Anything welding

Finally after 8 years and roughly 700 sets of sliders for other people later, I decided to make a new set for myself!

 

About damn time!

Funny. I built my 1st trailer for myself, someone bought it from me because I said I'd just build me another trailer.

It took me ten years to build a trailer for myself. I built around 70 before I kept one for myself.

 

Some people need lots of practice to get things just right.

I can only say paying jobs and other peoples emergencies seemed to always come first in my case.

 

And they paid well or we would tell them to pound sand.

 

I must admit over the years for more work was Gratis .

I was a sucker for crying women who had serious problems backing up horse trailers .

So very scared to go home.

Speaking of home did you ever get there yet??

 

Yep. I'm home. Catching up on the to-do list.

 

It must be good to be home.

Glad it was a safe trip !

 

Beats the pants of muddy ditches and pump pits!

 

I’ve been putting off making myself a new set for a long time.



I might have to get on that.

 

For real. Real talk, I’ve been wanting to build myself a new set for like probably 2 years now. Happy I finally got around to it.

What did you do for 10 years in the middle when you needed a trailer???

That’s what happens. Other people’s trucks usually are priority over my own since they’re bringing in the cash. But I got pretty caught up with my customers and found a little time for myself haha

DO IT!!! My other set was welded on. What a pain in the ass to grind those off. Hated that part lol. I just made these bolt on. 1/2” grade 8 bolts with 15,000 lbs of shear strength a piece. They ain’t goin nowhere

 

I just borrowed the trailers I built for others. Called it test drives.

 

What angle grinder do you use & why? My 4.5" Porter Cable quit working today. I see Home Depot has a 4.5" Ridgid with lifetime free parts & service for $60. Tractor Supply has the same 4.5" Porter Cable for $45 or a 2 pack for $60.

 

I have a ryobi that bought when I first started welding because it was cheap and “I’d only use it a few times”, two Hercules grinders, and a Makita. The ryobi refuses to die after 15 years, the Hercules get the most use and the Makita comes out every once in a while. I think you can’t go wrong with many angle grinders these days. Just look for one that fits your hand comfortably if you plan on using it for long periods of time. Another thing to consider is your preference of a paddle or a side switch. I like the side switch for flap discs because it’s easier to lock in the on position but I prefer the paddle for cut off wheels in case I need to abort quickly.

 

I've got 2 M18 Fuel, 1 Metabo HPT, 1 DeWalt, and 1 Harbor Freight (the cheapest black one they've got)

I always find myself reaching for the Fuel just because I'm too lazy to plug in but when I do, I just grab whatever has the wheel I need to use.

To summarize, any angle grinder nowadays will suffice. Just comes down to personal preference as far as engagement goes like Sergio said above.

 

The real question is how many angle grinders do you need?

In my case the answer is 4.

3 with cords and one battery powered.

 

I really need to get a cordless one. I’ve been debating switching brands for a while now but that means everything will get swapped- drill, driver, 1/4” impact, 1/2” impact. It’s a huge investment but I like only having one battery for everything. My tool box top chest has a dual charger for my Makitas and I have a separate single charger that I can whip out for long jobs if I need it.

 

To me the most important is how it fits my hand .

I only ever use those small grinders with one hand if you need two hands break out the 7"

Surprising I bought a few Harbor Fright 4.5" grinders about 15 years ago So far all but one that fell 2 stories still work.

I still enjoy my Air Grinders in warmer weather. One needs enough grinders that the only time you need to change the disc/etc is when things are worn out .

I tried almost every brand The thing that will kill any brand is to much pressure let the tool do the work.

 

Built a set of Sliders for my buddy’s single cab Ram 2500. The length of a set of DCLB Tacoma sliders was perfect for the truck. Just had to figure out legs and mounting. Main square tubing was 3/16” since his truck is a heavy pig. Frame plates were 3/8” and we made it like a clamp on with a bolt over the frame and a bolt under the frame with a giant pressure plate from the rear side of the frame. Fun challenge as really nobody makes a set of sliders for this configuration

 

Dewalt 4-1/2 - 6" if you want something to last forever. I have moved exclusively to these larger diameter grinders and will never go back.

 

I might look at a 6… I’ve been using these Bosch guys because they have the smallest diameter body I have found.