[JustTheDad]

Is that like the engine block enamel I used to paint my weight plates, and is the stuff flexible enough to use as a curtain?

Oscar, I'll see if the one in the garage is a lighter color. That hanging one could actually be the Black Stallion one I ordered by accedent. I forgot, only 2 were from HF.

[BugHunter]

Is that like the engine block enamel I used to paint my weight plates, and is the stuff flexible enough to use as a curtain?

No, not even close. One is resistant to grease and oil, the other is high temp paint that'll take like 1400F without burning. Flexible? Who cares? It's to stick some fibers fast so they don't float around in the air, and not make fumes when welding slag hits it, not that you're worried about that with a TIG welder. But who knows, you might someday do some stick welding with it and maybe there'll be some splatter for the blankets to save you from then. It'll surface-seal your blanket so it stops making dust and itchy' crap.

[Oscar]

Is that like the engine block enamel I used to paint my weight plates, and is the stuff flexible enough to use as a curtain?

Oscar, I'll see if the one in the garage is a lighter color. That hanging one could actually be the Black Stallion one I ordered by accedent. I forgot, only 2 were from HF.

Actually I just noticed you have it there. It's the smaller one that is a light-beige and has a little "sheen" to it. You have it hanging to the right. Way better than the hard yellow one in terms o fiber shedding.

[JustTheDad]

Oscar,

The large yellow one on the back wall is a coated Black Stallion blanket. No itch or shedding. Very decent product.

The lower of the two on the right is a coated Radnor. It's very stiff and actually came out of the package with a tear/crack along a fold line, but I'll just stitch it with some nomex or kevlar thread. It's almost the same as the Black Stallion ones but 6x8 and I think it was in storage a while. Ebay find, cheap.

The beige vertical one next to the yellow vinyl, I think that's what you are referring to, is a Hi Temp brand silicone coated blanket I got off ebay. You're right, It is by far the nicest material except, but it only has grommets on the short sides and the long sides are just single thickness. Not folded over and stitched with grommets added. Another ebay find. Think it's a much more expensive one.

I'll either add grommets to the long side of the Hi Temp one and use it where the itchmonster is, or I'll use a vinyl curtain there. For $30 I already ordered a blue vinyl curtain off ebay. Same as the yellow Steiner one, just blue not yellow. I'd pay more than $30 to avoid another itchy night! Maybe I'm getting old, but I was itchier than after a couple of hours spent stuffing owens corning insulation into the walls of an old house, or even after making a dozen sound absorbing panels out of rock wool a couple of years ago. Wish I'd known a week ago!

[Spartan]

Stop worrying about the blanket forts, and get that arc lit already

[TraditionalToolworks]

Stop worrying about the blanket forts, and get that arc lit already

Hear, hear!

May the arc be with you, not the Wuhan itch!

[JustTheDad]

Friday. 2pm

[TraditionalToolworks]

Friday. 2pm

Oh Todd, don't say you're gonna wait for the pros on Fri., that's kind of like cheating...you could just have them weld your projects up for you also...

Where's your sense of adventure?

[JustTheDad]

Where's your sense of adventure?

I think it's with the argon.

Also, family arriving tomorrow for a visit. The visit was planned months ago, but my wife and daughter drove 14 hours north on Monday because my 96yo FIL wound up in the hospital. With them out of town, I can't ditch my company to go play with the new toy.

Of course, our lesson was already scheduled, and it would be rude to cancel Besides, Frank, my FIL, will want to know how we do. He used to do quite a bit of welding. In fact, I'm pretty sure he welded some of the equipment used in the Manhattan project. Not on the bombs, but on the hydrogen or helium condensers they needed. He ran one of the shops where they were built. Built his own geothermal heat pump for his house too, almost 50 years ago. Handy guy! Frank was very happy this week when he heard his grandson was learning to weld.

[TraditionalToolworks]

I think it's with the argon.

Well, that's definitely something you're gonna need in order to tig.

my wife and daughter drove 14 hours north on Monday because my 96yo FIL wound up in the hospital.

You're the 3rd person I know who had an illness in the family recently...I hope it's not in the air...

I'm planning to go visit my Mom the week after the 4th. I haven't seen her since Dec., but my daughter suggested we go visit her before my daughter starts an intern position at UCSF, one of the higher respected medical schools in the Bay area.

Of course, our lesson was already scheduled, and it would be rude to cancel

That's the spirit Dad!

Built his own geothermal heat pump for his house too, almost 50 years ago.

Sounds like my kinda guy, I've been interested in geothermal for quite some time as I have a shop/home project at a lake that has a volcano that enters the lake. As it turns out it would be too much work to create a loop in the lake as it's pretty far from the home, but I was considering a closed loop in the ground which is still pretty efficient. Things have really changed with exchangers in the past 50 years, and the last 10 has really gotten much better. The exchangers of 50 years ago were pretty inefficient.

Handy guy! Frank was very happy this week when he heard his grandson was learning to weld.

Have your son call him after you have your lesson and tell him about it.

EDIT: I need to go into the office on Fri. so going to use it as an means to stop by the LWS and pick up some stuff.

[JustTheDad]

I'm planning to go visit my Mom the week after the 4th. I haven't seen her since Dec., but my daughter suggested we go visit her before my daughter starts an intern position at UCSF, one of the higher respected medical schools in the Bay area.

What kind of internship is she doing at the med school? One of my favorite ID attendings years ago had trained at UCSF, and I've worked with several docs there on trials over the years. It's an excellent med school and a great teaching hospital. I hope she likes it!

I've been interested in geothermal for quite some time as I have a shop/home project at a lake that has a volcano that enters the lake. As it turns out it would be too much work to create a loop in the lake as it's pretty far from the home, but I was considering a closed loop in the ground which is still pretty efficient. Things have really changed with exchangers in the past 50 years, and the last 10 has really gotten much better. The exchangers of 50 years ago were pretty inefficient.

I think Frank had an artesian well that he could tap into right by the house, so he took advantage of it. We weren't that lucky, so we got a closed horizontal loop system 4 or 5 years ago when we built our house. With the federal and state tax credits it cost us about the same as a standard heat pumps/furnace system. Thing is, our system would have cost twice as much without the tax credits and I think they're gone here in NC. California is pretty liberal on that sort of thing. Do they have good incentives for geothermal now, and is it worth it versus a standard heat pump and solar panels?

[v5cvbb]

Must be a thing with father-in-laws. He had to try my tig welder first chance he got. He's welded tons of stick electrodes but hadn't Tig welded since high school. It was nice having someone interested though.

[TraditionalToolworks]

What kind of internship is she doing at the med school? One of my favorite ID attendings years ago had trained at UCSF, and I've worked with several docs there on trials over the years. It's an excellent med school and a great teaching hospital. I hope she likes it!

She's starting internship for a licensed Dietician. She currently has a Bachelor in Nutrition from Cal Poly SLO. As you may know, the certifications are changing where they will soon require a Master degree for Dieticians, but she can slip under the 2022 deadline if she passes this Internship. BTW, they don't pay great, but UCSF at least pays stipend. She was previously accepted to the Culinary Institute of America where many top chefs study, but at the last minute decided to go the "degree" route for Nutrition, mainly because of poor conditions and pay for most restaurant workers. She is no shabby chef, she's been working in an upscale restaurant since she was 16 years old.

I think Frank had an artesian well that he could tap into right by the house, so he took advantage of it. We weren't that lucky, so we got a closed horizontal loop system 4 or 5 years ago when we built our house. With the federal and state tax credits it cost us about the same as a standard heat pumps/furnace system. Thing is, our system would have cost twice as much without the tax credits and I think they're gone here in NC. California is pretty liberal on that sort of thing. Do they have good incentives for geothermal now, and is it worth it versus a standard heat pump and solar panels?

There are not many left believe it or not, as of a couple years ago...still, I believe that geo could pay for itself but it would most likely take 10-15 years. Where I see it being most useful in the area my property is located is in being used for AC during the summer months. My property is in a pretty mild area, not too much concerns with snow, more so with fires. My lot is heavily wooded with oaks. I will be using a fireplace mostly for heat and/or wood stove, but that's a bit down the road before I get the shop/home that far. I'm building a log home.

[JustTheDad]

She's starting internship for a licensed Dietician.

Didn't know the regulations had changed. My wife went the scenic route and got a masters in nutrition. Now she's a child/adolescent psychiatrist with a specialty in eating disorders so it was useful to her. If your daughter doesn't like being a dietitian, she could still go to the culinary institute and combine the two. Just think of the career possibilities!

[TraditionalToolworks]

Didn't know the regulations had changed. My wife went the scenic route and got a masters in nutrition. Now she's a child/adolescent psychiatrist with a specialty in eating disorders so it was useful to her. If your daughter doesn't like being a dietitian, she could still go to the culinary institute and combine the two. Just think of the career possibilities!

Todd,

Small world. My daughter had some eating disorders when she was younger. I wouldn't call a major concern, but she learned to overcome them. This is why she wanted to go into Nutrition. After her intern at UCSF she is thinking about a pediatric move. My daughter wants to get the Masters, but I am encouraging her to work after her intern. She had another intern opportunity with pediatrics, but it was much farther away and no stipend. She will commute to UCSF, we live in the Cupertino area. Not close, but she doesn't have to pay rent here.

My daughter said the laws change in 2022, but that all Dieticians will be Grandfathered in.

[JustTheDad]

Hopefully she'll love it! Also, it's just semantics, but she's a dietetic "intern". What she'll be doing is an internship.
So now you can use the right words when you brag about your daughter, which you absolutely should do!
And also because she'll probably correct you if you don't. That's what mine do.

[TraditionalToolworks]

Hopefully she'll love it! Also, it's just semantics, but she's a dietetic "intern". What she'll be doing is an internship.
So now you can use the right words when you brag about your daughter, which you absolutely should do!
And also because she'll probably correct you if you don't. That's what mine do.

Todd,

Absolutely, I didn't mean to imply she was a Dietician. She is technically a Nutritionist as that is the only degree she holds. She will not be a Dietician until she completes her internship AND completes and passes the certification exam. She needs to complete her intern before she can take the certification. I'm sure you can imagine all the vaccines and tests she's required to do in order to even set foot in the medical center. If she can complete her intern and pass the certification test by 2022, she can be a certified Dietician without the need for a Master degree. She's a great kid that I'm so proud of, but we are very similar and butt heads often...she is hard headed like me... My son is more like my wife, soft spoken and less argumentative. Kids are the greatest thing in the world, IMO, and I wouldn't trade either of mine for anything in the world.

Now back to our regularly scheduled gluing metal together! (as my wife would say. )

Did you get your argon tank already, or do you take delivery tomorrow?

Make sure you have a regulator and a hose in case your welder didn't come with them. Hopefully you're all set. I'm excited for your son, a lucky kid he is. Hopefully he makes Frank proud (and you!). Make sure he calls Frank after your lesson! As you may tell, I like to make our elders happy!

[JustTheDad]

We have argon and 1/8" mild steel coupons downstairs. Moved the welding table down to the basement with a drum throne. We are all set

[Spartan]

Have fun as you guys progress on this journey.

Keep that hood down and that arc lit, and you'll be making pretty welds in no time.

And remember, if over the next few weeks you find that you're NOT sick of grinding tungsten, then that just means you aren't practicing enough.

[VA-Sawyer]

Hey Justthedad, where are you located?

[JustTheDad]

VA Sawyer, I'm in Hillsborough, above Chapel Hill.

After trying TIG, albeit sans filler rod, my son has decided that the MIG machine was a waste. TIG is much nicer. I did dip a Tungsten in the puddle though, and that was without filler. I saw it, but I wasn't sure where my tungsten ended and my arc began.

But sharpening the electrodes shouldn't be an issue. 5-10 seconds on the belt sander goes from new to sharp, but after doing 10, I'd guess we'll only get 30-50 sharpening a per $5 belt. It started at 120 grit and feels like 180 already.

[TraditionalToolworks]

But sharpening the electrodes shouldn't be an issue. 5-10 seconds on the belt sander goes from new to sharp, but after doing 10, I'd guess we'll only get 30-50 sharpening a per $5 belt. It started at 120 grit and feels like 180 already.

Todd,

Yeah, nothing is free in life, heh? If you have a bench grinder, check out those diamond wheels I linked to, but for real convenience the TechSouth/Sharpie are worth it, IMO. I have a cheaper Dremel Attachment and those other diamond wheels I got for it recently are a good deal, but I think I paid about $40 for the attachment, they sell for $50 now but are better.

There's a lot of ways to sharpen tungsten, but many people do prefer a belt sander. As you have found out, the belts take some abuse from tungsten, it's tough stuff...try cutting one in half with a cut off wheel on the angle grinder and you'll soon realize it is pretty tough stuff...it'll start glowing red before you cut through it, not very fast. Diamond is better.

Hope your son called Frank.

[Spartan]

But sharpening the electrodes shouldn't be an issue. 5-10 seconds on the belt sander goes from new to sharp, but after doing 10, I'd guess we'll only get 30-50 sharpening a per $5 belt. It started at 120 grit and feels like 180 already.

Part of the reason I prefer the disc sander. I get a similar 30-50 sharpenings for only $1-2 per disc.

[JustTheDad]

Problem for me is that the discs are stick on so I can't have one dedicated to tungsten.

Belt swaps are 5-10 seconds. I don't even have to label them. I will just dedicate the blue 120 grit belts to the tungsten. I got 2% lanthanated, so it's easy to remember, blue goes with blue.

[Spartan]

Problem for me is that the discs are stick on so I can't have one dedicated to tungsten.

Belt swaps are 5-10 seconds. I don't even have to label them. I will just dedicate the blue 120 grit belts to the tungsten. I got 2% lanthanated, so it's easy to remember, blue goes with blue.

The reality is that if you're not doing any type of legit code work, you do not need to dedicate grinders/sanders specifically to tungsten. There is zero discernible difference in arc quality from a practical standpoint and really no contamination risk for anything other than super critical parts, and I've ground tungsten on some pretty funky belts/discs/wheels in the past. Your choice to make.

I do have a dedicated grinder for customer work, but it is just part of my philosophy of always using best practices for customer jobs. For anything else, I'd just as soon sharpen that tungsten on the closest grinder to me, regardless of its other uses.