Anything welding

I'm not a professional fabricator. I do this for fun so I cant justify spending a lot of money on it . Would something like this be a waste of money at $224

https://a.co/d/0o6XZFT

 

For what purpose?

 

You're better off getting some plans and making your own, making adjustments as you see fit.

Here's one that a member of my CNC group made using an Etsy file set.



Fortunately plans are cheap - the real cost would be your source for the plate and rod used.

 

You are not gonna roll a piece of stainless to patch that exhaust. It's a bubble with tight radius. You are better with a piece of 22ga low carbon steel, beat with a plastic hammer on a shot bag.

It doesn't take many hits for stainless to get work hardened.

You can tig weld carbon steel to stainless using 312 rod.

 

I bet it can be done using stainless with a small “wooden dowel,” (same size as that area) and a whole lotta patience. The patch is not that large. Perhaps a part of a tube cut with a grinder can accomplish the radius(?)

Knowing the difference in performance could put your 4 year old in the driver’s seat. Trust me, every 1/10 of a second can be a mountain to climb.

But that’s just me.

 

SB, I’m a piped freak too brother

Grande day for a tune test. Love this time a year.

 

First time tig welding stainless vbands. Turned out decent.

 

TIG Friday!

Old table I’m resurrecting. 309 to the rescue for dissimilar metals FTW.

 

My Friday MIG project.

 

That build is cool. I bet the fun times peg is maxed or broken

I have found a very nice pattern to weave while MIG welding. I can’t wait to try it again. Good stuff fellas.

 

You are correct!

The only issue is running 15 foot of weld kicks your ass. Doing it 4 times drives you in the dirt!

Aluminum MIG welding is 100% duty cycle. You run until the spool gun empties or you empty.

My back is killing me tonight, but the worse part is over. It's small welds from now on.

 

Struggles are part of it, but seeing the finish line is a very cool part indeed.

 

The start of an arm rest project I'm making for one of my best friends who is a tattoo artist. Wanted it to be able to be disassembled so I made this base that I'll bolt to the rotor using lug nuts. Building the rest off of this starting point. Repurposing the rotors off my old STI as the base.

 

For anyone that’s bent a lot of tube (bumpers, cages, etc.) can I pick your brain in PMs? I got a few questions I can’t seem to find the answer to online and I’d rather just talk to someone whose done it a lot.

 

Why not just ask in here? A couple opinions is better than 1 and could help others

 

Took the words out of my mouth.

Plenty of experience has been shared already just in recent pages on this thread (regarding tube bending).

 

I gave up on wanting a tube bender some time ago.

I now just make a pattern out of old coat hangers. I hand the template to my local muffler shop...along with a case of beer. They bend the tube to my exact specs. I have to pay shop rate as well as tube costs.

I'm way ahead on costs going this route...and I don't have to find a place to store a seldomly used bender.

The muffler shop guys are wizards when it comes to tube bending.

 

Idk just didn’t wanna clog up the thread lol

So when bending say the main tube on a front bumper (multiple bends) how are you guys finding the tube length without wasting a bunch of material?

My idea was to just cut a long piece of tube, align the center of it to the center of the truck, and just see where I want to bend. After that first bend, how do I accurately mark where I want the second bend to be so that it’s asymmetrical with the other side? I know my question isn’t worded the best but it’s hard to explain lol

Im aware of arc length calculations but how do you guys measure out multiple bends in a piece where you’re essentially eyeballing where you want things?

Another question, for example if I have a 60 degree bend, and I want to put a brace tube on the inside of the angle, what’s a good way to know the length of that tube including the notch? In videos I’ve seen, they just hold the tube up and basically just mark where it intersects the tube they’re welding it to, just seems there’s gotta be a better way. Thanks in advance.

 

Haha that’s a good idea, I’m already invested in my tube bending equipment tho and really want to learn.

 

I don't bend at all, I don't have the tooling or know-how.

But what I've picked up from any/every person with experience is that, they keep several pieces of scrap for reference when calculating the required length for any given bend

There's also software that helps with this - Bend-Tech