Found the perfect welder! #6

[oscaryu1]

Thanks, Kenny!

newrider3 - Where should I get Pam from?

Eh, Well I've tried welding a carb bowl to the mower blade before... and yes, I burnt through the whole thing.

I'll be welding a electric minibike frame... I haven't decided on friction drive or chain drive with a... forgot that thing's name...

 

[AutoMX]

....clutch?

if you're welding a frame, get some tubing to practice on, getting decent welds on thick metal wont help you unless you're gonna weld big trailers.

 

[oscaryu1]

Tubing... do you have any "technical" specs I could have? So I can pretty much walk in, ask and get it? Thanks!

Last time, I couldn't find anything. Next day my dad went, came back with a $4 bar. Didn't know how he did it

 

[kibble]

You can get Pam at your local supermarket, where the cooking oils are. It's a non-stick cooking spray.

 

[oscaryu1]

Interesting... well next time I visit WalMart I'll remember! Pam and a camera...

 

[AutoMX]

tubing and metal stock is a standard thing, most hardware stores should have at least some in the store somewhere, it's no metal supplier but its enough to get something, a 4' square tube is prolly gonna run you like $12 but its enough to work with for starting.
specs are useless in something liek home depot, theyre prolly gonna have just 1 item anyway. a real metal supply place will def need specs, and a good standard size is 1" square tubing, with 16 gauge thickness.

 

[oscaryu1]

Well, I looked at the minibike tubing, and it's around 1/8" thick, and 3/4" diameter...?

 

[Roy Vanas]

welds anything!

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Tig?

 

[oscaryu1]

*speechless*

 

[jr dragster T]

Ok Roy you win. But seriosly dude this isnt your garage is it? This must be a busines or something.

 

[oscaryu1]

How will the weld look like when it "melts"? Thanks again guys.

 

[AutoMX]

basically a good weld will glow orange on the other side and not just be on the surface. it doesnt mean a perfect weld is flat on the surface, it will have the seam, but it will be fairly shallow and uniform and the weld will be penetrating some or all the way through depending on the metal thickness vs welder power.

 

[newrider3]

How will the weld look like when it "melts"? Thanks again guys.

You'll be able to see it flowing. It'll be a liquid puddle on the piece, instead of solid steel.

 

[oscaryu1]

basically a good weld will glow orange on the other side and not just be on the surface. it doesnt mean a perfect weld is flat on the surface, it will have the seam, but it will be fairly shallow and uniform and the weld will be penetrating some or all the way through depending on the metal thickness vs welder power.

Eh, every once in a while one or a few of my welds would glow orange right after welding...?

Molten metal, that's where I'm not getting you. When I start making the bead, am I supposed to see both metals start liquifying?

 

[newrider3]

Yes.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Right after you let off it should be yellow.

 

[oscaryu1]

Oh... but everytime I look for that, the bead just covers it up..?

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

No the whole thing should be yellow right after letting off, then it will cool off into an orange in around a second.

 

[jr dragster T]

Exactly. You should see your wire and base metel melting together.