quadrcr87's garage projects

[quadrcr87]

Welcome to my projects thread. I originally started this with a focus on welding a few years ago, it has since evolved to cover everything happening in my 3 car attached garage. I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades and master of none. I tend to focus on automotive and metal working but I don't shy away from home improvement and wood working. Don't be a stranger, I appreciate any feedback.



The Original Post:

Now that I’m getting into welding more for fun than necessity I thought you might enjoy following along on my journey. I’ve been welding here and there for a few years but have little experience. I’ve just been making small brackets and repairs until now. I bought my welder 3 years back to install new jacks and steps on my toy hauler. It pretty much paid for itself on the first project.

The welder- Lincoln Pro Mig 140


First Project- Portable Welding Table (link to build thread in my signature)


Next was a sculpture for my wife’s garden that I will share the details on here. I figured I would start with something for the “boss” so she won’t complain when I buy more tools.

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Project- Wetlands Plant Sculpture

Materials-
3/16” plate
3/16” solid steel rod
12 gauge plate
1/2” tubing
22 gauge sheet metal

Started by drawing the base on cardboard to see what looked good


Traced some random objects to decide on the scale of the plants

Transferred to the 3/16 plate and cut with a Dewalt 4-1/2 grinder and several cut off disks



I had some fun taking off the mill scale and added some design with a 120 grit flap disk


Next up cutting strips of steel for hours with a grinder!!



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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Before I could start making sparks I needed to decide how tall this masterpiece was going to be.

I started with the center cattails since I knew they would be the tallest.



These were fun to cut and weld. Turned out decent even with a big gap to fill. I rounded off the end of the rod with my pedestal grinder.

Starting to take shape.


Now the not so fun task of cutting the strips.

I cleaned them up with the grinder and flap disks. You can see how much slag was on them in this picture. This would have been so easy on a shear....


I decided to shape the leafs at the base the Viking way. Ball peen hammer and my poor abused Craftsman 6” vice. I’m sure the weak jaws loved this.


And we have 6 pieces of odd sizes that sort of fit together.



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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Now that I had the main pieces I mocked it up to get a look at this thing. Kinda has a cool artsy look to it. Don’t mind the painters tape...I don’t have enough magnets.

A little detail of the top


At this point it was 10:30 at night and I had to quit making all the noise grinding and hammering.
Still determined to make progress I started on the 2nd piece. I cut out leafs out of 22 gauge sheet with tin snips and used the same 3/16 rod. This was just a rough mock-up based on my cardboard sketch.


That’s the end of night 1. Heading in the right direction.


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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

After looking at the cattail a while and getting some input from my customer (wife), it was decided that we need some more leafs. So I cut out 3 more 20” strips to go with the 6 24” ones already made.


Then on to the welding. It was a little challenging with the different thickness materials so I played with the feed and heat settings a few times. I will need some practice to make these look good.


The cattail is finished and the little plant tacked on.

Making a real mess of the garage


Close up of the weld on a plant leaf


I was just happy not to burn the thin sheet


Just like the sketch... sort of


The finished sculpture. Wife said it was way better then she hoped for so I’ll call that a win!


Here you can see I made the little plant look like it was being blown a little in the wind.


What’s next?
Harbor Freight welding cart mods
And probably some more fun stuff for my wife


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[matt_i]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great job! Joining different thicknesses is tough and I think it came out very nice. The thing I always struggle with is how to preserve the look of the metal-art "right after its made", for years to come. I've tried a clear spray bomb but it rusted underneath. I suppose that was a pretty cheap attempt but I'm stuck for alternatives. I suppose Boeshield would work in some capacity but it seems a little oily to be going indoors on finished surfaces....

A belt sander in your future would help you cut down finishing time methinks

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Thanks Matt. I thought about trying to preserve the look as well. Instead I am going to leave it bare and let it rust naturally. I believe they can powder coat clear. That may be an option to look at in the future. It would hold up well. I have not heard of Boeshield but ill look into it.

A belt sander would be great but I think I need to start with a better way to cut metal.

Andrew

 

[BD1]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great job. Heat settings with MIG makes a difference. A good looking weld with MIG doesn't mean it's a GOOD weld. It maybe pretty but not penetrating at all. Make a weld on scrap and cut apart to expose weld to see what it looks like.
Welding thick to thin takes a little practice. All you want to do is wash the metal from the thicket into the thin. You don't need to stick the wire on the thin but move the puddle towards it.
You did a great job on that project.

 

[FallibleFlyer]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Subscribed nice work

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

You did a great job on that project.

Thanks BD1. I appreciate the welding tips as well. Having a lot of fun with this.

Subscribed nice work

I appreciate it. I started following yours as well. That welding table was awesome.

 

[nicktomi]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

pretty damn cool

 

[yaidunno]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

I spy a 04-05 yfz on OMF's

The cat tail project turned out nicely. If you plan on working with sheet metal a lot in the future, a Beverly shear will really make easy work of any cutting. The knock off ones are quite reasonably priced too.

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

I spy a 04-05 yfz on OMF's



The cat tail project turned out nicely. If you plan on working with sheet metal a lot in the future, a Beverly shear will really make easy work of any cutting. The knock off ones are quite reasonably priced too.

Thanks yaidunno. It is an ‘04 and I’ve had it since new. Setup for MX and I started ice racing this year.





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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Stopped into Harbor Freight after work to pick up some more clamps. Of course I ended up with an assortment. Wife is in Nashville for a few days so it’s garage time.


Also picked up a 7” wet saw for a kitchen backsplash project coming soon


Next up was a rather embarrassing repair project. When I was cutting sheet on my last project I wasn’t paying attention and almost cut the corner of my table right off!

Welded it up. Used short beads to try and prevent a warp

Ground it down and finished with my new sanding disk kit for the 1/4 air grinder. I forgot I only had a straight grinder so they were a little awkward to use. Time for a right angle grinder...









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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Wife wanted me to sign the cattail so I decided to try my hand at metal engraving. I used a round carbide in the Dremel. My goal is to get good enough to sign in cursive on a future project


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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Next up a pile of spark plugs an idea and some bird poop welds! The hemi in my wife’s Jeep takes 16 plugs every 35k miles so I have a good supply.

Project: Electric Flower

7 spark plugs
22 gauge sheet
3/16 solid rod


Wire wheeled the plugs and laid out the pattern. Found the assembly lube bottle was just the right diameter for the center piece.

Traced out the lube bottle and cut the sheet with some snips. I wanted the center to be round like a flower so I started shaping it. You guys are going to laugh but I stacked my leather welding gloves on my anvil in the vice and started hammering. It turns out it works ok for a poor mans shot bag!


I the placed a socket that matched the diameter under a single glove and pounded away some more. Once I hade the round I wanted I just worked it in the glove to profile it out a little.

When I welded the plugs I set the threads on a stack of washers to get the angle I wanted

Pretty happy with the weld on this part

The center cone still needed some shaping but I’m liking the look

I marked each plug location so I could form the edges to fit around each plug a little better

Clamped it down with one of my new HF clamps and burned it in

These welds looked so bad it explains the name of my thread! I had to clean them up a lot and they still look pretty bad. Between the thick threaded plug and the thin sheet I just could not get a tack to lay flat and smooth.




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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

With the top complete I added the rod. Not much to weld to on the back so I stuck it to armature on the top spark plug and tacked to the center sheet metal.

Next I sketched a couple leafs and cut out with the snips

After I hammered them flat and cleaned them up with a sander I marked a center line for my bend

Back to my shot bag (welding gloves) with a steel rod for shaping. I just hammer the heck out of the rod. Haha

After the leafs had a nice crease I bent them over the shape of the vice some to give them a natural curl.

Clamped the rod and leafs to the table and tacked them on.

I sharpened the end of the rod a little bit to stick into the ground easier

Last step was to sign my work and we are done...






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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

It’s raining tonight so they should both start rusting up nice outside. Sorry for the dark pic.



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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Last project of the night. When I bought my house in August I noticed a small vice in the shed mounted to a wood bench. I didn’t think much of it figuring it was a piece of junk. The other day I decided to take a look at it and it was a Columbian!

Not sure on the exact history but it’s a Columbian with “The Col. Hdw. CO.” No. 143 Lettering. Made in Cleveland, OH.

Cleaned it up a bit. Looks like original black paint in some areas.



Mounted up to my portable weld table. I thought small table, small vice. It works for me. This will be handy for holding small parts for grinding and cutting. Don’t think I will be hammering on this little guy.



Thanks for following along[emoji16]


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[Earp69]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Sweet projects man I love the creativity. I need to sit down in the garage some day and do something like this I enjoy instead of always working

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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Thanks wyattrose69. I've been having a lot of fun. I figure its more fun to practice welding & fab when your actually building something. I get bored just running beads on scraps.

 

[captain14]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Nice work on the spark plug flower. You keep on building items for her,
She’ll give you an unlimited tool and materials budget.

The table edge repair is just patina and part of its history in your garage now.

 

[cabranch47]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great job. I had a 4" HF vice I mounted on a piece of 3/16" steel plate which was about 8" longer than the vice on the back end. I can move it around for holding parts for welding/grinding. It is usually heavy enough but if need be, I can clamp it to my table, or put some weights on the rear portion of the plate depending on where I needed it. Store it elsewhere when it would be in the way. It has come in handy on a number of occasions.

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Ok guys I did get a project done tonight but it didn’t involve a welder. Hope you don’t mind if I share it anyway.

Started with a trip to Menards to pick up a pile of tile. I even snuck a new grinder into the cart since I’m doing another wife project[emoji57] It’s going to be so nice having 2 grinders.


Cleaned up my welding mess and setup for a wet mess cutting tile. With all this plastic I felt like Dexter preparing for a kill.

Here is the before shot. The walls around the wash tub in the laundry room get wet a lot. This is right off the garage so I use the sink daily.

Laying out the pattern. Sent a pic to the wife to make sure I was on the right track.

Laying tile

And finally at 1am I am done. Plan to grout tomorrow...

Then I cleaned up and changed the tile saw blade out for a glass blade. To the untrained eye the only difference between these blades is $10 at the register. I didn’t trust the Harbor Freight blades so I bought them at Menards for about the price of the whole saw.




Tomorrow I’m working on the backsplash in the kitchen. This was just a warm up for the mess I’ll be in with all that glass tile.




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[larry4406]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

On your laundry tub, on the left side you have a gap to the wall. At a previous house I had the same thing.

I took a piece of 5/4 PVC, ripped it to about 1/4" wider than the tub to wall gap, then cut the sides to a slight bevel (10-15 degrees, sides parallel), cut a groove on the bottom to register with the tub lip, put a cleat on the wall, then installed this sloped splash guard, face nailed it to the cleat, and caulked the underside to the tub. Sorry no pics.

 

[BD1]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Nice as you photos, great help for many. If you like the yard plant stuff, make up some dragonflies from silverware. I get my silverware from Goodwill for ten cents each.

 

[captain14]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Good job on the tile work. Was this your first time using a tile saw?

Please make sure you post your progress about the kitchen tile project.

Another member just posted his sink and backsplash project in his thread . He used a
Full sheet of a wall material in both corners of his sink area.

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

On your laundry tub, on the left side you have a gap to the wall. At a previous house I had the same thing.

My concern was the tub is not very solid so I didt want to mount anything direct to it. I may eventually pull the sink and tile down a few more rows.




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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Nice as you photos, great help for many. If you like the yard plant stuff, make up some dragonflies from silverware. I get my silverware from Goodwill for ten cents each.

I like those. Next time I’m dropping off a donation I’ll pick up some silverware.


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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Here is some progress today on the glass tile. It is a little harder to work with and I got little pieces of glass everywhere. I’ve used a tile saw once before when I helped my FIL tile a bathroom a few years ago. This is my first time tiling on my own so it’s a slow process.



Ok lunch breaks over need to tackle the big wall. I’m dreading all those outlets I need to cut in.



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[Earp69]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great job on the tile. Been dreading doing mine, I just tiled my kitchen floor.

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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great job on the tile. Been dreading doing mine, I just tiled my kitchen floor.

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Thanks It’s been a learning experience. I feel like it’s taking me too long. I’ve been at it 8 hours already in the kitchen.

Progress:

Small area left of the fridge is done.

About 3/4 of the way across the big wall.


Taking a break to watch Supercross[emoji869]


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[FallibleFlyer]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great work on the tile, I'm thankful my wife has always been willing to do the tile work. I lack the patience

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Great work on the tile, I'm thankful my wife has always been willing to do the tile work. I lack the patience

That’s a good wife. Hold on to her she is a keeper!


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[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Alright here is the finish to the tile project. My goal was to finish before I leave on a work trip to Boston Monday. When I get back it’s welding time!

Last sections to finish

Mastic before the 3/16 groove trowel

Ran into an outlet

Next I’ll show how I cut in around the outlet. Hoping someone will chime in with a better method because this is a pain and leave a rough finish

Mark it out with a china marker

Cut slits with the tile saw

Break off with needle nose and finish grind with the tile blade

Not bad but you can see some of the saw marks when one of the covers was installed. My slit cuts go a little too far on the backside into the white backing

Ready for grout this morning

Mixing it with grout boost to a nice peanut butter

Floated it in. Next step a wet sponge

Finally finished after 2 long days!!!!! No more tile for at least a year (I hope)




Thanks for following along. I hope this gives some one the confidence to take on your next project.


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[captain14]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Nice work on the backsplash. I enjoyed the documentation and photos of the work in progress.


Great sign on top of the stove too!

 

[Stooge]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Other than the tile jobs, ( I loathe setting tiles!) looks like your having some fun with your projects! theres something really satisfying and relaxing about making scrap art projects, i'll need to free up some time!

Something to maybe pick up next time your there, and I obviously don't know what you already have, but theres a cheapy hammer and dolly set at Harbor Freight that comes in handy to shape bits of sheet metal with. I remember specifically using the chisel tip hammer out of that set to make the crease in flower petals over an open vise, ( the same way you did, but without the ball pein). https://www.harborfreight.com/body-and-fender-set-7-pc-63259.html

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Something to maybe pick up next time your there, and I obviously don't know what you already have, but theres a cheapy hammer and dolly set at Harbor Freight that comes in handy to shape bits of sheet metal with. I remember specifically using the chisel tip hammer out of that set to make the crease in flower petals over an open vise, ( the same way you did, but without the ball pein). https://www.harborfreight.com/body-and-fender-set-7-pc-63259.html

Thanks for the tip I have been wanting some body hammers. My hammer selection is limited to dead blows, framing hammers, ball peen and a sledge hammer. Always want/need more.

 

[quadrcr87]

Re: Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

Walking through the Boston Logan airport I came across an awesome metal sculpture of the ocean floor. Of course I found a couple
Good ideas to steal. I really like the idea of drilling into a rock as a base. What epoxy should I use?
I know I won’t blow glass for the fishes but I can make something for the center out of sheet metal!






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[quadrcr87]

Quadrcr87’s Welding (bird poop) Projects

You guys ever start a building something get about 1/2 way done and start thinking you should have just bought it? Well that’s where I’m at in this next one...

Started with a trip to the store for some new toys I mean tools.

For $27 with coupon at HF I think these will be great for sheet metal forming


I’ve been wanting a tool holder for the side of my welding cart and decided to build very similar to the SWAG off road one. In reality I should I have just bought it for $50. Instead I started this.

The tools I want to organize

The layout

Mocked it up and the end of night 1


Start of night 2 I decided to make the mount point for my HF weld cart

I love this little Miller thickness gauge. Helps set up the welder right. In this case 1/8” angle iron

I was happy with the weld quality in this. Barely even needed the grinder[emoji108]

Mounted to the cart with some screws. I’m going to drill holes in this mount and a matching set on the side of my table. That way I can move the tool holder onto the table when I’m working on a project and back to the cart when I fold the table up. I’ll probably go with thumb screws and weld nuts to the bottom of the holes to make it a quick mount.

Next the bad part...cutting out all the slots in the plate


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