+1.. My case is different, my kit is for my hobbies, I'm not a professional welder. But I bought it so I can work on my hobbies, and no one else's! It sounds a bit harsh, but I offered to look at a friends Volvo today. ( actually, it broke down last night, and we limped it to my place). Cue a day sp...

+1.

My logbook has helped me out more than once...

I don't try to hide that I write it all down - I use the (true) excuse that I have a poor memory doe to a brain injury.
Also, my work means I have to note down different meter readings, file names etc,. So it's vital...

A good way to prove out this would be to stir up the air in your workshop with a fan...
Something of decent size, and angled up to stir up the air and stop stratification...

I dislocated my shoulder 10 years ago, and it flares up every now and again. I find taking a really strong painkiller before I go to bed means that I will at least get a good night sleep! Vicodin is very very strong - use wisely. And be careful mixing any medicine with alcohol.... ( ask me how I kno...

+1... Planning is everything... I once had a manager complaining that I didn't "panic enough..." I am firm believer in doing things right the first time - especially when dealing with safety critical aerospace design work - our lads in the forces will rely on my kit - so it'll damn well wo...

My experience with 7075 is that the finished surface is usually more gray than silver and it usually has a ground finish. I can see what looks like a ground finish in your pictures. If you find some 6061 or 3003 it will weld easier. I thought the finish was a bit odd I'm getting the same "sand...

You are doing better than I am...

Mig is easy ( compared to TIG...) I daren't put any pics of my welds up here - I'd hear the laughter all the way back here in the UK! A mate of mine ( who is actually an aerospace chemical bonding engineer ) taught me to stick weld ( and then re- taught me how to mig weld) his line was:- This weldin...

I had similar problems. It's counter intuitive - as a beginner you try and slowly "sneak up on it", but all this does is get the job really hot, and blow holes in things. So you turn the power down, and things only get worse! I spent an hour blowing holes in 1mm sheet until I cottoned on! ...

I also prop the nozzle on the job for tacking. Especially when I was using a normal dark filter. Occasionally, I would prop the nozzle on the job when space was very limited, like on some car panels, where the panel join is in a corner, and it's a long run that you have to weld. But it's not a great...

It's the same here in the UK. If I did buy it - and I did actually get the welder, it is not actually my property, so I'd lose it... Thing is, it looked exactly like an R-Tech reseller. I haven't dropped back into Rtech to see if they got their kit back or not - I'll pop in next week and see... I re...

Yes - some nice kit there. I know what you mean - it's taken me 20 years working in my industry ( electronics systems) to get my dream job at Rolls-Royce aero engines - it's been a lot of hard work, but I now get to play with some cool projects. That welding is really nice too - I've only just boug...

Yes - some nice kit there. I know what you mean - it's taken me 20 years working in my industry ( electronics systems) to get my dream job at Rolls-Royce aero engines - it's been a lot of hard work, but I now get to play with some cool projects. That welding is really nice too - I've only just bough...

Those stands are excellent. Really nice design, and fold up small.
I'll be making some myself....

Yup, I agree! Thing is, I'm an engineer as a day job. I work for an aero engine company on the electronics systems. So I go to work in shirtsleeves and fly a desk. My hobbies, however, are old cars and bikes, and I've got to be fairly proficient at the Mig welder. I live in rural Gloucestershire, an...

Yes, one day at a time - I have good days and bad... Yesterday was good, I practiced my way through the last quarter of a tank of argon, then I unpacked my new 1973 sewing machine, and checked that it all worked.. I want to make new seat covers for my old Landrover, and a few other bits, like a canv...

Yes, it's important to think where your cables go, not just what you are welding. If you can, it's safer to disconnect everything, but it's not really possible on many cars - or simply takes too long. Disconnecting the battery, and getting a really good local earth provide the biggest reduction in r...

Hi, Err,, my name is Mike... It's been 2 days since I bought my second TIG machine... I'm ok - I can handle it.. It's just that I've got a cold... (Readers in the UK will remember this reference if they are 40 plus years old...) This is addictive stuff, this TIG. From the moment I struck my first ar...

Hi all, I did say that I would tell what happened when I bought my RTech welder... Now it's resolved, I can tell all.. Like a good little shopper, I got the best price off the internet before I went to buy my welder... I went in, and they reduced the price to £840, at which point I said:- " but...

Damn - of course - I can use mig wire - I had not thought of that. Thanks for that - I'll give it a go - in fact I have a slightly rusty roll of mig wire that will be fine for practice beads... I'll post up some pics when I get a chance. I'm in the middle of converting my van to a camper at the mome...

Yup - I plan to do just that. I've just spent a little time with the machine tonight, and I'm very pleased with it. Bearing in mind that I've never used a hf start or pedal before... And the steel I used as a test piece is a bit rusty... And I've only got 1hr seat time on a tiny scratch start set......

I had a good chat with one of the aerospace welders in work ( the guy that welds the blades onto jet engine turbines! - I work at Rolls-Royce) He reccomended the Rtech over the Jasic - he favoured the variable AC frequency IGBT Rtech over the fixed AC frequency MOSFET Jasic, and a better service bac...

Anyone heared of Stalwerk?
They have some very competitively priced machines...

I'm an electronics engineer - have designed car and earth moving machinery ecu's for jaguar, Landrover and caterpillar for 20 plus years. Ecu's already have some hardening built into them for static etc, but it's not a great idea to muck about and rely only on this... Disconnect the battery ( or bat...

I've just got back from the local welding suppliers - I needed more 3/32 tungsten. They will do a nice deal on the Jasic - £820 - that's cheaper than anyone I could find online. 5 year warranty too. They said they would do a deal on a foot pedal too. I know what you mean - the Jasic is not a small m...