OutlawDrifter
Well-known member
.035 is great for structural work. When it comes time for exhaust and sheet metal I like to use .030 and .023. Most of the time I get lazy and just do .030 for everything, however!
Congratulations on getting into MIG. I started out with 0.035 but am going to try 0.023 when I run out.
Could JB weld with JB weld JB?
It made even me look like a good welder. After a bit of practice here is one of the old frame to new frame welds:
JB, you won't know your self using a shield gas with your MIG in preference to the flux core.
Personally I have never been a big fan of flux core.
Regards
.035 is great for structural work. When it comes time for exhaust and sheet metal I like to use .030 and .023. Most of the time I get lazy and just do .030 for everything, however!

JB,
Just finished reading your whole thread, took me a couple weeks after work but enjoyed every bit.
I admire your work ethic, grafting hard at home while working long hours @ the refinery. Taking on everything with gusto, working within a budget but high end achievement nevertheless.
You have a lovely Warthog hidey hole, looking forward reading up on all your future projects!
Also and most importantly in my book you got a lovely family to top it all off, as some have said before treasure every moment with your daughters because they will be grown up before you know it.
Cheers,
Johan
Ps If I'm ever on your neck of the woods I would love to visit.

......I am a fan of MIG over flux core, I just feel bad I have a mostly unused roll of it that I probably won't use anytime soon.......

Andy,
I was sure surprised when I made my first pass with the gas on.It made even me look like a good welder. After a bit of practice here is one of the old frame to new frame welds:
View media item 79342
JB
JB,
That flux core welder could come in handy if you have to weld something in a windy environment. Other than that, it will probably collect dust somewhere in a corner.
YMMV
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Looking good, JB.
JB and I had a nice conversation about MIG. He indicated he was going to inspect the back side of this weld to verify it has full penetration. I've had some marginal experiences with MIG many years ago on structural welding so I'm cautious when it comes to important welds.. It is very important when welding frames that you know you have full weld penetration. JB knows this and is working toward making sure his welds are good all the way through.



JB,
projects are looking great. I always enjoy seeing your updates, but I'm not sure where you find the time for it all.
I've come to realize if I want to even have a snowballs chance in Sydney at getting this driving by summer I have to work as often as possible. (Sorry to my friends downunder but apparently you are experiencing a pretty substantial heat wave.)Looking really good!![]()

JB, the frame is looking good.
Just a suggestion, on that thickness of material next time you need to purchase wire, try some .030" ER70-S6. You will love it. Coming from the industrial side of the fence we originally used .035" but I was finding out much of our welding was actually on 5/16" and less. I had switched out from .035" to .030" at my home shop about 15+ years ago now and would never go back to .035" for the material I weld.
I eventually even changed over to .030" at work and in the few occasions we do weld much thicker material I would either brake out the SMAW or do a multi-pass of GMAW (MIG).
In the motorsports industry, the material thicknesses we encounter are much more conducive to using .030" solid wire. The initiation is also much better because the reduced amount of current required. Once the arc is initiated the molten puddle will begin flowing easier and seems to have the toes wet out a bit nicer. Years ago I even got into the habit of snipping the end of the wire with a pair of diagonal cutters that are with me whenever I am MIG welding. I snip the wire at an angle prior to each and every start of a weld. This "fools" the welder into thinking the wire is even smaller and the arc starts much nicer due to the current required. It then boils down to getting your travel speed matched to your voltage and wire speed to ensure the proper amount of weld deposit is being applied. That merely comes from experience and practice as every weldor has their own unique style of welding and the machine should be set accordingly. Also each welder has a uniqueness to them as well, more specifically inductance. Keep a notebook handy and fine tune your machine to "your" style and once you get a setting for a material and joint, write it down for future reference.
As for your frame, you had mentioned you were cutting gussetts for the exterior but I have also used "fish plates" on the interior as well in some applications with rosette (plug welds). Just don't rely solely on **** welds in that application.
Looking forward to your progress JB.
JB, we've all been there. I don't know a single fabricator/weldor that didn't ask questions or get help somewhere, myself included, so don't beat yourself up. Even as long as I've been welding I don't know it all and continue to learn all the time, as it should be.
Awesome place!! I'm sure you'll have a great time there.
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I often use cardboard aided design myself. You're making great progress, and the welds look good.
Both of my girls had to learn "sketch-up" when they were in Jr High. I've wanted them to teach me, and I even tried to learn myself, but I always end up back with my graph paper!
The next order of business was to get the frame flipped over so I could weld everything easier on the bottom. That meant removing the frame from the frame table, pulling it out from under P.P.P., and using a rudimentary system of pulleys and rope (fashioned from the hair of my beard, yes I know I don't have a beard, but I do have a rope now. good to see your making great progress! just a suggestion to you for your joints widen the gap and put some 1/2 wide backers in one section of the tube tack them in . then slide the two halves together with a 1/8 gap between them with the backer behind them assures you will have full penetration and you can even grind your welds down flush if you use this technique.keep up the great work it will be on the road in no time!
Looks like good progress.




Sounds like an opportunity to work long hours, travel to see the country (another refinery) and eat at new places. Hope it goes well.
I understand that to mean that work will still proceed on P.P.P. but at a slower pace. That you may look for something else to do the Power Tour in.
Get to feeling better, the weather looks to warm up again.
Dwight
I've ordered a ton of parts and have just about everything on order I'll need to complete the swap, including the tuning software, I have lots of boxes to show off in the next few days. Now I just need a name for it, please no My Little Pony names this time. JB
Just look out for #1.
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Heal that cold up! Fuzzy heads are more apt to make mistakes in the WHH!
, the die grinder fixed all my problems. Hope it's Lake Charles and not Billings!
Think of all your overtime!!
You know if I could tag along we'd knock 'em dead.

JB, HP tuners is definitely the one I would pick, and it's what my tuner uses. I need to pony up and buy it myself, tough to do when my guy does such a bang up job though...
I have wanted an LS swapped S10, technically that's what my '49 is, just with "antique" sheet metal. I'll be looking forward to the progress!
I spent most of last week dodging rain storms and trying to work on everyone's car ( and my truck) while attempting to not drown in mud. I envy the Hideyhole really bad.
Sorry to hear about the mud dodging, as much as I hate to say it we could really use some rain. We really haven't gotten any since early September. Good luck getting everything together and running again.
PS, I just saw your youtube channel and the disclaimer has me hooked, I'll check out the videos tonight when I get home.
JB
Borger has one of the highest ranked school systems in Texas.
Borger has one of the highest ranked school systems in Texas.
Have you been there?
Lot's of fine people in Borger, but it takes a unique person to want to live there.
We just had 6 inches of snow on Wednesday. It is 50 today. It is melting faster than the ground can absorb it. IT is a morass of red clay outside.
I haven't posted any good videos in a while. After my back surgery last year things kind of slowed down. That and my stunt driver ( oldest son) moved back to AZ with his mom. My back isn't up to crashing things, and I have found it hard to use one hand and video with the other anymore. That is, IF I can get it back from my 6 year old who is using it as a tent frame under blankets in his bedroom. Never a dull moment around here LOL>