BTW,Thanks Kym. I enjoy following your adventures with bike frames.

DLewis, that first paragraph was quite an education. I looked up Nelson studs, embed plates, etc. thanks. yep, one full-size gate and one small gate for the portfolio. Time to start building that portfolio. I'm not sure if I explained my question well enough or if I just completely missed your point...

In regards to cost, I used the existing gate frame and just raised the middle crossbar. I bought a 9' drop of 2" sq tubing 11ga to finish off the gate end and center piece. Drop of 1/4"'x2" flat for the hidden gate hinge side, 5 sticks of 3/16x3/4" crossbar, all for under $100. $...

close. 50" x 120" (4'2" x 10') The hinges were the most expensive part of the project. They are spring-loaded, hydraulic-damped self-closing hinges that swing 180deg. $200 for a single hinge! :shock: luckily I only needed one of that style and a free-swinging hinge for a mere $100. Wh...

Wow, coming from you and your knowledge that's a huge compliment. The wrought iron portion was much more time-consuming than I expected. I reused the iron taken from the original gate. As a result there was a lot of paint/primer on it that cracked when I cold shaped it that needed to be removed. The...

I decided that our plain ole driveway gate just didn't go with the bifold gate I made last month (seen in background of photos) so it was time to do something about it. ( http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9359&p=72560&hilit=bifold#p72560 ) To ease the flow of my w...

I made sure I had a solid ground nearby. I switched to 0.023" solid ER70 wire. Results? The MM211 was much happier than previous attempt; however, the weld was still pretty cold. I stood on the tab and it held. Would I trust my life to that weld? heck no! In this particular application the wors...

I hope y'all don't mind me jumping in on this thread but I'm a learning noob (as opposed to a know-it-all noob) and have a question. In the original post and in Otto/Steve's example it was a case of two different thicknesses (.120 to .375 and 3/16 to 3/8). It seems the amperage requirements was bein...

Seems like a there are a few recurring themes: 1. "ideal" is a fluid concept. it depends on age, personal finances, etc. 2. It's not uncommon to have a list of wildly varied endeavors through your life. hopefully something useful is gleaned from each experience. 3. enjoy the ride. My previ...

DLewis,
Your suggestion of a small diameter rod gave me an idea. Before switching to stick, I'm going to ensure I have a good ground and use 0.024" wire. We'll see what happens.

I think you're right, an inverter should be much more efficient at the conversion process. I also looked at Miller app and if I understand it correctly, the voltage and current required for a stick weld is lower than FCAW. I have a suspicion my ground may not have been as good as I thought at the ti...

I'm reworking my wrought iron driveway gate and I started by trying to do some simple changes on the gate in place. I pulled my MM211 (transformer-based) and tried to tack a few spots while running on 110V. (75/25 mix, 0.030" ER70 wire) The machine sounded sad/puny, the arc was weak, and I had ...

I'vee seen the warning about brake cleaner but did not know what exactly was happening. I remember stomping through the plant during turnaround cross-eyed from looking at the phosgene badge hanging on my hard hat's bill. :lol: DLewis, those micro motion meters were very interesting. The demos were a...

Hey DLewis and Otto, kindred spirit here. EE for 30 years, starting in ultrasonic flow measurement in petrochem and then research environment doing mass spec. Did a bit of dog training after walking away from EE and now metalwork. For now it's a hobby but I'm sure I'll make something that someone wi...

I picked the previous generation (not the new small inverter) on Craigslist. I'm just learning to MIG but feel this machine will do what I need to do for a long time. I like the adjustability of wire speed and voltage as opposed to the click-tap machines.

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The reason I had the gas flow up was I noticed some slight peppering in my weld. Based on previous posts, I turned up the gas, maybe too much, but the welds cleaned up. I'll dial it back until I have "just enough" gas flow. While not ambidextrous, there are lots of things where I switch ha...

:lol: feelings not hurt. thanks! As someone once said, "It's not about the bike"... (what he didn't say was that it's all about the drugs and how to cheat but that's a different story) Good to know that the material can be very forgiving given some basic skills. BTW, all the data of cfh, s...

So I managed to get some practice in on easier joints (T joint and outside corner) and configurations to prop. Practiced with either hand. 20cfh argon. 145A foot pedal. 35% balance, some welds at 250Hz and others at 120Hz. Some 3/32" filler and some 1/16". 10 gauge Aluminum plate. Started ...

Wow! thanks for the suggestions. If I can get the time today/week and good weather, I will cut some 1/8" plate strips and practice my basic joints. I'll post followup pics to see if I learned anything.

thanks exnailpounder. I think I'm coming in pretty hot with the current and backing off. Occasionally the bead looks pretty decent! (even a blind squirrel finds nuts now and then) Towards the end of my session yesterday, I upped the gas flow yesterday (from 12 to 20 cfh) and I think my welds got bet...

here are some pics. please avert your eyes as necessary. not recommended for the squeamish. rollers slip over 5/8" dia. tubing. the 5/8" slips into short 3/4" diameter, 0.0625" wall tubing pieces that are welded to 1.5" /0.125" wall square tubing. The first pics are of ...

I was going a bit stir crazy doing beads and connecting square tubing. I know I jumped the gun but the project was small, holding very little weight (racing kayaks), and no one would see. With six nearly identical pieces I got the change to practice the same joints multiple times. BTW Im using a 17 ...

So aluminum is really getting my goat. I've practice running stringer beads a LOT and they look pretty decent. I decided to start on joints and did a small project using square tubing and angle (6061) not supporting much weight. I dip way too often but am getting better. My problem: Usually when I d...

Thanks for the responses. In regards to the keeping sharp corners, it was more of a question of what should be my goal (what's the absolute best appearance I could expect to ever attain). First goal is to have a structurally sound weld. Second is an aesthetically pleasing weld, if possible. The idea...

So I've been practicing on my aluminum technique and have a few questions. I'm using a AHP 200x set at approx. 130A max, stock foot pedal, 170 Hz AC, 35% cleaning, 3/32" 2% Lanth. tungsten, 1/16" 4046 rod. Freshly cleaned 1/8" thick Aluminum plate 1) ending When I am running a bead i ...