The 'What did you do in your workshop tonight?' thread

[Snoopy1]

A small MIG welder will do both steel and aluminum. Just need the correct welding wire and bottled gas for the metal being welded. I just go to my buddies shop for work like that. Good to have friends with nice shop toys .

That is nice to good friends like that with a well equipped shop and let you use it. I was lucky when I was still working I could take to work and ask one of the superintendents to take car of it for me and I would get it back at the end of the day or week but that luxury is no more.

 

[Jetpainter]

Unfortunately if you want to do a nice job welding thinner aluminum your into a pretty costly AC TIG welder. A MIG just doesn't cut it on thin aluminum. There are specialized rods for gas welding aluminum that kind of work sometimes, and spool guns for MIG welding aluminum that are great if the material is thick enough, but nothing replaces a good TIG.

 

[Snoopy1]

Unfortunately if you want to do a nice job welding thinner aluminum your into a pretty costly AC TIG welder. A MIG just doesn't cut it on thin aluminum. There are specialized rods for gas welding aluminum that kind of work sometimes, and spool guns for MIG welding aluminum that are great if the material is thick enough, but nothing replaces a good TIG.

I am looking but not buying yet but always interested every now and then you run into something that you like to use a welder it is like most tools you do not realize how much you use it until you have one. Most tools that I have bought you start to use it More and more. Buy the way what does a decent AC Tig welder cost.

 

[Jetpainter]

I am looking but not buying yet but always interested every now and then you run into something that you like to use a welder it is like most tools you do not realize how much you use it until you have one. Most tools that I have bought you start to use it More and more. Buy the way what does a decent AC Tig welder cost.

$700 will get you a budget one that will do the job, but the sky is the limit on what you can spend.

 

[49dimes]

$700 will get you a budget one that will do the job, but the sky is the limit on what you can spend.

Helium costs little though until you start playing with it . And the shop trash bags end up disappearing too ???

 

[Alky6]

Helium costs little though until you start playing with it . And the shop trash bags end up disappearing too ???

What is even more fun is filling those shop bags with some oxy/acetylene. Stand back though and you better have a long fuse!

 

[BalsaDust]

What is even more fun is filling those shop bags with some oxy/acetylene. Stand back though and you better have a long fuse!

Guy got fired from where I work for doing that many years ago. Sounds hilarious though. Oh might I mention these bags that we have aren’t trash bags but bin liners and I would say if the bin was full of water it would hold around 350 gallons so it made a big boom.

 

[Luchnia]

$700 will get you a budget one that will do the job, but the sky is the limit on what you can spend.

You have to really do your homework on these. This is another area where one size doesn't fit all, or least not well.

 

[Snoopy1]

This welder seems to be more fun to play with and weld. But thanks for the info it looks like if I am to buy one that will take a lot of research and that is difficult if you are familiar with the equipment, reading is one thing but actually working with it and knowing the subject is another. Looks like it would be best to try and find find a welding expert to help and try to get some good advice from some body that uses. Thanks guys.

 

[stangflyer]

Hey Fellas; I guess I am stuck at home today due to really "WET" weather. Ugh.. At least it is warm. Right at about 50 degrees and loving it. Spring will be here sooner than we think. Maybe I can get a few irons out of the fire today and maybe get a few things caught up. Got off yesterday at 2 so I decided I would get the ball rolling with that pesky broken muffler on the Baby Yak-Ster. I should have done this in the first place. I stalled for a long time trying to decide whether or not to cut the cowl for the stock muffler.

I hope I don't go overboard with all the information. As usual, I try to include as much information as possible to help some of the newer guys to the hobby. Most all of you fellas already know this stuff.

First, off with the spinner, prop and cowl. Nice to see things just as they were when I put the cowl on. Nice and clean and organized.



Well except for this....!!! Ugh!!!



Goofy as it may be, apparently the aluminum muffler just was too weak at the flange joint. Oh well, we're gonna rectify this. First though, a quick looksy at the double ringed piston. Clean and well lubed. Gotta love that Redline.



Also took a minute to double check the torque on all mounting hardware and bolts.



Ok, on to the header and canister install. First, a little clean up of the mounting flange on the DA 60 flex header with a flat file. Just making sure the surface is clean.



This is the intended replacement exhaust setup. DA 60 Flex Header and KS 60 canister. I may have to go to an MTW 75 for better flow, but I am going to try the KS 60 first.



The first and only real hurdle in this setup is going to be the header mounting flange. The bend of the header as it exits the flange is just too sharp of a bend that it is next to impossible to get a bolt in there. Perhaps this is why the gent I bought the nearly new header from sold it so inexpensively? At any rate, even the shortest bolt I have is difficult to get in the flange. And even that will not facilitate inserting a hex wrench to tighten it. Not to mention, just way too few threads to feel comfortable with. I certainly don't want to strip the cylinder threads out.



Have to take a minute and attend to something. Back in few minutes with more of this header and canister install.