Frame building shop tools

[commuter ebikes]

I am reluctant to post this online, but I couldn't bear to spend $543 more than necessary on the welder, so I backed out of the Airgas (brick and mortar) purchase and made the purchase online. I won't provide excuses.

Also, the cart that I am buying (pictured below) only holds one tank and I am anticipating the need to back purge, so I will get this dual flowmeter/regulator: https://store.cyberweld.com/viredfm150du.html

[commuter ebikes]

Here is one source of practice tubing: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...bargainbag.php

As a gift for my lungs, I am getting one of these helmets (https://store.cyberweld.com/3mspad91wadf4.html or https://store.cyberweld.com/3m-speed...101-30isw.html or https://store.cyberweld.com/3m-speed...101-30isw.html) and this tungsten sharpener https://store.cyberweld.com/tugrpiii.html

I also found a nice place for the lathe and mill in my (landlord's) garage. In order to make room, I will have to move the bike repair stand into the middle of the garage and completely remove two large metal shelves from the garage.

I don't mind having the bike repair stand in the middle of the garage, but getting rid of the shelves will cause me to find a new home for what was on the shelves. There isn't much space left.

With the welding cart and the welding table, I will have absolutely no room left for more tools, bikes or parts. I will, however, have barely enough room for one person to work.

[calfee20]

You can get new expensive tungsten's for $2.00 each. My question to you is how long will 300 of them last you. I think that sharpener is for a welding shop and a lot of welders.

I bought a Speedglas helmet before they were bought out by 3M. At the time I paid $360? or there about. Everyone thought I was crazy but being able to see the work piece before striking an arc is priceless.

[commuter ebikes]

My motivation for buying the sharpener is to minimize the exposure to tungsten dust. A friend of a friend recently passed away from lung cancer; he didn't smoke, but he did TIG weld.

For the electrodes, I will start with 1/8" and 3/32" Thoriated on steel, Ti and SS, and 2% Lanthanated on aluminum, but I have not yet found a link to a quality brand of electrodes. If I had to buy today, I would try https://www.arc-zone.com/thoriated-t...v5c6dph00u9b3g and https://www.arc-zone.com/lanthanated...v5c6dph00u9b3g

[geckocycles]

I have been supporting Jody and that is where I get my Tig Fingers and tungsten.
Brazing rod, silver solder, gas flux and past flux I get from Hank at Henry James since the 80's.
I use cheap ass auto darkening HF helmets without an issue for the last 15 years I guess and I had one battery of the two fail once. They are button batteries and easily replaced if you have a spot welder. I did buy another one though. I did have a friend who got one and it flashed him so he returned it and got a lincoln. Maybe I am just lucky.
HF angle grinders are great for the most part as long as you don't have to use them for more than 20 mins at a time. They are not very smooth running and heat up at the head, not unlike my Dewalts. If you only need them for short bursts, like I do, I have no issues with the HF. When I need to use one for extended periods of time I break out the Metabo. Hands down the best one I have.

[commuter ebikes]

This is the first welding table that I am considering https://www.bakersgas.com/MIL951169.html , but I don't know what I need in terms of a welding table for a hobbyist framebuilding shop. I know that I will spend months or years sitting at the welding table practicing. Many welding tables are horrendously expensive, and many are kits that you have to weld yourself, but I have very limited welding experience.

[JPLabs]

You need practice, and simple mild steel is best. As long as you will be buying steel and making practice joints, build the darn table exactly as you need it.

if you think it was embarrassing to admit online buying, settling for a sub optimal table because you aren't confident you can weld it?....come on!

;-)

[commuter ebikes]

You need practice, and simple mild steel is best. As long as you will be buying steel and making practice joints, build the darn table exactly as you need it.

if you think it was embarrassing to admit online buying, settling for a sub optimal table because you aren't confident you can weld it?....come on!

;-)

My only experience with welding is from when I had a very cheap Harbor Freight MIG welder; the results were poor. The welder that is on the way is TIG and stick only.

I think it would be a good idea to weld my own table after the classes in April and May. I can wait a few months for a table.

Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecZs8JPEYeU is a video of a guy building this table https://weldtables.com/collections/p...ab-slot-u-weld and this leg kit https://weldtables.com/collections/p...kit-heavy-duty

That table and leg kit costs $549-$640 delivered depending on if one purchases it from Eastwood Co. or CertiFlat.

[calfee20]

I am quite sure you could get a spooling gun and turn that welder into a high class MIG.

[commuter ebikes]

I couldn't find a spooling gun for a Dynasty 210 DX here https://www.millerwelds.com/support/...n-hookup-chart and this thread says it is more practical to just buy a MIG machine (e.g., a Millermatic): http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...th-dynasty-200

I'm sure I could TIG or stick weld the above table, right? The welder I bought welds thicknesses up to 1/4". The table may be 3/8", but maybe multiple passes would suffice.

[Felix D'Kat]

Check out YouTubes "This Old Tony"
The guy is funny and a pretty good amateur fabricator
He has a great Welding cart that he documents in 3 videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/featony/videos

[commuter ebikes]

This bombproof cast iron table and steel stand https://www.weldsale.com/product/wsc...x-3-ft-bundle/ weighs 620 lbs. The price is $2,875 plus $700 shipping for a 3' X 3' welding table.

[calfee20]

The owner of the rental place I worked at thought he was a welder. When we moved into a new building with a lot of space he wanted me to build a welding table. A good welding table has to be rock solid and heavy will do that. We used a piece of 3' X 5' steel a couple of inches thick and welded 4" square tubing legs on it. It was so heavy you couldn't move it but we had a fork lift.

It was not crude. The top had nice radius cuts on the corners and the legs also had radius corners.

[commuter ebikes]

That steel plate must have cost a fortune!

[calfee20]

I didn't have to buy it. It might have been 3X4. I don't want to exaggerate and he might have had it laying around. It was just that he never had a good place for one until his sons bought an old Agway store front and storage building. We moved the rental business out of the lumber yard and to this new location.

[JPLabs]

You would probably want to stick weld the heavy sections. It's pretty easy to do, compared to TIG.

I went to a local steel yard for my table materials. Cart, actually. 24X30 1/2" top, square tubes, HD rubber casters cost me about 250$, casters were about 80 of that IIRC.

Steel is WAY cheaper at a dirty, crude steel yard, than online, if you have one in town.

I think you could be making decent stick welds your first day, with recommended settings and some practice. Or, an hour if someone shows you.

I'd recommend you try simple practice welds when the welder is set up, before the class, and if they are working decide to build it. If not, sure, wait.

one great thing about welds is that you can add more, later. So, skills improve, later, OK, rework the table a bit as you gain confidence.

maybe make a stool or smaller thing, first, so you don't risk expensive materials. Something you can throw into the salvage pile if you don't like it.

[commuter ebikes]

The next one or two years is just for practicing TIG and stick on steel, so this sounds like a great idea.

Would you believe that I had forgotten that someone can grind down an ugly weld and redo it?

We have a wonderful steel yard in my town. I have been going there for over 20 years. It seems to be a little expensive, but the products, people and service are top notch.

[JPLabs]

I think you will enjoy it. With no time pressure, you will have it figured out, at your leisure, for sure. Boring as it may sound, just welding coupons together, then hammering them in half to see if they bend or crack, is fun for quite a while. Then, making welds pretty is a lifetime progression, you get better and better.

'Proper' welding isn't needed for an over-designed bench, IMO. It won't crack. And, so what if it does.....

Sure, you can grind welds. You can just lay more on top, too.

Something else I have done is to go back over old stick welds with the TIG, later, no filler added. Just pretty them up. Play with the puddles. This won't work well if there is slag and porosity, but for a clean stick weld, seems to work fine.

Take a steel plate and just write your name on it, like an engraver. Make the wife a steel birthday card. Melt smiley faces into coins. All kinds of ways to play with arc control, without committing to a welding project. Heck, I've burned stuff for fun with mine, tried to melt rock, all kinds of weird things. Playing with it and learning.

[commuter ebikes]

My laptop died which had some valuable notes on it, including my To Do list. I didn't back up the document because I am always adding to and crossing tasks off the list. Now that I am recreating the replacement To Do list, I see that this is a task in itself.

I thought I lost my Art of Electronics PDF, but I found it in my Google Drive. If anybody ever wants a copy of this book for free, email me at erikmannie@gmail.com. It is a fantastic book on electronics. It is 28.9MB.

I ended up buying these items:
welder https://store.cyberweld.com/midy210dxcps.html
wireless foot pedal https://store.cyberweld.com/miwifocosy30.html
dual flowmmeter/regulator https://store.cyberweld.com/viredfm150du.html
water cooler https://store.cyberweld.com/mico13cosy30.html
coolant https://store.cyberweld.com/lowconan.html
small runner cart https://store.cyberweld.com/mismruca30.html
20 series torch https://www.amazon.com/CK-CK212SF-To.../dp/B00JV8NIJM
electrode sharpener https://store.cyberweld.com/tugrpiii.html
gas lens https://www.arc-zone.com/gas-lens-collet-body-ck-2gl
gas lens cups https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-ti...s-10-pack.html
standard cups http://www.airgas.com/product/Weldin.../p/RAD64005427
helmet with respirator https://store.cyberweld.com/3m-speed...101-30isw.html
welding table https://store.cyberweld.com/miar60wo.html
welding curtain for table https://www.bakersgas.com/MIL300686....iABEgKyb_D_BwE
shelf for table https://www.bakersgas.com/MIL300679....CABEgKGkvD_BwE
two clamps for table https://www.bakersgas.com/MIL300613....yABEgKMLvD_BwE
convenience kit for table https://www.bakersgas.com/MIL300614....CABEgLoy_D_BwE

At the local welding supply store, I bought a Q size (80 cu. ft.) tank of pure Argon, some 3/32" standard collet bodies, three 3/32" 2% Lanthanated electrodes and a #7 standard alumina cup. The empty Q size cylinder was $218 plus tax. The fill was $30. The local welding supply was not very knowledgeable about TIG stuff. They had to look up the collet bodies and cups. Maybe that is normal; they probably wanted to make sure to get it right.

My Dad and I put in one 220V, 50A outlet in the garage. This will probably be a problem with the landlord at some point. I should have obtained a permit; I will have to see about retroactively legitimizing this outlet.

There is still a fair amount more to buy. It has been all work and no play for me since the New Year. I have created a lot of friction with management by maxing out my overtime every week.

[NOBLNG]

You've got a really good start there. You will also need a good 4-1/2" or 5" angle grinder for cutting and grinding heavy materials. Also get a 1/4" die grinder for finer work. I like air powered die grinders because you can control the speed with the air pressure. Now start fabricating stuff! Good tig practice would be to make some sculptures out of nuts and bolts and wire and whatever other metal tidbits you can find.

[JPLabs]

Yes! With artwork as practice, birthday gift savings becomes ebike funding. Works for coat hooks, paper towel holders, boot scrapers, and all manner of useful things, too.

[JPLabs]

That's some of my practice, then gifted. Not difficult, just need scrap metal. Note the beak. I'd been meaning to throw that old drill away... Trash becomes treasure, if you have a welder!

There is a spike into the dirt, under the foot, so it won't fall over.

[calfee20]

When I worked at the tool repair place we used to rebuild drill chucks. They actually come apart with a press. That one looks pretty good.

[commuter ebikes]

I assembled the Miller ArcStation table, tried to hook up what I have and experimented with the electrode sharpener. Note the 220V outlet in the photo.

[commuter ebikes]

I was unable to figure out how to connect the red "coolant in" hose. I looked at the owner's manuals for the welder, water cooler and torch, but I have to research further to see how to connect it.

[commuter ebikes]

I think this is what I need to connect the 20 series torch to the female standard Dinse connector on the welder: https://www.arc-zone.com/dinse-connector-195377 along with https://www.arc-zone.com/water-coupler-aw-431

[calfee20]

My Dad and I put in one 220V, 50A outlet in the garage. This will probably be a problem with the landlord at some point. I should have obtained a permit; I will have to see about retroactively legitimizing this outlet.

There is still a fair amount more to buy. It has been all work and no play for me since the New Year. I have created a lot of friction with management by maxing out my overtime every week.

Don't do it. The last thing you want to do is to tell the power company that you weld.

[commuter ebikes]

If asked, I could just say that it is a 220V outlet for a dryer in the garage.

[calfee20]

I was unable to figure out how to connect the red "coolant in" hose. I looked at the owner's manuals for the welder, water cooler and torch, but I have to research further to see how to connect it.

I notice that the torch you bought is not a miller. I also found a pdf from miller that shows adapters too connect different torches. http://www.millerwelds.com/~/media/m.../e/a/ay7-2.pdf

Page 4 of the pdf has the adapters. I also grabbed a photo out of the pdf.

[calfee20]

Left hand threads on some of the fittings.

[commuter ebikes]

Yes, both of the coolant connections on the Coolmate 1.3 are LH threads. If they didn't do this, you know some idiot (possibly me) would send the coolant through the gas lines in the power supply.

[commuter ebikes]

Am I the only person who finds it amazing that the both the water return and power are shared on that single red hose? How in the Heck is all that power (up to 210A at 220V) transmitted through what appears to be just a water hose?