New Welder

[rleete]

If you can figure out how to weld wood, you will be a very rich man.

[arvidj]

Agree with ER70S-2 or ER70-6. Lately I've been getting it from Amazon. Price is about the same, delivered, as the LWS without the 45 minute each way road trip.

Also, in a pinch, solid, not flux core obviously, MIG wire. I happen to have .045 loaded in the MIG so it is handy to get a 3 foot piece. It's just ER70-6 in a handy spool dispenser.

[RobWilson]

(02-16-2016, 09:09 AM)rleete Wrote: If you can figure out how to weld wood, you will be a very rich man.

hot glue gun 



Rob

[Highpower]

S-2, S-6 denotes the silicon content in the alloy IIRC. (Deoxidizing agent.)

I agree with Arvid - MIG wire do come in handy at times for small welds / thin material, or if you just happen to run out of filler rods on a Sunday evening.

[Roadracer_Al]

My MIG wire always seems to get rusty much faster than my TIG filler rod.  

@Mahem - here you go.  Someone beat you to it.

[EdK]

This stuff OK to start with?

ER70S-6 On Amazon

Or would this be better?

More ER70S-6

Ed

[arvidj]

I've gotten the #1 tubes of Blue Demon and have been satisfied with it, both the steel and the aluminum.

The #10 box is significantly cheaper per lb and ensures you will have plenty on hand for practice.

Did you make arrangements with the LWS for a bottle of argon yet? If so, and you don't mind my asking, what size, lease or own and how much? Just curious what the going rate is now.

[EdK]

(02-16-2016, 06:58 PM)arvidj Wrote: The #10 box is significantly cheaper per lb and ensures you will have plenty on hand for practice.

Did you make arrangements with the LWS for a bottle of argon yet? If so, and you don't mind my asking, what size, lease or own and how much? Just curious what the going rate is now.

That's what I thought also. I'll need a bunch for practice and it's cheaper by the pound.

I haven't dug into the gas procurement yet. That's next, and last, thing on the list I think. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm expecting sticker shock.  

How do you guys transport your tanks of gas? Is it OK to lay them down while transporting them?

Ed

[Mayhem]

Yes - you can lay them down to transport. Acetylene is the only gas that I know of that either has to be transported upright or stored upright for at least 4 hours before using it, if it was laid down. IIRC the acetylene is dissolved in acetone and keeping the cylinder upright prevents the acetone from running through your reg, hoses etc.

[Highpower]

(02-16-2016, 07:13 PM)EdK Wrote: How do you guys transport your tanks of gas? Is it OK to lay them down while transporting them?

Ed

Depends on your LWS. Around here they tell you no, but if it is an inert gas - some of them sort of "look the other way" while you are loading it in your vehicle. Some of them will not allow you to load cylinders in anything but a truck with an open bed, and they have to be secured vertically. No car trunks, no panel vans, no pick-ups with camper shells.... no enclosed vehicles period. So it all depends on how badly they want your business. Rest assured though, if you have an "incident" on the way home they will swear on a stack of bibles that they specifically told you not to transport them that way.  

Find a friend with a pick-up truck or rent one (our local Home Depot is pretty cheap) or the other option is to just pay them to deliver it and be done with it, if you can't find a place that will let you do your own transport.

And as Arvid said, you'll have to decide if you want to buy or lease. In these parts, you can only purchase the smaller cylinders now days. The larger ones are lease only. 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. The rate per year gets cheaper with the longer the lease and the initial fill is free. I would suggest you shop around a bit before laying your plastic on the counter. Seems every place is different with their rates and policies.

I currently own 5 of my cylinders, and I'm leasing 2 more. The problem with owning them sometimes is that some places don't want to refill them for you. Especially when the place you bought them from has long since gone under. It can be a real adventure.