Welding Tips and Tricks

Used an old hand-sledge we found out shooting. Came out okay.

I like that a lot!

That's a solid base!

Steve S

Very handy indeed. Nice looking weld to boot.

I really like that idea! I have been wanting to try and build a 3rd hand. Very resourceful use of materials.

Ok - slightly different outlook on the 3rd hand thingy ! I'd never worried too much about it , but recently when altering a mirror finished stainless steel part it arced badly on the bench & made me say " DARN " ! so the hammer head was laying under the bench as was the 1/2" & 3/4" square - I figured making it touch at 3 points would be naturally more stable & the hammer head can be slid up & down to excert more weight if needed - the feet are rounded in 1 direction but flat across giving more choice - their clad in copper sheet to improve conductivity - I also bolted a bit of 1/4" flat copper on to "light up on" after grinding the tungsten as I manage to sweep them off the bench otherwise.

That's sweet! I like the sliding weight.

Do you have the copper bonded to the steel in any way? Solder, or something?

Steve S

Great idea.

Yes- the copper is soft soldered to the legs for conductivity - but could be changed if necessary.

Way too cool! Very creative and clever! I like it!

Here is one I made last winter with a sliding weight -



The tip and ground faces on the round tubing are copper building wire that were tig welded directly to the steel , then turned down in the lathe . No more arc marks on work , big help for sure .
Sarge

Nice job - I like the sliding weight - looks good.

Wish I'd had more copper around when I made mine but it's not a material I really work with - had just a few offcuts of sheet under the metal shear so that had to do.

Glad to see someone else with a lathe - began to think I was the only member with one ( actually it's several plus Milling machines etc - someone recently called me a "low buck Keith Fenner" !! not sure how to take that & I don't have the weird beard thing going on ! )

Brian,

I too have a small hobby lathe, very handy.

Len

Very impressed with the sledge hammer third hand, but I can't resist commenting that the steel in a sledge hammer is (usually) high carbon content, and is very, very useful. I have even seen one used as an anvil for knife making. Ah well, you know where it is if you need the steel for something else. Well done.

noddybrian wrote: Glad to see someone else with a lathe - began to think I was the only member with one

Same here, I got a small lathe (12x36) and work with Aluminum, Delrin, Steel, and Titanium:

I see a 6 jaw chuck there. That will be my next chuck I think. Any issues?

I have a 14"x40" coulchester and a 13"x30" harrison. I love the coulchester, great machines.

blaz wrote:I see a 6 jaw chuck there. That will be my next chuck I think. Any issues?

No issues, and so far for the work I do, my adjustable Set-Tru (0.0002" TIR), 6.25" Bison 6-jaw is THE best upgrade (the DRO being the second) I have done to my lathe.

noddybrian wrote: Glad to see someone else with a lathe - began to think I was the only member with one

LOL wish I had the room or even the money but when I can afford it I want my own machine shop and complete welding setup with plasma cutters and a 4'x8' CNC plasma table too

Ranger wrote:

noddybrian wrote: Glad to see someone else with a lathe - began to think I was the only member with one

LOL wish I had the room or even the money but when I can afford it I want my own machine shop and complete welding setup with plasma cutters and a 4'x8' CNC plasma table too

I come from the "other side". I am already a machinist, with a small machine shop (lathe, mill, accessories, etc.) and I am now starting on the welding, but it will take a long time and a LOT of saved money before I can have a "welding shop"

Will

I built this one when I was practicing 'T' joints. Made setting up easy.

noddybrian wrote:Nice job - I like the sliding weight - looks good.

Wish I'd had more copper around when I made mine but it's not a material I really work with - had just a few offcuts of sheet under the metal shear so that had to do.

Glad to see someone else with a lathe - began to think I was the only member with one ( actually it's several plus Milling machines etc - someone recently called me a "low buck Keith Fenner" !! not sure how to take that & I don't have the weird beard thing going on ! )

Don't sweat the copper issue - it's just building wire stripped and sanded clean , it was "good enough" for a third hand project . I've got a nice old Enco 12x36 , a bit sloppy but for most of what I need it works great .
Sarge

Hey,

I finally got around to making some 3rd hand tools. 1 monster, 1 smaller and 2 matching (sort of) ones,

Mick

Muscle men.

Good on you, Mike.

As Jody has said, There's no kill like over kill.

I like them

When I did mine, I noticed they would still make small black arc strikes on my aluminum. Jody showed the same and used silicon bronze for the ends I believe.

I did not have any so I used house electrical wire and tigged some copper on mine

Thats the next step for me too.