Nick220
New member
If this has already been covered in another thread, hope someone will point me in that direction. After looking through some of the threads I can see some folks have been doing this for a while, so wondering how you got into it.
So far as myself, my Danish grandfather started out as a blacksmith and, after he came here in early 1900's, he became a machinist. I guess it was because of him starting out as a smith that one day back in 1968, when I saw a really perfect Peter Wright anvil for $25 at a second hand shop, I bought it. Then I bought a forge and, using the hammer my grandfather made as an apprentice, started messing around making stuff.
But, my main business was jacking and repairing heavy timber framed barns and houses. On some jobs it made more sense to do some steel reinforcement than spend a lot of time, and customer's money, doing it all in wood. So... I first bought some torches at the local (White River Jct, VT) AIRCO shop. I'd cut out steel with torches and then do the rest with forge and anvil. Then, after people knew I was doing steel work, it seemed to make more sense to get a small welding machine. A little AIRCO 225 AC. I guess Larry Jones at the AIRCO supplier, who had been there a long time, figured maybe I'd amount to something and he got me to switch to 7018, from 6013. Took a while before I could run a decent bead with 7018 on that little AC welder, but I got the hang of it.
Then I moved to coast of Maine and in '78 bought the shop I still have and did just steel work - and no more heavy timber. Then one thing led to another and I bought a 250 Miller Dial-Arc. (I was in the supply shop in Lewiston, ME looking at welding machines, and looking at the Miller, when the man next to me told me he had twenty of those machines and never had a problem with any of them.) He was in charge of maintenance at one of Maine's largest paper mills and that was good enough for me, so I bought one and, thirty five years later, no problems with it.
Later I bought the heaviest wire machine that would run on single phase. After that a Linde burning machine. And then more stuff, until my main shop floor, which is only about 1200 square feet, couldn't take anymore. But, what I have has been good enough that I've designed and fabricated a lot of different stuff - out of carbon steel. That's all I work with, carbon steel, except once in a while if someone needs cast iron repair I'll do that.
Anyhow, that's how I got into it and hope some others will tell their story. Wouldn't take much to tell yours better than I did mine.
So far as myself, my Danish grandfather started out as a blacksmith and, after he came here in early 1900's, he became a machinist. I guess it was because of him starting out as a smith that one day back in 1968, when I saw a really perfect Peter Wright anvil for $25 at a second hand shop, I bought it. Then I bought a forge and, using the hammer my grandfather made as an apprentice, started messing around making stuff.
But, my main business was jacking and repairing heavy timber framed barns and houses. On some jobs it made more sense to do some steel reinforcement than spend a lot of time, and customer's money, doing it all in wood. So... I first bought some torches at the local (White River Jct, VT) AIRCO shop. I'd cut out steel with torches and then do the rest with forge and anvil. Then, after people knew I was doing steel work, it seemed to make more sense to get a small welding machine. A little AIRCO 225 AC. I guess Larry Jones at the AIRCO supplier, who had been there a long time, figured maybe I'd amount to something and he got me to switch to 7018, from 6013. Took a while before I could run a decent bead with 7018 on that little AC welder, but I got the hang of it.
Then I moved to coast of Maine and in '78 bought the shop I still have and did just steel work - and no more heavy timber. Then one thing led to another and I bought a 250 Miller Dial-Arc. (I was in the supply shop in Lewiston, ME looking at welding machines, and looking at the Miller, when the man next to me told me he had twenty of those machines and never had a problem with any of them.) He was in charge of maintenance at one of Maine's largest paper mills and that was good enough for me, so I bought one and, thirty five years later, no problems with it.
Later I bought the heaviest wire machine that would run on single phase. After that a Linde burning machine. And then more stuff, until my main shop floor, which is only about 1200 square feet, couldn't take anymore. But, what I have has been good enough that I've designed and fabricated a lot of different stuff - out of carbon steel. That's all I work with, carbon steel, except once in a while if someone needs cast iron repair I'll do that.
Anyhow, that's how I got into it and hope some others will tell their story. Wouldn't take much to tell yours better than I did mine.
I am really enjoying learning and wish I would have let my FIL teach me years ago when he wanted to....He was pipe welder and could really weld anything...but I was too busy traveling for my work to take the time....I regret it now...but I will keep practicing...
