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Post by smithy1 on Jul 21, 2015 4:37:54 GMT -5
Evening Chaps, After the advice from Andrew and Mark I finally bought a basic 200amp inverter Tig welder, arrived the other day, I've since got a small amount of 100% Argon gas to play with and to do a little "practice" welding...I bought some 316L, 308L and ER70S mild steel filler rod/wire to go with it. Am using 2% "Thoriated" tungsten "Red tip" electrodes so I hope this will be ok. I've got a few time expired and unserviceable stainless Allison C20B engine parts from work to play/practice with.
My 13.25Liter spun aluminium fuel tank arrived today, next week I'll set about getting it fitted up on the left side where the original side pod wold normally go. Need to make sure it "self levels" with the original tank too, may need to add a "balance" line between the two tanks..the new tank has a 1/4" gas bung welded in the bottom, so that should come in handy.
I've got the "MotorEx" car show at Homebush in Sydney this coming weekend, should be a good two days if the weather is kind and all the planets line up nicely.
Cheers, Smithy.
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Post by Johansson on Jul 21, 2015 6:53:53 GMT -5
I use the 2.4mm red thoriated electrodes for everything I weld, both thin and thick stainless/mild steel and aluminum. Works like a charm and if you get one of the small WP-9 torches with a stubby gas lens (cheap on Ebay) you got yourself a nice setup.
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Post by pitciblackscotland on Jul 21, 2015 12:29:54 GMT -5
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Post by smithy1 on Jul 21, 2015 14:26:51 GMT -5
I use the 2.4mm red thoriated electrodes for everything I weld, both thin and thick stainless/mild steel and aluminum. Works like a charm and if you get one of the small WP-9 torches with a stubby gas lens (cheap on Ebay) you got yourself a nice setup. Hi Anders, Do you have a link to the WP-9 torch??, I might look into it for future use. Cheers, Smithy.
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Post by smithy1 on Jul 21, 2015 14:29:54 GMT -5
Afraid not Mark, it's only a basic DC machine....if I find a need for a "bigger/better" AC capable machine in the future I'll certainly look into it. Cheers, Smithy.
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Post by Johansson on Jul 21, 2015 15:16:00 GMT -5
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Post by enginewhisperer on Jul 21, 2015 23:38:26 GMT -5
yeah I also have a WP9 torch for small stuff - and I've also taken to using thoriated electrodes for everything (including aluminium) and found it works just as well as the ceriated ones
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turbomarc
Junior Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 56
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Post by turbomarc on Jul 23, 2015 5:24:28 GMT -5
Good stuff Smithy, will all come with practice mate.
But a gas lens and a stumpy back cap is handy for tight spots and i find easier to handle, but each to their own.
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turbomarc
Junior Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 56
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Post by turbomarc on Jul 27, 2015 4:40:01 GMT -5
Hey Smithy,
How'd you go over the weekend at MotorEx?
I spotted a photo of the green machine on my facebook news feed, looking good with the front cowling on.
Cheers, Marc.
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Post by smithy1 on Jul 27, 2015 14:43:20 GMT -5
Hi Marc, Yeah the MotorEx at Homebush show was....interesting!! ......Don't get me started Marc Too late..! Rant mode on../ Don't get me wrong, there were "Lots" of nice machines to look at and many great people to talk to etc...however, the venue employed a heap of "do gooding" no idea "occupational health and safety" people wandering around who "looked after everything". They wouldn't let me start the Go-Kart ...in fact they would only let me start my little 1/4 scale jet car twice a day.... and only if I had 30 meters of clearance....yes you read correctly....30 meters of clearance between my little car and the viewing public, because it's "dangerous"....needless to say as soon as the "Hi-Vis" brigade had seen ~4m of fire and ~140db of noise coming out of my little car, they said "No-way" to the Go-Kart....but they let a Top Fuel dragster arc up right next to me, these things re-arrange your internal organs... I Love 'em... they're ok to run but a toy car sitting on a table is too loud and too "dangerous". They also brought over some 20kg weights and told me to strap the weights onto the legs of my display table to "stop it from moving"....I let the table move on purpose...I use the thrust of the little car to show people what sort of grunt it's got....it easily pushes itself and the table it sits on across the ground...I control all this by standing at the front end of the table....it's all for the show....but the "morons" think it's dangerous, I also had to have someone else there ready to use my extinguisher....idiots!! I have my CO2 extinguisher at arms length away so I can get at it quickly if need be, but they didn't like the fact that I had to control the car as well... I've been doing this for years and not once have I had a problem. It's like going to a drag racing event and the cars aren't allowed to run because they're too fast and too loud. I said to them..."but that's what you invited me here to do"....and they said..."but we didn't realize it did that", I said, "but you asked me to send you videos and everything"...."oh we didn't look at them" ...they have no idea...none of them...All they could do was walk around all day in their silly "Hi-vis" vests telling people what they "couldn't do" rather than let myself and the other enthusiasts who were there, entertain the paying customers. Wasn't just me they were jumping on....anybody with anything interesting to look at has one of these morons telling them they couldn't do it...they even shut down one of the "kiddies" billy cart rides because the vendor didn't have helmets for them, we're talking pedal driven cars here, top speed, ~5kmh...God help us..! If a show car had to be driven from one place to another within the venue, the driver had to inform one of these "Hi-Vis idiots" first, then have them walk in front of the car while it was being driven at walking pace so no-one would get run over, what a load of bollocks...if normal intelligent people can't hear or see a 1500hp blown big block muscle car then there's something really wrong with the world. I was setup (with some other drag cars) between two buildings near the wood-chopping arena, it has stairs leading down into the arena....four people over the weekend went ar$e over tit down the stairs, one elderly lady was taken to hospital with what I think was a broken hip.... but the stairs aren't dangerous, a little 1/4 scale car sitting on a plastic table and kiddies pedal cars are dangerous..! Apart from that it was a good weekend.. Nanny State indeed...it seems common sense isn't all that common any more..! Rant mode off../ The "Green Beast" is now the "Black Beast"....My son has done a great job of "wrapping". I'll get a photo up soon. Cheers, Smithy.
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turbomarc
Junior Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 56
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Post by turbomarc on Jul 27, 2015 17:40:21 GMT -5
Wow...just, wow.
I would have packed up sat arvo and made for the gate.
Yeah nanny state is getting out of hand.
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Post by smithy1 on Jul 27, 2015 18:47:01 GMT -5
Here's a pic from yesterday at MotorEx in Sydney: The nose isn't actually bolted to the kart atm...just sitting on the ground in front of it, my Son Jake only finished wrapping it on Friday..... need to do a few small mods to mount it up properly but should look ok when finished. Had lots of interested onlookers too, John's name was thrown around a bit too.... pity they wouldn't let me start it though..! Cheers, Smithy.
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gidge348
Senior Member
Joined: September 2010
Posts: 426
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Post by gidge348 on Jul 27, 2015 21:45:07 GMT -5
Yeah the MotorEx at Homebush show was....interesting!! ......Don't get me started Marc Too late..! Rant mode on../ Don't get me wrong, there were "Lots" of nice machines to look at and many great people to talk to etc...however, the venue employed a heap of "do gooding" no idea "occupational health and safety" people wandering around who "looked after everything". ....... Nanny State indeed...it seems common sense isn't all that common any more..! Rant mode off../ Hi Smithy, Totally agree, this nanny state mentality in OZ is really getting out of hand. What ever happened to us as kids when you were allowed to experiment and try out in the world to see what happened & how things worked. Make a bit of black powder and blow the crap out of an ants nest. Sure we got a few burns and scraped knees, but scars are just tattoos with better stories... Now kids would be likely to have the federal police around and spend the next 10 years in therapy. I feel sorry for the next generation when they find them selves in a genuinely dangerous situation and there is no Hi Viz brigade to tell them not to stick their finger in the 240v socket..... Ian...
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Post by pitciblackscotland on Jul 28, 2015 0:26:18 GMT -5
Hi Brett, Mmmm i was thinking Vic was only the Nanny State in OZ give you the shits LOL i don't think i can do display runs when i get the jet mower up and runing Yeah i know all about occupational health and safety in my line of work, it's good to have but they have overregulated OHS Nice work on the kart i like the black wrapping maybe call it the black knight Cheers, Mark.
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Post by Johansson on Jul 28, 2015 0:41:09 GMT -5
I feel sorry for you guys, luckily here in Sweden we are allowed to run practically whatever we want at the events. You might have noticed the healthy lack of safety inspectors at the Speed Weekend events, it is a sort of freedom under responsibility. As long as we donĀ“t kill any bystanders or cause any bad headlines in the newspapers we are free to play.
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