1st Gen Lunchtable Thread - General Discussion

So I got a 110v chinese multipurpose welder to start tinkering and practicing here and there. No real projects in mind unless this would be strong enough to weld on rock sliders. I've seen mixed input, what do you guys think about using a Stick or Flux 135 to glue on some 4x innovations sliders?

 

Y'all get a load of this one?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-experience-with-cbi-offroad.778973/

 

Yep

Someone just needed to cry and be validated

 

I would run stick for sliders, but not for someone with no experience. You're better off going flux.

It'll penetrate better (versus solid wire and gas) which you'll want going 110v.

Just get yourself some scrap, and practice the same joint over and over until you become consistent.

Then move on to the next joint type.

People really screw themselves up trying to learn when they go from a butt joint, to a lap, and then open corner or a T without ever staying on one joint long enough to learn.

Do the same joint you've learned to run, and do it again on varying thicknesses.

This way, you've already learned what a good weld looks like on said joint, you'll get immediate feedback as to what you're doing wrong when you do the same joint on thicker/thinner steel. From here, you'll learn how to adjust your machine.

Don't let the fact that you've got a chinese machine bother you; many of us here do as well.

 

I wouldn't use a stick welder unless you're comfy with it on other projects. You can certainly flux core em on if you're good with it though. 135 is more than enough power to glue sliders on. Frame is only roughly .120 wall

 

Hard thing is the space constraint and running uphill and then running blind on the top joint, have to practice that. Most new folks don't know to turn the speed up for overhead welds and to change pattern to run uphill

 

Absolutely true.

Out of position welding is something you either force yourself to do (which no one would if they don't have to) or learn it trial by fire.

But learning many joints in one's own setting, can help to teach "angles" and "movement speed".

Angle of the torch especially, which like you know already, is important causing you to grab the torch with your weak hand and hold it in an awkward position and all. And you do this because you already know the angle and speed to travel at, and how it's more important than using your right hand and not being able to achieve the proper angle.

I don't mind overhead on mild steel, but I sure as hell hate it when it comes to stainless. Horizontal even cause stainless is finicky as fuck, especially since the heat won't absorb well enough to create a nice fluid puddle.

 

I don't mind overhead, but I dislike vertical if theres a gap to fill.

 

Thanks guys, I was on the fence but leaning towards going for it and now I feel a lot better about going for it once I have enough practice. I was once a metal building construction hand for a summer so I've run a cutting torch tons and stick welded for probably a collective 10 minutes, definitely ground down countless cuts and welds (which I'm sure will come in handy with flux spatter and beginner welds). Now I just need to get my hands on some scrap pieces so I can get started. If I wanted to go buy a few pieces of clean steel, would 1/8 or 3/16 be better to practice on (or am I overthinking it)?

 

Get some of both, teaches how to manage heat on dissimilar metals

 

Get both thicknesses; as I mentioned above you should learn on one and stick to it.

Then run the same joint on thicker or thinner (compared to what you started with).

Then, run the thick with the thin stuff, and you'll immediately see how the angle (whether it's on the thick piece or thin piece) and what it's placed on, can change the profile of your bead due to heat absorption.

 

Geeeezh. Oh well. I'll stick with my WhiteKnuckleOffRoads. Still look like this 2 years later.

 

Did you make fillers yourself? Looks nice and I'm not usually a diamond plate person

 

If you guys haven't seen this before, you owe it to yourselves for a laugh to carve out some time to enjoy it

https://youtu.be/BzIHyF7UWY4

 

Nope. Came from WKOR with them. The hardware has been outdoors for 2 years and still looks like new.

 

@Abeyancer

Old cheap bearings replaced with new cheap bearings





At least now they all roll freely.

Just need to get a new blade but I'm feeling both cheap and lazy atm

 

My horizontal band needs a new drive pulley retainer plate and I've just been too lazy to make it

 

Mine doesn't even have a cover on it for the pulley/belt

That and there are some bolts missing for the poor excuse of a stand...too lazy to do anything about that at the moment either.

 

the OG fidget spinner pack

 

I got 4 left if in case you need to mess with 1 or 2 while you're here