Let's See Your Shop

[EdK]

You've got some nice tools there tackit. You're right though, the Ellis is the gem out of the bunch.

Ed

[TomG]

It must be nice to have all that room! Is it heated as well?

Tom

[tackit]

Thanks guys. Ed the Ellis is 11 years old now but it's frame and head pivoting point are as solid as the day I brought the saw home. I have the Ellis 6000 belt grinder too, it's built and behaves the same way. Ellis makes good stuff.
Tom it's not heated, I have a 125,000 BTU Remington hot dog heater I use if I need to do something in the shop. Because I'm handicapped I had a guy come out and give me an estimate to insulate it and cover the walls in tin but it's was $7,000 too much. My shop is 24 X 40.

[ieezitin]

Nice shop Tackit. it looks like an aircraft hanger

Thanks for taking the time to share.

All the best Anthony.

[PixMan]

Some really nice Miller welding machines there tackit! Tell us more about them. I lust for a Miller XMT350 CC/CV or similar, though would be happy with any kind of MIG/TIG capable machine to start. And some training!

[tackit]

Your welcome ieezitin and Pix Man, sorry I didn't see your posts sooner, I've been busier than a one arm wall paper hanger.

The millers are a 180 SD, a MM251, MM180 and a MM172 challenger. They all weld OK but my favorite machine is the 180 Syncrowave SD in stick mode...but the Migs weld so much faster I don't use it that much.

I think most machines on the market today can do a good job. I think having a yellow and red one would be neat. The MM251 gets used the most and then comes the MM180, both are fine welders. The MM172 I keep .026 wire in for welding thin material, it's has a beautiful sounding arc, more so than the other two. All machines have a day when they screw up and need to be tended to, thankfully Millers are really reliable and problems are far and few between. Most problems can be resolved by replacing liners, cleaning the wire drive rolls and the crud that builds up on ground clamp's jaws..... I've always replaced the original chrome steel ground clamps with a copper ones.

[EdK]

(05-28-2014, 01:09 PM)tackit Wrote: ... I've always replaced the original chrome steel ground clamps with a copper ones.

Hmmm . My MM180 came with a copper ground clamp. When did you get yours?

Ed

[tackit]

(05-28-2014, 05:07 PM)EdK Wrote:

(05-28-2014, 01:09 PM)tackit Wrote: ... I've always replaced the original chrome steel ground clamps with a copper ones.

Hmmm . My MM180 came with a copper ground clamp. When did you get yours?

Ed

Ed my MM180 had the same light gauge clamp, I might be wrong, but I don't think they are copper but copper coated steel. I don't like the jaws on them. My MM251 and 180 Syncro came with the chromed steel ground clamps.

I eventually get around to replacing all OE ground clamps with HD Lenco or Tweco ground clamps like the one in the picture.

[EdK]

(05-28-2014, 09:49 PM)tackit Wrote: Ed my MM180 had the same light gauge clamp, I might be wrong, but I don't think they are copper but copper coated steel. I don't like the jaws on them. My MM251 and 180 Syncro came with the chromed steel ground clamps.

I eventually get around to replacing all OE ground clamps with HD Lenco or Tweco ground clamps like the one in the picture.

I got one of those replacement clamps like in your picture but it's so hard to open it I haven't installed it yet.

Ed

[Highpower]

(05-28-2014, 05:07 PM)EdK Wrote:

(05-28-2014, 01:09 PM)tackit Wrote: ... I've always replaced the original chrome steel ground clamps with a copper ones.

Hmmm . My MM180 came with a copper ground clamp. When did you get yours?

Ed

That must be a recent change Ed. All of my Miller machines came with steel ground clamps. I replaced the clamp on my MM185 with one of the Tweco clamps like you have, because that's my workhorse. You really need a good ground for mig. I just use the factory clamp on my MM140 because I leave it set up as a flux core machine. I don't usually do any critical welding with it, but I can switch it back to mig if I need to.

I also use the factory ground clamps that came with my Syncro 200 and my Spectrum plasma cutter. They are strong steel clamps, but have spiked copper pads in the jaws. Gives lots of points of contact so it gets a good connection even on irregular surfaces. I like them a lot myself.

One thing that struck me was that Tackit's shop looks like something you would see in a Miller sales brochure. GO BIG BLUE!

(Not that I can talk I suppose, but he has a much nicer shop.)