Show us your welding projects

[LXCam]

I had a summer intern job working at a sewage treatment plant during college. I needed a paycheck and that was the only job the employment agency could find me. It was "interesting" to say the least. It taught me to do well at school so I would never see the likes of a place like that again!

Right after my 21st bday I had a head on accident that destroyed my left leg. They (disability) told me I’d never work construction again and offered up some re-education options. So after some aptitude tests I was eligible for the two top courses..

DeVry as a electronics tech

Or…

A waste water treatment plant engineer

.

Ya well that took about .3 seconds to give my answer


I gotta add just to keep this thread on track..I’ve made a damn good living making sure **** doesn’t arc n spark. But what I luv doing most is making arcs n sparks - go figure

 

[Lumpy102]

****** jobs? Like pressure washing, vac-ing, and tarring the inside of a recently active septic tank?

I feel the pain there, fresh out of high school and off the family farm, I worked for a hog operation, had 5 barns all over stocked, weanling to finish. Shoestring operation, welded bars back into the dividers between pens with the pigs still in the pens, they only rusted out at floor level. Worst memory was trying to find the plugs in the bottom of the liquid manure pits, wading through armpit deep pigshit with chest waders on. Sorry, second worst, worst was watching the barn burn to the ground.

 

[PhantomEB]

finally got around to whipping up a replacement ramp for my 16’ beavertail ramp.

told the wife mark my words….I WILL be upgrading my welder to a 211 or even better a 252!

 

[W_A_Watson_II]

PhantomEB, Whats wrong with your 175?​

 

[PugetDude]

I had a summer intern job working at a sewage treatment plant during college. I needed a paycheck and that was the only job the employment agency could find me. It was "interesting" to say the least. It taught me to do well at school so I would never see the likes of a place like that again!

My college roommate quit school when a turd herder position opened up in his hometown.

 

[LXCam]

My college roommate quit school when a turd herder position opened up in his hometown.

So you're saying after a taste of college, he left after the **** got real?

 

[slowtwitch73]

^^ job security

 

[M.Brane]

No matter how bad times get people still gotta ****.

 

[LXCam]

No matter how bad times get people still gotta ****.

AND they want cold beer and the lights to work. Either way was a win for me.

 

[PowerWagonBuilder]

told the wife mark my words….I WILL be upgrading my welder to a 211 or even better a 252!

Check out the 255 while you are shopping. I have had one for almost 5 years now, and its extremely versatile from thin thin sheetmetal work to running pulse with C10 on 1/2" and 5/8".

 

[NUTTSGT]

PhantomEB, Whats wrong with your 175?​

Probably not enough umpf. . . when it's needed. Also the possiblity, not for sure about Miller but maybe spool gun option.

I'd check out Cyberweld. I've had good luck with them.

Mig Welders | Metal Inert Gas Welding Machines & Equipment

Shop for MIG welders from top brands like Miller Electric®, Lincoln®, and more. MIG welding equipment is ideal for automotive work and metal fabrication.

store.cyberweld.com

 

[Silly Rabbit]

I had a summer intern job working at a sewage treatment plant during college. I needed a paycheck and that was the only job the employment agency could find me. It was "interesting" to say the least. It taught me to do well at school so I would never see the likes of a place like that again!

My wife designs treatment plants for a living. I do visualization work on the designs, same company.

We have a saying. "Might smell like **** to you but it's our bread and butter"

The headworks part of the plant are the worst, you get used to the rest.

 

[larry4406]

My wife designs treatment plants for a living. I do visualization work on the designs, same company.

We have a saying. "Might smell like **** to you but it's our bread and butter"

The headworks part of the plant are the worst, you get used to the rest.

I was the guy that emptied the bin on the traveling screen inlet to the plant amongst other as pleasant duties. My bosses favorite line was "I wouldn't **** you, you're my best turd!"

 

[tworley]

Probably not enough umpf. . . when it's needed. Also the possiblity, not for sure about Miller but maybe spool gun option.

I'd check out Cyberweld. I've had good luck with them.

Mig Welders | Metal Inert Gas Welding Machines & Equipment

Shop for MIG welders from top brands like Miller Electric®, Lincoln®, and more. MIG welding equipment is ideal for automotive work and metal fabrication.

store.cyberweld.com

Another vote for cyberweld. I picked up my Lincoln 211 from there.

 

[Beerhippie]

I was the guy that emptied the bin on the traveling screen inlet to the plant amongst other as pleasant duties. My bosses favorite line was "I wouldn't **** you, you're my best turd!"

I had buddy who was a pipefitter. When folks would ask what the difference was between a pipefitter and plumber, he'd explain: "Pipefitters put their butts where plumbers put their faces."

 

[Silly Rabbit]

Luckily for me I rarely have to go there, I just get to make pretty CGI stuff with it.

 

[PugetDude]

Another vote for cyberweld. I picked up my Lincoln 211 from there.

Same here.
Huge upgrade over my old Lincoln FCAW machine.

 

[M.Brane]

Love my 211 autoset. Makes MIG easy.

 

[Beerhippie]

Another stupid little project:





I needed a heavy-duty ice scraper. Now I have a heavy-duty ice scraper. Scrap black gas line and 1/4" hot-rolled plate. It strips ice from the concrete like a hot knife through butter. I think I'll leave the rust and call it "patina".

We have concrete drives for the brewery forklift. In some places, they pass under eaves of roofs that are exposed to sunlight during the day while the drive stays in the shade. As you might imagine, glaciers form below the eaves.

Now I'm looking at those pictures and imagining the replies from GJ members in twenty or thirty years when someone buys this at a garage sale and posts pictures in a "Whatzit?" thread in the Vintage forum. "It's a timber framer's spud chisel." "It's a bark stripper for logs."....

 

[welder4956]

****** jobs? Like pressure washing, vac-ing, and tarring the inside of a recently active septic tank?

I once had to crawl inside the holding tank on a submarine to repair a weld. The holding tank has to be pressurized with air every time they expel the contents, so the welds can see fatigue damage. The tank welds get magnetic particle tested every time the sub goes in drydock and the testing folks found a "linear indication" in one of the welds. So me and another welder had to don Tyvek suits and respirators to go inside the tank, grind the built up **** off of the cracked weld, preheat the tank wall (which was also the pressure hull) to 250 F with electric heating pads, and then repair the crack. With the heaters going it got pretty warm inside (which really enhanced the aroma), so we took turns working for 15 minutes inside and 15 minutes cooling down outside the tank. When we finished we both were coated head to toe in the dust from grinding. That was a ****** job.

 

[jblnut]

Mostly finished the repairs to the thumb on the lawnmowers pallet forks. Not real pretty but it'll clean up nicely once it's painted. I decided to weld in a proper pivot instead of leaving the thin walls of the tubing to be the point that contacts the pin. Drill a larger than needed hole and weld in a pipe piece.


I put it all together and welded the pipe with it all in place to try to keep things from binding.


I gotta find some round bar to make a pivot, get it painted and it'll be ready for me to find the next weakest link.

 

[WillyBoy]

. . . find the next weakest link.

I agree. When I strengthen or reinforce something, I find that all I've done is move the weakest part somewhere else.
Nice work on the repair.

 

[Jagmandave]

built some braces so I could replace some rotten sheet metal - lots of rotten sheet metal!

 

[Beerhippie]

built some braces so I could replace some rotten sheet metal - lots of rotten sheet metal!

When you're done bracing and cutting, you'll have a rail buggy?

 

[kaymccampbell]

built some braces so I could replace some rotten sheet metal - lots of rotten sheet metal!

Yay mini. The rust looks typical for the breed. Have you already done the chunks in the firewall part of the front wheelwells?

 

[ez-duzit]

Just completed construction of a stainless and teak boarding step/swim ladder set for a 96' yacht. The actual welding was done by a friend, who is a professional, but I designed, fabricated and built all the stainless pieces, welding fixtures and woodwork.

The boarding step, itself, drops into existing 1" holes in the yacht's integral rub rail; the holes otherwise there for mounting removable safety rail sections. This step, in use while the yacht is dockside, makes boarding easier to get from the dock to the aft deck/platform, as the large protective fenders keep the yacht well away from the dock. It is removed and stowed while under way. The swim ladder, normally stowed aboard, is designed to slip over the stainless frame of the boarding step whenever required for divers and swimmers to board.

Because of slight differences in the yacht's imprecise hole spacing, a machined, movable pin carrier is fitted to one end of the step assembly. A retaining screw in a slotted hole restricts the range of motion of this carrier, and prevents it from falling out, while also transmitting forces into the pin.

Though I did some rudimentary polishing prior to trial fitting at the boat, the stainless parts are out right now for final polish.

 

[Jagmandave]

Yay mini. The rust looks typical for the breed. Have you already done the chunks in the firewall part of the front wheelwells?

No, my first effort will be to cut all the sheet metal out in the back so I can mount the subframe - I'm building a rear engined/rear drive Mini. Once I have that mounted, it will provide extra support, then I can start cutting out the rot in front and welding in new metal. There will be a LOT of new metal going in!

here's the engine and rear subframe....the front end has been done, next up will be floors and sills

 

[Jagmandave]

When you're done bracing and cutting, you'll have a rail buggy?

Ha! No, although I'm taking out a whole lot of metal! I'm building a rear engined/rear drive classic Mini

 

[Beerhippie]

Ha! No, although I'm taking out a whole lot of metal! I'm building a rear engined/rear drive classic Mini

Well, you will certainly be able to do some fancy snap-U-turns with that! Like it or not....

 

[LXCam]

Well, you will certainly be able to do some fancy snap-U-turns with that! Like it or not....

Screw the uturns, I wanna see a wheelie

 

[zmotorsports]

Just completed construction of a stainless and teak boarding step/swim ladder set for a 96' yacht. The actual welding was done by a friend, who is a professional, but I designed, fabricated and built all the stainless pieces, welding fixtures and woodwork.

The boarding step, itself, drops into existing 1" holes in the yacht's integral rub rail; the holes otherwise there for mounting removable safety rail sections. This step, in use while the yacht is dockside, makes boarding easier to get from the dock to the aft deck/platform, as the large protective fenders keep the yacht well away from the dock. It is removed and stowed while under way. The swim ladder, normally stowed aboard, is designed to slip over the stainless frame of the boarding step whenever required for divers and swimmers to board.

Because of slight differences in the yacht's imprecise hole spacing, a machined, movable pin carrier is fitted to one end of the step assembly. A retaining screw in a slotted hole restricts the range of motion of this carrier, and prevents it from falling out, while also transmitting forces into the pin.

Though I did some rudimentary polishing prior to trial fitting at the boat, the stainless parts are out right now for final polish.

Beautiful job. Very well done.

 

[Beerhippie]

I had the opportunity--or rather, the job--to test out the "Ice Spud" today:



Works like a charm! The shear weight of it--13 lbs--does most of the work. It runs bevel-down (making it self-sharpening) and just scoots through the ice. Seriously anchored ice is no match for the weight, either--just give it a few drops point-down and the ice surrenders.

I was able to clear about 100 sqft in a few minutes.

I wish I'd made this many years ago....

 

[Beerhippie]

Here's the Ice Spud compared to the floor scraper we've been trying to do the same job with:



We'd break one of those at least once a year.

I'll bet the Ice Spud works better as a floor scraper, too!

 

[larry4406]

I had the opportunity--or rather, the job--to test out the "Ice Spud" today:



Works like a charm! The shear weight of it--13 lbs--does most of the work. It runs bevel-down (making it self-sharpening) and just scoots through the ice. Seriously anchored ice is no match for the weight, either--just give it a few drops point-down and the ice surrenders.

I was able to clear about 100 sqft in a few minutes.

I wish I'd made this many years ago....

Here's the Ice Spud compared to the floor scraper we've been trying to do the same job with:



We'd break one of those at least once a year.

I'll bet the Ice Spud works better as a floor scraper, too!

This Spud's for you!

 

[Beerhippie]

This Spud's for you!

It's not everyday that I "just wing it" and have the project come out working like I hoped!

 

[larry4406]

It's not everyday that I "just wing it" and have the project come out working like I hoped!

To quote Bob Ross "happy accident".

I will take success whenever it presents itself!

 

[Beerhippie]

Here's the main purpose of the Ice Spud:



What genius decided that a garage door under the eaves of that warehouse would be a good idea in snow country?

It's not bad right now--it warmed up to 40 today--but when that heap o' snow and ice freezes down to the concrete.... Our Toyota electric forklift has to go in and out of that door. It has less than 2" of ground clearance. A forklift high-centered on ice... not fun.

Maybe someday I'll talk the boss into letting me weld up a big gable to go over that door. Hopefully, before one of our employees (likely me) gets his/her back broken by falling snow and ice.

 

[ez-duzit]

Beautiful job. Very well done.

Thank you. Appreciate the kind words.

 

[sardonux]

I deal with a lot of snow. It’s 1.6 miles from my house to the nearest state maintained road and we get a lot of snow where I live. I used to push a Meyer plow on the front of a Jeep CJ7, however, the Jeep doesn’t have enough weight to push more than a few inches of snow. That was fine at my old home in Virginia, not so much living above snow line in the mountains of Colorado. Thus, I decided to fabricate a mount to recycle my snow plow on my Bobcat.









With the Bobcat’s 2200 lbs of breakout force and an articulating plow driven off ISO controls, its a very productive combo for moving snow.

 

[Bob Heine]

I'm building a rear engined/rear drive Mini.

@Jagmandave, is this going to have its own show? Maybe Binky 0.5?