Question really becomes how often will you be using the machine at maximum output. Second question is what is your actual voltage from the panel? If your line voltage is 240 nominal, you should have no problem squeezing 60 to 70% of machine capability through one of your 60 amp plugs. This may be lo...

Another valuable bedside reader for budding lathe operators.
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1617/3789.pdf

It's free, and well worth the time to read. Knowing how the machine operates, what holds it together and what can be done with it is key to success in machining.

That would be called stick welding in open air.

Might I suggest you become conversant with the work of Ed Craig. His site is called Weld Reality.

I'm willing to bet a buck if you don't get the job and some politician's nephew does the boss will come to you to do the welding because little Glipdink can't weld. Have they even got anybody there who knows radial arm drills require bushings to hold the hole? Did the heliarc machine they tested wit...

Square steel nuts - not plated. Gives you maximum meat to weld to at the corners. Most suppliers have wo9odewn kegs of them stashed next to the kegs of iron rivets. If you use hex nuts run a threaded carbon rod into the nut for thread protection. Knich the carbon out when finished welding and you're...

More fun running it with either a carbon rod on DCRP or with an O/A torch.

OK, the test. O/A Genuine Smith Aircrafter torch, medium tip. Soft flame. Round material is rod stubs from the bottom of a rod can where all good stubs are supposed to go, coating knocked off, light hit on grinding wheel. Sheet metal is scrap .037 mild steel that was galvanized before a light hit on...

It's one of the jobs where the "can't see it from my house" standard comes into play.

Lets come at this from a different angle. A suitcase doesn't care what power source is providing the welding current (electrons) to the big heavy cable coming out of the suitcase. The suitcase can be powered by a transformer machine, an inverter machine, a generator or even a battery and it will sti...

Are there any Co-Op machining clubs in your area?
There is a group in Rochester that leases some space in the old Bausch & Lombe with a half decent shop.

They got lucky on the timing and scored some machines that would have been headed for China were it not for the Co-Op.

Went back that easy it wasn't a bucket, it was a pattern for a bucket. Them jobs used to be real fun back in the 60s when we worked on cable machines. Decent operator would generally bang it back into shape for you if he had something hard to hit it against. Really good ones would call as soon as th...

https://www.ssccontrols.com/tig-cross-reference-guide/ probably has or will make a translator cord to go from the suitcase to the Bobcat. It becomes very easy since you have AC power available from the shed to drive any 120 volt AC suitcase and won't need that from the Bobcat. Bobcat will provide we...

Where is the picture of what won the argument with the bucket?

Was he gentleman enough to use the machine to bend things back for you after you warmed them up?

Been to every one of them parties. Princess was going to ding me anyhow, so I politely had her stand perfectly still in a safe area While I grabbed her safety vest from Waste Management, the garbage haulers, hard hat with new head gear and bottle of water with ice chunk floating therein. I even assi...

Eric, it may not be safe for you to continue associating with me. You should consider that I helped 1 buddy package a 6" lathe into airline acceptable luggage so he could fly it to Alaska and carry it into his apartment living room. I also once disassembled a Bridgeport in a school shop and del...

The old infinite height adjustment welding fixture trick. These days we got a bunch of college matriculated fellows in hard hats with little green cross stickeers and HiVis vests that will write you up for employing that fixture and want the forks replaced. Lot of people claim them crosses are where...

You only think that's an expensive pencil holder.

Wait till you tally up the cost of a milling machine and tooling to carve a pencil holder from a block of steel.

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Didn't I mention SPARE contacts?

My impression of Nelson guns has always been the contact tips must be a consumable, and unless you change them at the right point you'll be having problems. Often wondered if they shouldn't include some kind of contact enhancing jelly like the defib paddles use.

You want the damn fleas grab a flea come and get over to the Vet Office. I'm still waiting to get dipped. They even encased me in a giant garbage bag and have me breathing through a tube. DON't get a chunk of that ceramic in your boot sole unless you want to leave tracks in concrete. BTW, your stack...

Holding the die open so you can insert the metal to be bent springs to mind.

I'm still at the Vet Office waiting for my flea bath thanks to that damn cheap ass recliner you got me. Friggin Canahodia Health place wouldn't let me in. Woman sat behind her thick glass window threatening me with teargas. Not only don't they dofleas, they don't take my Medicare card for payment. L...

I envy your fortune with your son. You may go broke buying Argon & paying the electrc bill, but it will be worth it. Look at it this way, you'll probably make faster progress with you cutting and tossing him the parts to weld up. That will give you more time to read machining and welding books t...