rentaratchet

OK so this thread ended two years ago, but I'm going to add my .02 anyway. I started playing with a welder twenty years ago, and that's what I do today, play. Obviously wirefeed is easier know-nothings like me, but when I use a stick, I mostly use 7018. Nothing to do with material, ( I only join mild steel) price, penetration, or deposition. My hand is not steady and my eyes aren't great, so I get better results with a drag rod, so I don't hold a gap, and I can feel as much as see what I'm doing. That's a real backyard welder for you!!

Several years ago, I read about a smith who always put his hammers in quench oil when he wasn't using them. Claimed he never had to replace handles.

Okay, so I'm not a smith at all, just a lowly rental equipment mechanic. I use the name Rentaratchet (Rent a ratchet) online to describe myself. My business card, however, reads Quality Repairs, LLC, because that's what I try to provide to my customers, and my catch phrase is "Quality Repairs on Quality Equipment" because I don't (won't) work on junk.