IronHide

I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to say thank you to the posters in here for the good information. I think I'm going to build my first blower thanks again!

Alan, I'm a Redseal Journeyman in Alberta, ticketed to weld everything from inconel tig, small bore, downhand, pressure pipe in tig, stick, STT etc. They were right to correct you as it is incorrect terminology for the trade. Considering 99% of welding done with SMAW uses DC current electricity only flows in a single direction unlike AC were it is constantly changing between negative and positive on the sine wave. Current theory says that in a DC circuit energy flows from the negative to the positive so calling your ground clamp a return would be incorrect as the energy is flowing from the ground to the stinger. Mind you this is theory and no one REALLY knows how it works but we know enough to have a decent understanding. The distinction is also important because when switching between say TIG and SMAW your "ground" will be positive for TIG and negative for SMAW (this is a generalization as there are exceptions.) Remember it is a SIN (stinger in negative) to have your stinger hooked to negative. Good way to remember which way your cables go when welding using DC current. If anyone wants to do any serious welding using the SMAW process get a welder capable of Constant Current in the DC setting. AC is rarely used and when welding 7018 (most common electrode/rod for mild steel) will never ever put down a bead as nice as a DC welder will.

There isn't a journeyman welder in all of alberta that calls it a return. Walk into a welding supply shop and ask for a negative return and you will just get a blank stare. You can build your own ground clamp by cutting a piece of steel in a c shape and welding a nut on one end. Then find a bolt that fits it and weld a T handle on top of it. Put another stud and nut on it to hook your lug to off the back. Heck bare cable vice gripped to the steel you are welding will work in a pinch. When you are in the field and things go wrong you gotta be inventive. I've used a pair of vice grips as a stinger in a pinch. You can't get shocked if you are wearing dry welding gloves it's impossible there just isn't enough voltage.

Dayne, if you are looking for ferric chloride or other chemicals used for etching a good place to start is any electronic store supplier, those supplies are used by people who etch their own copper clad boards for making custom PCB's. Radio Shack is non-existent in Canada as they were bought out and turned into another phone sales store. Active Tech is who I deal with in Edmonton and iirc they have a store in Calgary as well. I gaurantee you they would carry etching chemicals. Best of luck.

What type of acid are you looking for? If you live anywhere that there is oilfield activity there should be a chemical supplier near you. I bought the guys who work at multichem a bottle of bailieys at xmas time and they hook me up with bits of this and that whenever I'm looking for something. I never ask for more than a liter or two but they sell stuff by the drum so they don't even bother writing me an invoice. Edit, I forgot to say, nice work, I can't wait till I'm at that level :D

Very cool bottle opener for sure, it looks very well made. I wouldn't put a lanyard on something that beautiful, I would build a quick draw leather belt holster for it and if you're really paranoid about it going missing make a piece at the top with a strip of leather and a button to go through the eye of the opener kinda like how cops keep their guns secure :D Fastest opener in the west :P

Lots of the smaller shops are more than happy to trade scrap for beer, its how I get most of my stuff that I can't scavange from work for my projects at home. Booze will get you a better price than cash any day.

Very nice job, that is something to surely be proud of. Your torch control is impeccable, well done.

May I ask at what amperage setting you are welding and what type of rod you are using. It looks to me like you are much to cold, at the right temperature using a 7018 (CSA 4918) rod and welding in the flat position it should pretty much weld itself. If you have an amperage gauge on your machine here is a list of starting points for welding. 3/32 7018 80-110amps start around 90 1/8 7018 110-140 amps start around 125 5/32 7018 150-190 amps start around 165 I wouldn't use a rod much bigger than those, if you don't have a gauge you can set your heat by taking a piece of scrap steel, set your heat and fire in, pull a bit of an arc and let your puddle establish, slowly lower your rod point if it snuffs out you are to cold. Go up 5 amps and try again, when you can drive the rod into the puddle without it snuffing out you are at the right temp, with enough practice and a machine with an arc force setting I can drive a 1/8 7018 through a 1/4 piece of steel no problem. If you have any questions on welding or proper techniques don't be afraid to PM me, I'm new to the forum but I'm a welder by trade and can weld anything from the crack of dawn, to the crack of your butt :D

I've been welding galvinized steel for years now and I can tell you that it can seriously mess you up if you breath in to much of it. With that said a little bit won't do you no harm. As a business owner I personally carry about 10 million dollars in insurance between Well head insurance and Corporate Liability insurance and the main reason I need to carry this is if I were to damage a well head or god forbid kill someone. So as a business owner I would say the most important thing for you to consider in this situation is what YOUR liability is in this situation. If you are contracted to make a utensil that you know for a fact is going to be used in food preparation and choose to NOT use food grade materials then any illness or injury is on you.