Above 1200 Sq/FT The Warthog Hidey Hole

[shortykorte]

I have a 750ml bottle that I am constantly having to refill

1.5 last longer and is cheaper. lol


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[oldironfarmer]

Pure argon won't work on MIG. 80/20 at best is what Greg Weld replied to me a few years ago, and with that name, who's going to argue?

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You need argon for aluminum MIG.

And steel TIG.

 

[rixtrix1]

Ric, I have one of my MIG machines set up for stainless and use 98% Argon/2% Carbon Dioxide.

I own three 40CF tanks and my 75/25 needs to be refilled. I'll let you know on refill price.

You are correct, Bob. I should have said for mild steel. The CO2 allows better penetration and metal transfer on reg steel.

I want to get a transfer hose so I can cascade the smaller tanks. That way I can save $$$ by only refilling the big tank. While the big tank lasts forever, it's a pain to move the MIG welder around with a 150# bottle on the cart. I do that with my pellet gun tank and haven't had to have the big tank (4500psi) charged for 5 years. Sorry for the hijack.

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[jbmatth]

First off I was incorrect, my bottles are both 125 ft^3. Also to clarify I have the argon bottle just for stainless and aluminum welding that will be done with my TIG machine. The C25 is for the MIG and I only plan to use it for steel at this time. I also wanted to mention the lease is set up where I pay ~$250 up front and only pay for refills for the next 10 years of the term.

JB, I ponied up about 7-8 years ago and bought an M sized bottle, 125cf I believe. Current exchange at my place is $78.20 w/tax. Initial purchase was in the $140-160 range. This all relates to C25.

Outlaw, I would rather buy my bottles but couldn't find a source locally I could do that and so far have been pleased with the service I'm getting on the leased bottles. I'll let you know in 9 years if I feel the same way when the lease is due.

I've got 2 330cu ft bottles I own, 1 for C25 and 1 for Argon. C25 refill is $78 and Argon was $117. I have a 125cu ft for C25 that is aluminum so I can take the MIG to other locations easier. Refills for it are $58. I never use my 40cu ft as it always seemed to run out halfway through an important mission, lol. It cost $48 for a refill. This is ONE time when BIGGER is definitely BETTER! I only had to pay for the alum 125 bottle and it was$205. I obviously got them before you could only lease the big bottles. No one asks if I have a lease; they just exchange them. I always take a regulator to make sure the new one is full. They only guarantee 1800 psi, but they average 2050 to 2150psi. Airgas is more expensive than Phoenix Welding Supply by about 15%.

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Pure argon won't work on MIG. 80/20 at best is what Greg Weld replied to me a few years ago, and with that name, who's going to argue?

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That is a good idea on taking the regulator with you for pickup, I'll try to remember to do that next time. Having a 330 ft^3 bottle would be handy but I'd really be upset with myself if I left one of the valves open.

Ric, I have one of my MIG machines set up for stainless and use 98% Argon/2% Carbon Dioxide.

I own three 40CF tanks and my 75/25 needs to be refilled. I'll let you know on refill price.

Something I'm beginning to notice is there are tons of mixes for the different types of welding and materials of welding and everyone has their prefered mix. I also find it interesting the price difference everyone pays for their refills and would be interested to hear what you find out.

I have a 750ml bottle that I am constantly having to refill

1.5 last longer and is cheaper. lol


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.75 L or 1.5 L both take forever to empty, my 12 oz bottles seem to empty as soon as I open them.

You need argon for aluminum MIG.

And steel TIG.

You are correct, Bob. I should have said for mild steel. The CO2 allows better penetration and metal transfer on reg steel.

I want to get a transfer hose so I can cascade the smaller tanks. That way I can save $$$ by only refilling the big tank. While the big tank lasts forever, it's a pain to move the MIG welder around with a 150# bottle on the cart. I do that with my pellet gun tank and haven't had to have the big tank (4500psi) charged for 5 years. Sorry for the hijack.

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It would be nice to have that ability but I've had my C25 bottle for a year now and have just now emptied it, I should be good for a while...I hope.

All,
I'm still ticking away on some little things and waiting on some parts to get my TIG machine up and running.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

What are you needing on your TIG? I've got some auction surplus TIG supplies.

 

[jbmatth]

Andy,
First off thank you for the offer, I haven't ordered a regulator with dual flow meters so I can back purge tubing while welding, but that is all I can think of right now. I'm waiting on some stainless TIG rod (ER308L), tubing for the back purge, and a little bonus for me are TIG gloves that fit better than the XL ones I have now. I'm picking up some tungsten today, I thought it came in the consumable kit with the welder but nope.

A little problem I'm trying to sort out is that I have the welder all set up going through a single regulator and flow meter (without a tungsten in the torch), press the button (not actually trying to weld anything) the flow meter shows 15 CFH but the pressure gauge on the machine goes from 50, drops to 0 and I loose all flow at the lens. (I'm getting an error code that translates to "Gun switch is held too long without attempting to strike and arc.")
I'm not entirely sure why the flow stops well before the machine kicks off but I plan to get the tungsten installed and strike and arc and see if that makes it work.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

I don't know what happened this weekend but I feel like once again I got "nothing" accomplished. One thing on my radar was to build a driveshaft safety loop for the top of the frame that would be welded to the frame. Here is what I came up with:

It is a 1" x 2" x 1/8" (25mm x 50mm x 3mm) tube I sliced every .375" (9.5mm) with my chop saw, bent into a semi-circle and started welding it up. I don't have a completed photo but here is the other in action shot:

Also I had a chance to play with the tig machine as well, I played with some 16 ga. sheet for 5 minutes just to see what was happening then did some fusion welds on the caster mounts for the welding table:

I then moved on to welding on the caps using 3/32" ER70S-6 filler rod, then the captive nuts turned to remove the shoulders fusion welded on:

Then the caps and caster plates were welded to the raisers:

On the TIG welding, it turned out much better than I expected it to but I got some input from people in the trade and they said my heat was WAY too high. I've done some other test welds and think I know better how to set things up. In time I hope to get more practice and become more efficient but at this point I really like to control TIG welding provides, and the slow methodical nature is a fun break from MIG.

I then installed the entire contraption onto the table:

As you can see I can now raise and lower the table with a simple turn of a bolt granted they are a little long but I had them handy and will replace them with shorter bolts down the road. It works great and moves freely overall I'm happy with the results and the table is now portable. As a side note the casters came off of my HF 44" tool boxes when I installed them in the walls. Other than electricity and consumables I have bought nothing for this table thanks to Andy buying the other half of the plate. It was all parts I had in the shop left over from other projects.

I know I left out a lot of detail but hopefully you get the idea well enough, if not ask away.

JB

 

[shortykorte]

Great idea on caster. KISS.


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[1/2 Cup]

Well done JB

 

[rixtrix1]

Neat idea for the adjustable casters. I get my tungsten from Midwest Tungsten Service and Amazon. Seems they have good pricing and no shipping charges with Amazon Prime.I like the 2%lanthanated as it works well with any metal. Has anyone tried using a flux on the inside of stainless tubing in lieu of backpurging? I saw a youtube video, but forgot the product name, and I haven't welded any stainless yet.

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[mybigwarwagon]

So if I send you the Jeep head I pulled that is cracked in half you will have it welded up good as new? I will send it COD

 

[jbmatth]

Great idea on caster. KISS.


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Shorty,
I was trying to think of something simple that I had the parts for and this is what I came up with. If I'd have thought about it sooner I would have made the brackets on the long side high enough for the casters to fit there. Oh well that is what I get for building the plan rather than planning the build.

Well done JB

Thank you 1/2, just making little bits of progress as I can.

Neat idea for the adjustable casters. I get my tungsten from Midwest Tungsten Service and Amazon. Seems they have good pricing and no shipping charges with Amazon Prime.I like the 2%lanthanated as it works well with any metal. Has anyone tried using a flux on the inside of stainless tubing in lieu of backpurging? I saw a youtube video, but forgot the product name, and I haven't welded any stainless yet.

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Rix,
I have heard of using flux on the inside of the tubing but obviously haven't tried it yet. The tungsten I'm using is from my LWS (Local Welding Supplier) and is 3/32" and I think it is 2% lanthanated it has the red tip on it. My dual flow regulator should be here today, and back purge is what I'd prefer as that is what we have to do here at work.

So if I send you the Jeep head I pulled that is cracked in half you will have it welded up good as new? I will send it COD

Sure I can get it welded up war wagon, but COD is a sure fire way to get it returned to sender. Also note it'll be warped enough it'll need machined and most of the water jackets will probably be welded solid.


All,
This morning I started working toward mounting the sway bars on Project Pinkie Pi, it has been a learning experience.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Great progress on the TIG!

I'm still using Thoriated tungsten. I'm too old to worry about it.

Nice job making the behemoth table portable!

 

[jimgood]

Like that caster idea, JB! Looks a little tippy but I'm sure if you're careful it will get the job done. So interesting to see all the ways people are solving this particular problem.

 

[jbmatth]

Great progress on the TIG!

I'm still using Thoriated tungsten. I'm too old to worry about it.

Nice job making the behemoth table portable!

Andy,
Looks like you caught me in a lie...well unintentional lie, I'm using Thoriated tungsten as well, I know there is a difference but it'll take a long time before I'll ever be able to tell what those are.

The table moves easily and I'm happy with it so far, like everything more work to come in time though.

Like that caster idea, JB! Looks a little tippy but I'm sure if you're careful it will get the job done. So interesting to see all the ways people are solving this particular problem.

Jimgood,
It would be if I jacked the legs way up but I only lift it about .25-.5" for just that reason. I had a few other ideas but this one seemed simple enough and I could use what I had on hand.

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Shorty,
Sure I can get it welded up war wagon, but COD is a sure fire way to get it returned to sender. Also note it'll be warped enough it'll need machined and most of the water jackets will probably be welded solid.
JB

I have never seen a head fail like this one did. It was only held together by a 1/4 inch lip on each side. It was so nasty I didn't realize it till the machine shop cleaned it up. Fortunately I had a good head on a wrecked Jeep. That straight 6 head is dang heavy though.

 

[jbmatth]

Do you happen to have a photo of it, that is crazy to think one could crack that bad? Luckily I've never destroyed a head, I've bent a few valves and rolled a bearing once but knock on wood no major failures that I caused.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

2% Thoriated Tungsten has been found to cause cancer in the State of California, but not elsewhere. The belief is that you breathe in dust from grinding and it results in cancer of the throat. It is true that chain smoking TIG welders have contracted lung cancer.

Cautious individuals stay away from thoriated tungsten however most experienced welders prefer the superior results from thoriated tungsten.

Caveat emptor.

 

[jbmatth]

Andy perhaps I should take up smoking Marlboro reds so when the inevitable lawsuit ensues I can get in on that action... On second thought I just won't smoke thoriated tungsten or lick the grinding dust.

Thanks for the tip,
JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Don't weld in California.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Don't weld in California.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Do you happen to have a photo of it, that is crazy to think one could crack that bad? Luckily I've never destroyed a head, I've bent a few valves and rolled a bearing once but knock on wood no major failures that I caused.

JB

No I didn't think about it until it was too late. I am not digging through the scrap yard to find it now.

 

[jbmatth]

Don't weld in California.

That is the key Andy, so many things cause cancer in California. Perhaps it is just California that causes cancer and the Doc.'s have been wrong all along?

My sentiments exactly.

I'll stick to Oklahoma where the wind blows everything bad away from us...except tornadoes.

No I didn't think about it until it was too late. I am not digging through the scrap yard to find it now.

WHATTTTT??? You never know what other cool treasures you could find out there though.

JB

All,
I spent an hour trying to drill a hole this morning for mounting the anti-sway bar on Project Pinky Pi. It is drilled but I'm not happy about it, I'll get some photos to explain it better later after I've relaxed and regained feeling in my arms.

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

WHATTTTT??? You never know what other cool treasures you could find out there though.

I have too many "treasures" here. And a Lithium mining company found lithium on my land, and bought my place, so I have to move. Less stuff makes an easier move.

 

[drivesitfar]

JB: great idea on the casters and screw/bolt to raise and lower. I was going to build a bench with casters that raised and lowered with a little hydraulic jack, but now that i'm closing down my shop I'll have to find some space again to have a spot for it.

here's a few pictures. also with your welding skills have you seen the vise and grinders stands thread I started a few years ago cause hitch mounts seem to be the way to go to mount these to a working bench in my opinion.

here's the link:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252799

also did you see what Andy's been cooking up on his thread?

cheers

 

[jbmatth]

I have too many "treasures" here. And a Lithium mining company found lithium on my land, and bought my place, so I have to move. Less stuff makes an easier move.

I have the same and am worried if I don't stay on top of things I'll have more than I can deal with. Good luck with the move, have you found a new place yet?

JB: great idea on the casters and screw/bolt to raise and lower. I was going to build a bench with casters that raised and lowered with a little hydraulic jack, but now that i'm closing down my shop I'll have to find some space again to have a spot for it.

here's a few pictures. also with your welding skills have you seen the vise and grinders stands thread I started a few years ago cause hitch mounts seem to be the way to go to mount these to a working bench in my opinion.

here's the link:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252799

also did you see what Andy's been cooking up on his thread?

cheers

I thought about the jack idea I've seen you post somewhere before but didn't have a spare jack. I have seen the receiver hitch mounts before and really like them but I have enough bench space and a cobbled together grinder stand I can leave two grinders, a buffing wheel, and three vises mounted all the time. I'll browse the thread, and probably get some good ideas.

I've been in contact with him via text but haven't caught up on his thread quite yet, I'll head over there now.

JB

 

[BUGTHUG]

I have a full argon bottle I'd sell ya

 

[jbmatth]

I have a full argon bottle I'd sell ya

Well now you tell me. Thanks for the offer but I'm good for now...I think, I do go through a lot of Argon compared to mix when I'm welding though.

All,
As promised I'll explain more on my troubles drilling holes in the frame for the front sway bar to mount. I decided to use 3/8" bolts to mount it and turned down some nuts so they could fit in round holes I needed to drill. Here is where I eventually mounted it:
View media item 88983
You can see the front holes have great access and were easy to drill after transfer punching the holes from the mount. The rear holes not so much, I don't have a right angle drill and my normal drill is too long to fit with the lower control arm in place. Easy enough start the hole with a pilot bit then use my die grinder with a 1/4" bit, then use a step bit in the die grinder to get to my desired 9/16" hole size. Simple enough.

Many hours later I had finely gotten there after slowly drilling for a few seconds, dipping the bits in used ATF to cool them off and eventually ruining two step bits for a reason. I'm still not sure what I did to ruin the cutting edge on one of the steps of them or how to actually fix it but in the end I was able to weld the nuts in and mount the sway bar.

Next I was off to the back of the car where I thought it would be easier, that turned into removing the spare tire well:
View media item 88984
Only to realize I'll probably have clearance issues with the fuel tank once I get one installed:
View media item 88985
So I moved onto making the front shock mounts, lots of thinking, measuring and cutting later I ended up with two of these:
View media item 88986
I have them fully welded out now and tacked on for the timing being. I think I'm going to trim them up to give more room for adjustment on the upper control arms but felt like that was a good stopping point after a long frustrating few days. I then cleaned up a bit knowing I couldn't get worse results than how it looked. You gotta get a win right?
More to come eventually,

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I have the same and am worried if I don't stay on top of things I'll have more than I can deal with. Good luck with the move, have you found a new place yet?

JB

Not yet, We get the payout in April 2012. My wife has about 300 places picked out. The only thing I demand is a shop. I am tired of working outside.

 

[jbmatth]

Wow you have been looking for a house since 2012 when you got paid, I'd be ready for a shop too! Just kidding I assume you meant 2019, but good luck finding the house with shop, if you are lucky it'll even be insulated and have climate control.

JB

 

[mybigwarwagon]

LOL I meant 2020. I tried to correct it and my computer had an aneurism and posted it anyway.

 

[jbmatth]

That is plenty of time to get ready for a move, well maybe plenty of time, I don't think any amount of time is enough to be ready for a move.

JB

 

[Nlped]

Just kidding I assume you meant 2019, but good luck finding the house with shop, if you are lucky it'll even be insulated and have climate control.

JB

I can vouch for how awesome having hvac is!



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[jbmatth]

Yeah yeah rubbing it in, I shouldn't feel too bad, I could be working outside like Uncle Willie. Or I wouldn't be working at all.

JB

 

[Nlped]

True! I have done more than a little outside, gravel drive, hot as a MuTHa car work. I’ve spoiled myself with this hvac. But I’m worth it...LoL.


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[jbmatth]

True! I have done more than a little outside, gravel drive, hot as a MuTHa car work. I’ve spoiled myself with this hvac. But I’m worth it...LoL.


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Nlped,
As long as you think you are worth it that is all that matters when you write the check. I feel like a little self torture is good for mental toughness. That is what I tell myself when I can't feel my fingers in winter and when I drive my DD without AC in the summer. It makes being comfortable that much more enjoyable.

All,
Speaking of numb fingers it was 24°F (-4.4°C) this morning, I knew I needed to adjust the shock mounts now or I'd hate myself later. I wanted to have more suspension adjust-ability than the first design offered:
View media item 88986
This is what I did:
View media item 89011
I took off about 3/4" (19mm), did a partial cut at the bend line, and welded it up and ground it smooth other than the tig welds, I like them too much.

More progress eventually,
JB

 

[Bob Heine]

JB, good idea trimming the mount. I assume you already replaced the bushings on the upper control arms (or they don't need replacing).

 

[jbmatth]

JB, good idea trimming the mount. I assume you already replaced the bushings on the upper control arms (or they don't need replacing).

Thank you C4 whisperer, I sometimes plan ahead and other times slap my head for not. I haven't rebuilt any of the components yet, my idea is that I still have a lot that could change and will get grinding dust, weld splatter, etc. everywhere. Once I have it all together and running I plan to tear it all apart to have the frame and components blasted and powder coated, during that time I'll rebuild everything that needs it.

JB

 

[jbmatth]

I've been working toward getting a steering shaft installed on Project Pinkie Pi, I have a few laying around for just this reason. I have one from the corvette donor, one from a full size Chevy truck, and a couple from Jeeps. To start off I had to pull the steering shaft out of the column which meant pulling the steering wheel. I don't have a puller and didn't want to rent one so I made one out of 1/4" flat bar and some 5/16" bolts. No pictures but it worked great. Then pulled the shaft out:

I cut the worm gear off and starting mocking pieces up and all seemed to be going well and I had one made up:

It even fit great or so I thought:

Turns out I used the wrong double D universal joint and it wouldn't tighten down on the shaft in the rack, then noticed the steering shaft was too short to install the wheel. There was a false stop in the column that I didn't realize when marking it for a cut. So now it looks like I pretty much need to start over. Some days you are the dog but today I was the hydrant.

At least I have a long weekend to look forward to.

JB

 

[drivesitfar]

JB: I can FEEL YOUR PAIN, but i'm guessing the learning curve will be a short one and the next one will work fine and maybe even take a bit less time. don't be so hard on yourself cause you're still way ahead of a lot of us for making an attempt to fab up this part so maybe you just weren't quite the ALPHA DOG yesterday.

good luck!!