Occasional Happiness

[Mumbles]

It was actually a chemical instrumentation class. We talked, at great length, about microfluidics and capilary electrophoresis. The instruments we made in the lab were using the standard UV cure epoxies though. Frankly, I think the UV florensence may be the downfall of this. In the lab I work in, the silica packing glows quite brightly under the UV lamp. We have to use long wave bulbs to see the product over the silica.

[flying fish]

Yeah, i figured you'd be long past a first organic chem course...I was implying (poorly) that I would probably understand alot of this chemistry language better if I had more coursework...

 

That's very interesting to learn that you've also worked with microfluidics. We actually started out with UV epoxy about a year ago, and we got the method down so that we could produce good looking parts with very few bubbles/ imperfections. Then of course we learned that the UV epoxy fluoresces too much to be of use (I'm not actually sure how we determined that...I was not working on the project back then).

[tentacles]

You lucky SOB.

Lucky! I keep watching eBay for steel balls for milling metals and such.

 

The guy promised me he'd sell me any more he gets. For him it's a good deal, $.23/lb for steel. For me it's milling media at $.23/lb! That's wheel weights kind of price. If I get any more I will pass the savings on. What I'd like to go is get a couple sets of media to take to PGI to trade or sell. We'll see how that goes. I have enough brass to take a set of that with me if I can get it worked over by then. Lots of irons in the fire these days.

 

A place to talk to might be an auto repair shop, especially one that specializes in front end suspension/drivetrain. CV joints have a few of these bearings and often times the joints just get rebuilt and the guts (including nice .712" steel balls) tossed out. Might be worth having a few shops take up a collection for you in exchange for beer.

[asilentbob]

Assuming I make it up to PGI this year, I might be a customer if I don't find any around here or don't end up cutting up a bunch of steel rod.

 

Also I'm taking Organic chem #1 over summer... going to have to stay on top of it and ahead of everyone else near the end as getting to PGI will cut off the last 2 or 3 days of class for me...

 

I have some free time on Tuesday and Wednesday. I might finally be able to start practicing welding things.

[mormanman]

Got myself a job a kroger. Its awesome. Spent 5 hours on my butt doing computer training. That sucked but I get paid for it.

[asilentbob]

Practiced a bit of AC stick welding and oxy-acetylene brazing/welding this evening. Now I'm completely out of steel that isn't Zn coated ... Time to look up the nearest scrap yard in the yellow pages... might go get metal tomorrow if I'm not doing anything else...

 

I'm not comfortable setting the oxy-acetylene regulators yet, and the welding seems pretty slow, but I'm still having trouble starting arcs with the stick welder without the stick sticking, getting better. Was using 6011 or 6013 most of the time, can't really remember.

[justanotherpyro]

You can use galvanized steel, just make sure to try and not breathe the fumes. If you are just practicing it may serve your purposes. Unless there is another reason you won't use it.

[WarezWally]

Oxygen /acetylene welding takes a bit of getting used to, provided you never exceed 100kpa (15psi) on the acetylene regulator you will be safe. Flash back arresters are a good idea but are not strictly needed (you would have to have faulty / old gear to start a fire in the hoses or regulator).

 

Oxyfuel welding is slower but if your welding decently sized metal the distortion is minimal and the quality is much better compared to electric arc or even mig. If it seems slow or the metal takes a while to heat you may not be using the correct pressures for the tip. When properly adjusted and on a neutral flame there should be a semi loud rushing sound of the the flame, a lot of people seem to set the flame so its always quiet.

 

Other than that try using a larger tip.

 

For the stick welder, try striking the arc like a match on the workpiece and keep moving the electrode in a circular fashion while making the bead.

 

I am much better using acetylene to weld than manual electric arc. Mig is dead easy (squeeze the trigger where you want to weld) and tig is much more difficult but the quality is a cut above the rest.

 

As above you can weld zinc but take in a lot of fumes and you will get metal fume fever

[Tweetybird88]

Got myself a job a kroger. Its awesome. Spent 5 hours on my butt doing computer training. That sucked but I get paid for it.

NIce. I just got a job at friendly's. I'm certainly moving up in the ranks. I know all the chics will be impressed when I tell them how fast I can scoop ice cream. But in all honesty, who can complain about $8 an hour.

[Bonny]

Practiced a bit of AC stick welding and oxy-acetylene brazing/welding this evening. Now I'm completely out of steel that isn't Zn coated ... Time to look up the nearest scrap yard in the yellow pages... might go get metal tomorrow if I'm not doing anything else...

 

I'm not comfortable setting the oxy-acetylene regulators yet, and the welding seems pretty slow, but I'm still having trouble starting arcs with the stick welder without the stick sticking, getting better. Was using 6011 or 6013 most of the time, can't really remember.

When setting the oxy-acetylene torch for welding just use 3 to 4 psi on both gases and you will be fine. If you are cutting I'd start with acetylene at about 6-8psi and 20psi for the oxygen.

 

For the stick welding, go with what WarezWally suggested to start the arc, dragging like a match. If the rods are sticking too much you may need to turn up the heat. The 6011 will run at a lower temp than the 6013...see here:

http://welding.w4zt.com/stick.html

 

Once the arc is started the 6011 will need to be pushed into the arc faster as it is a deep penetrating rod. Once you can keep an arc going, practice running stringer beads (long straight welds) along a steel plate, each weld should overlap the first by about 1/2. I wouldn't bother with moving the rod in small circles though, just DRAG not push the rods straight along, with the rod leaning about 15deg from 90 in direction of travel. This dragging angle is basically the same for flat, horizontal and overhead welding.

 

Also if you do happen to breath too many fumes from galvanized material or even brazing, drinking milk is supposed to help.

[mormanman]

NIce. I just got a job at friendly's. I'm certainly moving up in the ranks. I know all the chics will be impressed when I tell them how fast I can scoop ice cream. But in all honesty, who can complain about $8 an hour.

Chics dig ice cream man. But $8 thats good, I make minimum wage which is $5.80 / hour. Kinda sucks but its the first job so its ok.

 

 

I love 60-13 and 70-14 easy to weld with and slag chips of easy too. 60-10 is hard though I don't really hate it I just would prefer something else.

 

And the I draw little C's when I weld. BTW bonny I think you may have forgot something or I just didn't understand the way you put it but you don't want to out run your puddle, you just draw your (my) C's to the outside of the puddle and cut a tiny amount of you base metal.

I know bonny knows more than me but thats what I learned in metal shop and so far its gone well.

[WarezWally]

I have a scan of the US Navy's metalworking course, very good resource on metalworking. Covers just about everything related to welding and machining.

 

PM me for a copy

[asilentbob]

I've seen some DVDs on stick and tig welding, and my dad has been welding for many many years. So I'm doin ok. TIG is looking damn sexy and versatile. DIY ghetto TIG is apparently quite possible too.

 

I make minimum wage + ~$15 every 5 hours or so + $50-120 in tips.

[WarezWally]

My god minimum wage is shit in the US, $6.50 per hour is terrible

 

Its double that here and in most other western countries

[TheSidewinder]

That it is, Wally.

 

And sending our Tech Support offshore to a bunch of dumbfuck script-readers in some third-world shithole is making it even worse.

 

Not to mention our Liberals pandering to illegal immigrants, instead of kicking them the hell out.

 

(Though I guess this should go in the Depression thread, eh?)

[Bonny]

I love 60-13 and 70-14 easy to weld with and slag chips of easy too. 60-10 is hard though I don't really hate it I just would prefer something else.

 

And the I draw little C's when I weld. BTW bonny I think you may have forgot something or I just didn't understand the way you put it but you don't want to out run your puddle, you just draw your (my) C's to the outside of the puddle and cut a tiny amount of you base metal.

I know bonny knows more than me but thats what I learned in metal shop and so far its gone well.

When I took welding in college, we were taught to straight drag, no small circles. This was using 6013, 7014,7018,7024,7028 rods. I've also used 11018, hardfacing rods, 308 and 309 (SS), as well as NiCl (cast iron) and all were straight dragged.

The rod only really needs to be manipulated in the case of whipping (oftten on thinner material and with deep penetrating rods) and weaving cap passes in vertical up and flat welds, when trying to bridge gaps without burning through. Running the circles usually results in more undercutting along weld toe.

The 6013 and 7014 are easy to use, but are regarded as farmer rods rarely used other than when learning. Even the instructor after the class used 6013 for an hour or so to get started said it was time to start using 7018 "man's rods"

But anyway, if the circles are working for you no reason to change that now. Also, different welder will have different methods and tricks to perform the same task. When learning, it is best to learn from many people rather than only one.

[Bonny]

My god minimum wage is shit in the US, $6.50 per hour is terrible 

 

Its double that here and in most other western countries

Minimum wage in Canada varies by province, but the average is about $8.50 nationally.

[Swede]

Tentacles - what sort of scrap balls did you get? Are they pheres? Stainless or carbon steel? That is a helluva find. I asked a Chinese maker of SS media to quote me a price on some really deluxe media, but they never answered. I'm thinking about biting the bullet and ordering some 303 stainless rod, maybe a mix of 3/8" to 3/4", and cutting my own. I'm tired of not having enough, and the price of brass is insane.

[jacob]

Swede,

Here's a link to an ebay seller that has a good price on 5/8'' 303 Stainless rods ,linky

 

I bought 21lbs from him but I think I got 25 only thing I didn't like is that the ones I got had a thin coating of Greasy Grimey somethingorother, but it was easily cleaned off with some Carburateor cleaner.

Now I just need a blade for my bandsaw and I'll be good to go.

[mormanman]

When I took welding in college, we were taught to straight drag, no small circles. This was using 6013, 7014,7018,7024,7028 rods. I've also used 11018, hardfacing rods, 308 and 309 (SS), as well as NiCl (cast iron) and all were straight dragged.

The rod only really needs to be manipulated in the case of whipping (oftten on thinner material and with deep penetrating rods) and weaving cap passes in vertical up and flat welds, when trying to bridge gaps without burning through. Running the circles usually results in more undercutting along weld toe.

The 6013 and 7014 are easy to use, but are regarded as farmer rods rarely used other than when learning. Even the instructor after the class used 6013 for an hour or so to get started said it was time to start using 7018 "man's rods"

But anyway, if the circles are working for you no reason to change that now. Also, different welder will have different methods and tricks to perform the same task. When learning, it is best to learn from many people rather than only one.

I suppose that my teacher taught us C's and circles b/c we use 60-10 like the whole time. And 11018, how big is that? Is it hard to chip? BTW, 70-28 sounds nice.

IMHO, I don't think 70-18 is a "man's rod" I think 60-10 is.

[Bonny]

I suppose that my teacher taught us C's and circles b/c we use 60-10 like the whole time. And 11018, how big is that? Is it hard to chip? BTW, 70-28 sounds nice.

IMHO, I don't think 70-18 is a "man's rod" I think 60-10 is.

11018 is almost the same as 7018 except much stronger tensile strength, for use on harder steels. As with a 7018, as long as heat and weld speed are good flux comes off very easily, if it's hard to chip off, then settings are no good. 7028 lays very large (lots of iron powder in the coating) and nice looking welds, but is only good for flat and horizontal welds. More of a finishing rod. It needs more heat than other rods the same size, but also results in porosity if the cooling slag gets into the arc, so should be dragged only.

Unless you're welding dirty material or pipe, 6010 really has no use. The welds are weak, ugly and full of spatter, but they do require some skill to use well.

[mormanman]

Unless you're welding dirty material or pipe, 6010 really has no use. The welds are weak, ugly and full of spatter, but they do require some skill to use well.

Its dirty material and I don't like the way the look but I don't know about weak, we haven't really been taught joints, lol. I hate the spatter though it always goes in my helmet, gloves and on my neck sometimes.

[Swede]

Swede,

Here's a link to an ebay seller that has a good price on 5/8'' 303 Stainless rods ,linky

Jacob, that is an AWESOME price, thank you! 303 bars will never be cheaper. Grainger has these at $36 PER BAR. This guy is selling five of them for $49 plus shipping. At current metal prices, it won't be any lower.

 

I already pulled the trigger on that auction. Hopefully the guy will have some more, soon.

[tentacles]

I've asked the guy who puts away the nonferrous (including SS, yes, I know...etc) metals here at work to set aside SS rod that he comes across. He said when he sees it, a lot usually comes in. I should be able to pick it up for like ~$1.50/lb.

 

Also, may be getting my hands on a free hydraulic pump later tonight. Someone brought in a truck with a lift gate, hydraulic pump still on it. If it looks doable the guys will flip that sucker over for me so I can rip it off there.

[jacob]

No problem Swede, he says he has hundreds, I just asked him for a total with shipping on 7 rods and it came out to substantially less per rod then even the auction price, I'm thinking about geting some more.

And BTW Graingers prices are crazy, I saw a $300-$400 bandsaw in their catalog for $1000, but apparently they give company accounts huge discounts to help make up the difference.

 

tentacles, Good luck on that pump, I had a chance to get one once but it didn't work out.

I was hanging out at my buddys shop one evening when he just casually says, hey, you know if you're looking for a hydraulic pump and cylinder (he knows me too well ) there's one on the lift gate of this truck I'm about to git rid of (he was going to donate it to some sort of training course) you can have it if you'll take it off by the day after tomorrow, I went back the next day and it (the whole truck) was gone, he told me a guy already hauled it off and I was about half an hour too late, I could have kicked something, but oh well easy come easy go.

(exits boring old man story mode)