I sure like making things myself, but drilling large holes in thick plate (and extremely accurately) is one of those things I'll gladly pay a premium for someone else to do.

You won't regret getting a fixture table for any reason, I promise. At least not after the sticker shock wears off :lol: If the table has threaded holes and you're concerned about boogering them up, maybe consider buying a box of short set screws to put in them as slightly below-flush "plugs&qu...

Yes, they are often referred to as "third hands" and help to hold parts down, give the parts better contact for a ground with the table, and also to provide another ground path. You certainly could put a ground lug on them, but there is really no need, IMO. The table usually provides an ad...

Yup, try to keep that angle about 20 degrees or so, keep a nice, tight arc (with a clean tungsten), and make sure the metal is clean. Steel allows for some of the best puddle control, so if you do those things you should have no problems. When you do run into problems, figure out what you think went...

BillE.Dee wrote:Tony, did you find that the X6 headgear to be more comfortable than the headgear that came with the 3rd gen hood? I've got a spot on my head that is getting more sensitive to pressure,,,,like from my nose .. up

Yes, quite a bit more comfortable.

Would you guys recommend a cold cut chop saw or a band saw for the shop? I know the chop saws are faster...but which do you most recommend? Bandsaw. I use them for both job-shop work and production work. Cut up 88 linear feet into 344 parts yesterday...mostly while I was working on other things. Us...

Dollars to donuts those teeth are chipped out to high hell. No honing needed.

Quick question. This 1/8” steel. I ran 125 amps, 15 cfh, 3/32 tungsten. I am unsure if I am running too many amps or possibly traveling too slow. Any ideas why the weld penetrates to the backside? Yes, you are traveling too slow and are likely starting a puddle too slowly...the result being that yo...

I think I understand now. I'm actually going to go and buy a Ryobi 7 1/4" compound miter saw with one of the diablo blades. The saw doesnt exceed the max rpm of the blade and I am sold on the way they cut. If you go that route, keep in mind that you will still likely need a way to securely cla...

Thank you all for your replies. I now have a 240V outlet installed in the shop. I plan on getting a tombstone stick welder. I am also going to get a mig/fluxcore welder. In your opinions, what would be a good one for home. I've been contemplating the HH140, Everlast Power Imig 200, etc. Thanks If/w...

I will look into those diablo blades for sure. Can you use them in high rpm tools such as angle grinders and chop saws designed for abrasive blades? I don't have access to a dry cut saw and am not sure if I can justify the expense just yet. Each blade should have a max RPM rating printed on it (usu...

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing that. Still researching, but probably will be pulling the trigger on one here in the next week or two.

Thanks for all the info and feedback. Starting to lean back towards CNC plasma after some of the input here. Anybody used these crossfire tables from Langmuir or done business with them? Looking at their larger model. Haven’t heard much if anything about them, though. https://www.langmuirsystems.com...

I have a 3rd gen and a 4th gen 3350 (bought the second one for a guy that helps me with overflow work). They're both fantastic. Little difference between the two other than cosmetic, but the 4th did come with the X6 head gear, whereas I purchased the X6 upgrade for the 3rd gen sometime later. Other ...

Just an FYI. The back tensioner knob fell apart on me twice with Lincoln’s newest headgear. Did a warranty claim the second time around which they sent new headgear quickly and with no fuss. But the dealer rep told me it’s been an issue with their X6, but the replacements have fixed the problem. So ...

Nice haul! I love free metal. Or really nice machine shop drops that are only pennies on the dollar at the scrap yard. Used to have a local naval base/shipyard that brought their stuff to the scrap yard where I'm friendly with the owner. His guys would call me when they got some really nice stuff in...

I guess I don’t change my back cap. I just run the stubby flat one. I cut all my tungsten in half and point both ends. I do keep a different torch head a 26 with a long cap on it for heavy work, but I just change the whole torch. I do the same with the tungstens, but have to use the medium back cap...

I would use an alcohol soaked q-tip, to clean the inside rear of the torch. Then apply a light greasy lube to the O-ring. Personally, my first choice is DC4 (Dow Corning#4) compound. Very useful stuff to have around a shop. That's exactly what I'm going to try. I do think it is an oddity with those...

I need to get one for both short-run production and prototyping for my smallish shop. Small parts, and little need for cutting over 1/4" thickness. Not too worried about cut speed, but more concerned with the cost-per-part that the different machines provide, all other things being equal. Been ...

What does the inside of the torch look like at the rear? That o-ring needs to climb up over about a mile of threads to leave that groove cut in the cap. Seems to me there's got to be something wrong with the bore at the rear of the torch. I'll snap a pic next time I'm at the shop. I think the rubbe...

Little gravy work on New Years. Customy hanger mounts. 1/8" thick flat bar pieces set to a 45, only about 2.5" long. Just a quick run on the front and then a couple dabs on the back for added support. Wish I had a few thousand of these to do :lol: IMG_3197.jpg IMG_3198.jpg IMG_3199.jpg IMG...

And hopefully 2021 is a much better year for everyone. I think it will be. Keep those hoods down and arcs lit!!

Also, Bakers is offering $21 off of orders $100+ and free shipping. Not too bad. 21% off if you're right at $100. Code: NEWYEAR21

I've never replaced a back cap o-ring in my life. That's only on weldcraft torches because that's all I've ever owned. But I can't imagine what you can do to make one of them leak. With both of my CK 20s, the o-ring stays lodged in the end of the torch every time I remove the back cap. This causes ...

Are the bane of my existence. My only problem child consumable. I keep pulling them off other back caps when they need to be replaced. Looked for the size online but wasn’t able to find anything. Anybody know the size/specs for the 9/20 back cap o-rings for CK torches so I can just buy a bag of them...

Looking good, Oscar! Been meaning to build some racks myself. What did you use to cut the copes?