Wannabe Welder

[Mac McQuinn]

Flux core might be your best bet, produces deeper penetration than Mig, easier than stick to do and if you're proficient, you can produce decent looking welds. I would rather have a name brand used machine, saves you money and you can still get it serviced at electrical repair shop. My local shop won't even look at the off brand stuff, too many headaches and lack of parts support.

**Get a good Welding respirator, your Lungs and Brain will thank you in years to come. Welding fumes are nothing to take lightly.

[Bill George]

Most pipeline and pressure vessel welding is either TIG welded root with with a 7018 cap or other spec’d rod, the root can also be 6010 with the 7018 or spec’d rod. My Pipefitter welder son (Union trained) was on a job when the Engineer came out and threw a fit when he found either the rod was wrong or was not kept in the oven at the right temperature.
A lot of grinding and re-welding was the result of not doing things right. My son was not the guy running this job.

[Ronald Blue]

Most pipeline and pressure vessel welding is either TIG welded root with with a 7018 cap or other spec’d rod, the root can also be 6010 with the 7018 or spec’d rod. My Pipefitter welder son (Union trained) was on a job when the Engineer came out and threw a fit when he found either the rod was wrong or was not kept in the oven at the right temperature.
A lot of grinding and re-welding was the result of not doing things right. My son was not the guy running this job.

6010 was my preferred root pass. Often especially in repair welding you can't get get the joint butted up tight. 6010 being a deep penetrating and smoke shield both got a good base in which to come back with 7018. Bill you mentioned earlier that a crappy looking bead was usually a bad weld as well. Trust me 6010 will practically show every heart beat you have. It is great to learn what is wrong with your technique. When you can lay a good bead with it everything else will be a cake walk.

[Mac McQuinn]

I'm was 5G AWS Certed in 1974, I ran 6010 followed by multiple passes in 7018. All of our rods were in temperature controlled cabinets until use. You don't want the joint to be butted, ours were V-ed with a ground land, gaped the thickness of the bare electrode, tacked and welded. That is your root pass, when it's done right, you can watch the bead form on the inside of the pipe, a thing of beauty, especially after a clean x-ray.

[Tom M King]

Here's the mobile base I built for the 24" Centauro. It only raises the saw an inch, has nice 6" casters which makes it the easiest moving big tool I have. Out of scrap angle, a piece I bought off ebay, and leftover cuttings of other fabrication jobs. Also a picture for size of the shop door hinges. No drawings were made for anything I showed in this thread, only measured off the need, and figured out as I went along.

Here are the hinge barrels I bought off ebay. I put thrust bearings on the bottom hinges. The big heavy doors swing and keep swinging with a push of one finger, whereas I felt like I was risking my life opening them with the old bent T-hinges that were on them when we became owners of that building.

There are all sizes of hinge barrels on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/29362337190...Bk9SR4b02fn0Yg

I couldn't find the exact size plates I ordered off ebay, but these are close. They do combine shipping, so the shipping is not so high for each piece. I may have been able to buy them some cheaper nearby, but at that time I was stuck at home 24/7 for three years caring for my aged Mother, so just had them shipped.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/32274785782...Bk9SR4rTsvr0Yg

[Bill George]

Welding rods, 7018 is a low hydrogen high strength rod and easy to get a good weld with, but Only if dry and kept in a heated oven. Without being dry it picks up moisture and is no longer considered low hydrogen and can develop cracks like a normal weld. 6010/11 rods are used for deep penetration and general purpose welding and can be used on dirty or somewhat rusted metal. The 60 series rods do not need to be kept in a oven.