my workshop/equip

[tinman123]

I do have a plasma cutter actually and quite a good one in fact,and yes i love it,not all of us have the space/room to have all power tools to hand,some have to keep them stored away to make room, also when working on a vehicle truck or van thats parked out the front some 30 yds away, so,instead of me flaffing about getting it all set up (yer i know doesn't take all day),i'm just as happy to slice up what i have with a grinder.
You must be spot on with your cutting not to end up not dressing it back with the grinder

the space thing i do forget about tbh as im not too short of it altho i dont think no matter how big a shed i had it actually would be BIG enough anyways but that's just me.

of all the tools in my workshop the angle grinder is the least loved, indeed its up there with detest in my book but its a necessary evil all the same, although id blame the grinder's in the workshop for well over half the colds i ever got too.
i prefer to use a flap disc for everything that it can possibly do as its not the worst of a disc to use, after that id use the 1mm discs and if i have to the grinding discs which i detest.

as for dressing up a plasma cut, i don't need to much tbh and if it dose need a lick i use the linisher but 97% of the dross will chip off with a chisel.
as for being spot on, self praise is no praise in my book but on this one ill say id be fairly tidy with the plasma, i don't do many free hand cuts unless i was nipping off something in my way but other than that i use a straight edge and 60 amps of plasma which leaves a nice clean tidy cut but judge for yourself on the outside cut on 15mm plate in the pics below, them pics were taken back in January for a different reason so just random pics i could find of a cut.

 

[tinman123]

with a chattering relay

if you dont mind me asking, whats a chattering relay, im taking it to be a on off switching relay but one which dose it on and off like no mans business, would i be right in that?
and is it an off the shelf item or do you wire it like that?.

sorry for the Q's and i have no use for one but as denis the menace once said, ive a lot to learn yet.

 

[luckinback]

if you dont mind me asking, whats a chattering relay, im taking it to be a on off switching relay but one which dose it on and off like no mans business, would i be right in that?
and is it an off the shelf item or do you wire it like that?.

sorry for the Q's and i have no use for one but as denis the menace once said, ive a lot to learn yet.

Yes your bang on, its wired up like a bell/buzzer that will interrupt the flow of current in an inductor/choke, and cause the magnetic energy to induce a high voltage into the windings and discharge. The faster the relay switches/chatters, the higher the voltage will be induced and discharge.

I'm just wondering about the OCV and the initiating voltage, if the amount of power available only equates to around 8 VA/W, equivalent to around 30 milli amps.

Maybe that's how its got through the net because although the voltage is higher than the international level of 50 v being a dangerous level, because the amount of energy that can be passed through the body won't cause harm or permanent damage?

Similar to a Van de Graaf generator that discharges a few million volts but with only a few milli amps of current equating to a few watts of power, that in turn can be touched without recieving a shock but only a tickle.

Unlike mains voltage that can maintain a steady current due the the overall low impedance of the circuit that a body could be making contact with.

 

[Higgins420]

had a little while to wait for the bus this morning so had a paroose round the nearest book shop and found a really nice set of 'modern welding practice' , really happy with them, theyve got an unbeleivable amount of info, they should be really useful for college and after having a read i've got a feeling they will be indispensable, absolute bargain for a fiver

 

[Paul.]

had a little while to wait for the bus this morning so had a paroose round the nearest book shop and found a really nice set of 'modern welding practice' , really happy with them, theyve got an unbeleivable amount of info, they should be really useful for college and after having a read i've got a feeling they will be indispensable, absolute bargain for a fiver

View attachment 87178

They are a nice find, and nice to own, I used to have a set.
They date back to at least the mid 50's and are probably even earlier than that, a lot about stick welding and oxy acetylene using oil filled and generator welders, and carbide acetylene gas generators, you will find them of limited value to a modern welding course though

 

[Higgins420]

yeah there's something about books that you'll never get with any other format, i think its the smell haha, there dated as 1953, im not sure to be honest, i know alot of the equipment/settings/technology will be vastly different but things like joint prep and techniques, i'm sure will be relevant for years to come.
they seem to go very deep into every aspect of it (including basic metallurgy and how different process affect everything)
i know there will be more modern references i will need as things have obviously changed a hell of a lot but from my experience of courses that are meant to be practical lack just that... practicallity
i quit a motorcycle mechanics course as 90% of out time was spent learning how to use emissions testers/ecu stuff, very little of it was actual mechanics which really frustrated me

 

[Higgins420]

yo, i was looking for some opinions on what work i should stay away from while im starting up? im aware i shouldnt touch any kind of high load jobs (trailer hitches/anything structural that destined for use on the queens highways! etc...)
i thought minor car body work/repair jobs should be ok ?
im gonna go try Find a decent scrappy and get some hunks of car doors/bonnets and get some practice on thin steel
my cebora should be with me on the 14th and ive read that it is a very good machine for body work/ thin work.
ive been a bit ****e at taking pics and documenting at the moment but ive had a few simple project sent my way and have been keeping busy with that and i feel like im getting a good bit of practical experience and im getting quite pleased with what im producing but i dont want to risk somthing failing.
so far ive just done little projects for familly/freinds but ive now had someone offer me some work welding up a few bits, their setting up a small campsite on there land and want some fire pits made up which will be great experience of cutting and working with large/ bits of sheet, and it will give me around 16 nice long joints (5/6oomm) to practice on and they are going to be ground smooth and sprayed in VHT so as long as the joints are sound its not the end of the world if there not the neatest.


what i was wondering about was they also offered me work building frames for a (hopfully more) shephards hut.
it will be static and is not going on the road ive been assured.
at first i was weary but i think as long as i stay away from the wheels/axle arrangement i should be ok. what do you lot think??
i can get a set of wheels for a decent price that i can mount to the underside, build a nice solid base + mounts for the axles and build the frame over the top out of 40/50mm box section. i haven't had a chance to think too in depth yet but ill get something drawn up and see what you think
ive got the next few weeks a bit jammed with a few little projects, and my cebora wont be with me until the 14th so ill have a while to figure it all out, i've been obsessive reading 'modern welding practice' and have been studying the sections on weld strength/joint choice etc... and am going to treat this one as an exercise and spend the next few weeks working everything out so when it comes to it i can focus on keeping everything straight/strong/get nice penetration.

i have got a few snaps of a ballet barre i made for my sister who is utterly obsessed with ballet - shes only 7 so it needed to be adjustable and sturdy and im pretty happy with it... obviously hadd a few teething problems trying to remove the seam from inside a peice of 30mm box mainly . infuriating. lesson learned try and find seamless box section. i ended up wiring a file to a length of 10mm square bar
but ive managed to keep it nice and straight which im happy with...


i really struggled to get the wire feed dialed and i think it shows there a bit onconsistant in places, i find the the speed control to be very narrow, the tinyest little movment of the pot thows it way off







ill make sure to take some pics when my new toy turnes up
cheers,
josh.