After using using machines, it is a curtsey to others to clean your mess up. Also note the person who left the mill in this state left the head loose… Dangerous not just inconsideate.
There is no excuse for this, you should not be using this equipment if you are in that much of a hurry that you can not spend five minutes cleaning up.
What the machines should look like after use. Bed free of swarf and all chucks and heads removed and put back.
Please take full use of the vacuum and brushes.
Would it be possible to document how to switch the big welder back to welding steel? I know the general idea, but I’m not comfortable without someone assisting or detailed instructions.
to do so just unscrew the copper welding tip that is in the gun and replace it with the one on the work bench that was used for the steel. If you can please put the aluminium tip with the aluminium wire under the large aluminium frame in the weld bay that would be great. as for changing the settings that is largly dependant on the material to be welded. the wire drum holder is fairly simple to put on and you will need to swap the feeder rollers, they are in the top draw of the red chest on the bench.
I can’t stress enough how important those rollers are. BE INFINITELY CAREFUL WITH THEM. Each roller costs >$150, and that’s if I can actually find a set, which I haven’t been able to do so far, that’s the hard part. They are not to be fucked with.
Busy tonight, next plan to visit on Tuesday through the day and hang around for open night.
With the wire feed, does I just wind the aluminium one back onto the reel after removing the rollers? And to re-feed it through, just pull the trigger till the wire comes out?
Yes but make sure the Aluminium doesn’t unwind and stays tensioned without any crossover. To feed the wire back through the gun you can do it by hand or using the trigger But make sure the gas is off or you will waste it And ensure you don’t kink the wire while feeding by hand.
In financial matters, I’ve made $260 from classes so far, got some supplies the other day for the welding shop.
6 x 14tpi Bandsaw blades - $60
5 x 18tpi Bandsaw blades - $60
1 x 15kg roll Mild steel 1.2mm welding wire - $28
Which takes us down to $112.
I also got a donation the other day of a whole heap of Oxy acetylene gear and about 50-60kg’s of stick welding electrodes. Basically an infinite supply of rods for the welding class from now on. The guy who donated all of this stuff is closing down his engineering supplies shop, he messaged us to see if we could use some shelves he had, turns out the shelves are still full of stuff he planned to throw away. I’ll be headed over there again Wednesday to help him clear out a bunch of other stuff too
In the near future I’m planning to get some oxygen and acetylene so I can teach Oxy Acetylene welding and cutting which is pretty fun for the uninitiated.
I know it’s the company I work for so take this is as much bias as you like.
Bunnings now to Oxy/Ace bottles with no rental on the bottles ($200 bond on each bottle)
the gas is $69 and $99 for ‘D’ bottles. not sure how that stacks up against the big boys but thought with how little it might get used (might be a lot, I don’t know) no point paying rental on bottles that don’t get emptied often.
How it actually works:
Buy 1 of each bottle. ($269+$299)
Take empties back and get $200 per bottle back.
re buy as at step one.
no idea why they make it so complicated.
I can see there may be a security issue with the fact that no receipt or ID is required to return the bottles
that would be the only downside i can see to that system with the nature of a shared space.
I’ll be there this Tuesday night, if anyone wants to learn how to Sharpen drills just come and see me. I’ve had years of practise (my sharpens have survived duplex 316 stainless), I like to think I pass muster
