Welding Tips and Tricks

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here's the manufactures video etc. hang around and watch these two vids!!!

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I got one of those about 20 years ago. They used to be called a Dillon Mk III. I saw some amazing demos with it, welding beer cans, etc. I never really had much success with it. Maybe it takes quite a bit of practice. I had more success learning to TIG weld.

I recently did some cutting with it while building my TIG cart. In the next week or so I am going to order a Powermax 45.

Well I never used one - but it looks the kinda thing you find being demonstrated by a very slick sales at county fairs etc - they make it look so great & you got to buy one now while they got them on "special" ! - those that do will try it once at home - then put it in a toolbox never to be seen again ! ( or am I just cynical ! ) - in my opinion it's an awkward shape looking thing & achieves little more than a regular sheet metal nozzle in a " proper " torch ! - & you'd be surprised how thick these cut in the larger sizes - if you can't find a large one I've drilled them out before when I was working on concrete moulds in 4mm - maybe someone else will admit to buying one & tell us all how he thinks it's wonderful.

450dualsport wrote:I got one of those about 20 years ago. They used to be called a Dillon Mk III. I saw some amazing demos with it, welding beer cans, etc. I never really had much success with it. Maybe it takes quite a bit of practice. I had more success learning to TIG weld.

I recently did some cutting with it while building my TIG cart. In the next week or so I am going to order a Powermax 45.

Would you recommend it??? anybody??

AKweldshop wrote:Would you recommend it??? anybody??

I've had mine for well over 20 years and would highly recommend it.
I was at a trade show in Ottawa, when I saw this guy welding aluminum pop cans together.
I watched him for quite some time before deciding to buy this welder and never looked back.
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... =19&t=2447

Based on my experience, I would say that if you have a TIG welder and a plasma cutter, it's not worth it. Like Werkspace, I have seen the demos and it is certainly very capable in the right hands. If you don't have a plasma cutter, it may be a cheaper alternative. How much are they now?

they sell for about $500-$550, pretty high, for what it is....
That why I was wondering about some of you guys opinions on it....
John

Your biggest advantage is true portability. No electrical power requirements.
Example: A farmer needs to work on a piece of equipment stuck out in the middle of a field,
or a 4X4 truck is stuck way back in the bush and needs some serious repairs in order to get out.

AKweldshop wrote:they sell for about $500-$550, pretty high, for what it is....
That why I was wondering about some of you guys opinions on it....
John

That is pricey. Since I bought mine some 20 + years ago, there has been such a proliferation of affordable plasma machines that I think that would be the way to go for cutting, unless of course you need the portability that WerkSpace mentioned.

Also, there has been mention that acetylene is being phased out. How true is that? It still seems to be readily available here in Canada....

I would Never use it for welding anything!
Just cutting metal, as I do not believe in gas welding....
I would mainly use it for cutting steel....
I think I'll stick to my torch....
John

A friend of mine's Dad was a body man, a real old world craftsman. To watch him weld and shape body panels with a torch was a real treat. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that can gas weld because I sure can't!

Gas welding and Tig welding are very similar. One uses a gas flame while the other uses a plasma flame.
The advantage of the electric flame is that you can easily pulse it to minimize the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ).
I learned to gas weld at a very young age, so TIG welding was very easy to learn.

450dualsport wrote:A friend of mine's Dad was a body man, a real old world craftsman. To watch him weld and shape body panels with a torch was a real treat. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that can gas weld because I sure can't!

WerkSpace wrote:Your biggest advantage is true portability. No electrical power requirements.
Example: A farmer needs to work on a piece of equipment stuck out in the middle of a field,
or a 4X4 truck is stuck way back in the bush and needs some serious repairs in order to get out.

I would still recommend the traditional style of cutting torch for the examples you mentioned.

Anyone interested in miracles? I have a shelf of them in a building I stopped using as a shop years ago. They include a fantastic welder superior to all that came before, a spot welder, a carbon arc torch using two electrodes to make obsolete the acetylene torch, and some cool electrodes for arc gouging without compressed air.

I don't know that I'd throw gas welding out the window AK, even if you never plan to use it in your line of work. It helped me more than anything else to become comfortable TIG welding. I never tried to gas weld steel, or chromoly for that matter, but I have gas welded aluminum, and it was definitely an eye opening experience in puddle control (using the same Henrob torch that you have videos posted of.) I'm not trying to convert you or anything, but I think that it is something that everyone should at least practice until they can make a passable weld, as it really does open your eyes to some of the more subtle nuances of a weld puddle, and the surrounding metal.

Its a very nice torch, I've had mine for over 20 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAeeW_ojpZA
http://www.youtube.com/user/CobraTorchesInc/videos

Interesting Werk space
Mate I have never seen a cutting tip like that before, is that sort of cutting tip big in the US ?

I live in Canada. It's often found at trade shows, etc.
http://www.cutlikeplasma.com/history.htm
I've never seen this torch at a Local Welding Supply.
They're in the business of selling gases and this torch saves gas.

Another great tool that I bought was the mechanical gas saver.
http://carlislemachine.com/as_accessories/gassaver.php
These gas savers can save a lot of time (no need to set up the torch each time that you need to use it.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5ZvGw9lzmc

FJ RB25 wrote:Interesting Werk space
Mate I have never seen a cutting tip like that before, is that sort of cutting tip big in the US ?

That gas saver looks like a very good item to have.
Love the quick start and no need for setting up each time.
Saves you having the gas torch going while you make the bends

These gas cutting torches are the ones we mainly see over here in Oz, you guys would more than likely have see these before

Really like to see different options and equipment that we all use

The Dillon / Henrob / Cobra torch was invented in Australia.
Here's the supplier in your part of the world.
http://www.amweld.com.au/