It will be interesting to hear your report after one year. At work, we are a machinery manufacturer and milling is 90% of our work and lathe is 10%. At home I have both a lathe and a milling machine, the lathe gets 90% of the work maintaining tractors, implements, and tools. Enjoy the new toy.