Thread: Stick welder questions

Tweet

I think I actually had those terms (diamond plate, fish plate, and boxing plates) pretty well sorted out. I am waiting for my dad to get me all the steel that I will need. I am still practicing about every night until I get the steel, then I am going to "have at" the frame and see how it goes.
CHAZ

Originally Posted by hoof

I think I actually had those terms (diamond plate, fish plate, and boxing plates) pretty well sorted out. I am waiting for my dad to get me all the steel that I will need. I am still practicing about every night until I get the steel, then I am going to "have at" the frame and see how it goes.
CHAZ

.....LOL, ok then I WAS the one who was confussed!!! Hey it's good to laugh at yourself, isn't it??? Yeah after reading back through the posts I GOT confussed so I guess I just figured everyone was! Hey your doing a good job, keep practing.... ;0 Bill

Well I found out that grinding an angle on the boxing plates is a bad idea. I was doing one up (on practice scrap) and I melted right through it. Grinding the angle on the boxing plate itself made the metal thin and allowed me to burn through. I might put just a little bevel on the leading edge when I am cleaning up the steel, but I am not going to angle it all the way across the width.

I am starting to feel more confident about the quality (strength) of the welds I am making. I should be getting the steel I need for boxing plates in the next few days, I think I will start on the frame when I get it. Wish me luck.

CHAZ

Another suggestion, on which I can't hardly believe anyone else has touched on: Get yourself an auto-dark helmet, with adjustable controls. Don't get it unless you can adjust the dark and sensitivity.

A personal problem I have with welding is that I just can't SEE what is going on. The 'standard' tint is too dam dark! Having the adjustable dark control is just the cat's meow! I can adjust it till I can SEE what I am doing. Also, it is just TOO NICE to not have to flip the hood up and down. I recently got a very nice one for the paltry price of $80 ( but I think the shop was cutting their mark-up to get our buisiness ).

I'm not surprised as to your discovery regarding the beveling of the edges. That is a trick best saved for material 1/4" or more.

I got a really cheap harbor freight auto darkening helmet, and it works great! I only paid $40 and figured it wouldn't work very well but I have been pleasantly surprised. I hae been trying to run it around 10-11 for the shade, I had it down lower than that one time and I saw some spots after that so I figured it was too low.
Thanks,
CHAZ

I've been using my Sons autodarkening helmet, and never realized there was this adjustment you guys are talking about. I have been having the problem of not being able to see where I was welding, so maybe I have to adjust the darkness. I was attributing it to my eyes getting worse, and mentioned it to him, that once I start the weld I lose my place and get off track. He thought it was because I was looking right at the arc, but what you are saying makes sense. I was actually considering setting up a spotlight on the workpiece to illuminate the work, but I am going to try turning the darkness down a little first.

Thanks for the tip.


Don