tig welding an old mitutoyo caliper

[penca]

hi guys posted this on wtt and wanted to share here too
it`s a little tig job i did for a friend, i`m sure it has been done before and it`s nothing to write home about. i weld all day long but nothing even challenging... so, my friend came in with an old mitutoyo caliper he dropped on his shop floor and snapped one of the inside jaws. wanted a small piece of stainless welded because the broken bit wasn`t found. told him i haven`t done before but he wanted repaired anyways. welded a little piece. surprised because the body of the caliper said "stainless hardened" but worked ok.
sadly my phone decided to shoot in black and white and the beautiful colors of the stainless weld don`t show up... camera isn`t on the list yet. every penny goes to open the new shop. sorry this time

cheers

pete

ps: my friend said that he will shape the welded piece and adjust so it measures true again. i`ll come back to his shop in a week or two, if it`s ready i`ll post the pics
ps II: welded with 308L, 1.6 rod, 1.6 tungsten, 35 amps

 

[zkling]

Very impressive.

 

[91bronc300]

Yeah it is. If your friend machines it so it slides past the other inside jaw cleanly and measures true again that will be impressive too.

 

[penca]

thanks guys, glad you liked it. yes my friend has a very little surface grinder he plans to use to grind the repair, hope he gets to it soon

pete

 

[MBfreak]

Penca,

good job and absolutely the right attitude . Repair if at all possible. It is much more than just saving money.

It is all about real ownership of whatever it is that is being repaired. Luckily, it seems to be an attitude that is catching on.
I have been at it for 60 years. Everything from medical equipment to P&H 2300 shovels ( excavators for yáll). And a lot of stuff in between.

Ola

 

[penca]

thanks mb!

yes i totally agree, pride in the history behind the tools and in the men who left their impression on them.
i am a strong believer in making your own tools and buying just what you can`t make. i love my shop made tools !

pete

 

[91bronc300]

So did your friend get his caliper ground? I'd really like to see the finished result if possible.

 

[penca]

hi 91bronc300 sorry the late response, been buried in work (sadly not high $$ but work anyways...) i talked to my friend a week ago i think, and he said to me the caliper ended up ok. sadly his shop is like a 3 hr drive from my shop (we are in the middle of nowhere) and i haven`t had the time make the visit. hope to get there soon. be sure i`ll post a pic or two whenever i have them.
cheers
pete