Les L

Marc 1, thanks for posting the video, I enjoyed it and agree with him

I’ve never seen one like that, but have used several of the big horizontal ones. I’m not sure of the name, I always heard them called welder generators, but they were a beast! Burn 3/16 -1/2 inch rods or arc gauge all day long with no problem. Sounds like an airplane firing up when you started it.

Old Crew, I learned to weld with one of those, it was hand crank when I started working with it I pulled the starter and alternator off an old jeep and put it on the welder.

Slag, Sorry for the late reply, I just saw your question. A portable may be your best option, plus you'll have a generator if the electric goes out at your house. Miller, Lincoln and Hobart are three common ones that can provide size/type welder you need. I have a Miller Bobcat that's 25+ yrs. old that handles anything I need to weld and used to be my emergency generator for the house, ran 9 days straight after Hurricane Gustav. I loaded it in the back of my Polaris Ranger six years ago so I could get 8 miles in the woods to a dozer, with a broken C frame, and weld it back together. Must have done a good job because the dozer is still running and everything is holding up. I wish it was one of the newer ones with CC/CV so I could run Mig off it, but until it shuts down it wont be replaced.

I agree with the complicated part, I've had the "pleasure" of putting a few up and everyone is a different challenge, especially when someone in the fab shop reads the tape measure wrong and the bolt holes aren't in the correct place. Had one building so bad I was refunded 1/2 the price of the building.

Progress! It will be complete before you know it.

CGL, great job, I like how you left just enough of the horseshoe that you can tell what it was made from

Dustonthebottle, I think you are trying to do a lot of work that is not going to fix the problem. Why is your heat not transferring to the edge of the pans? You’re burner is not large enough. I cook Almost every day with some type of cast iron pot, from 8 qt to 25 gallon. I have approximately sized burners under each and will not consider trying to do something to my pots to improve them

Great job!

Donnie, that is very nice.

JAV, I am always astonished by the old buildings in your country. It is on my bucket list to visit one day. I would set that block anytime someone needed it, but I would be holding it with a pair of tongs. No, I’m not scared, I just have 5 reasons to put something between me and a heavy piece of metal.

Well let him in, if he lays by you while you’re working, and sits beside you for an ear scratch when you sit down to rest, then he’s a pet.

Thanks for the clarification

If I have agreed to make a certain item for someone and I mess up I don’t tell them, I start over and make what was agreed on!

Thomas, is that the right picture of a plate with two square holes you posted, or is my cell phone distorting it?

Matthew, I agree with Tomas on having an anvil in a welding shop. I've been a professional welder/fabricator for 45 years and have never used an anvil during that work, and I have bent, grinded and beat on a lot of metal. My anvils are used only for blacksmith work. One of my anvils has edge damage in several places where someone used it to place metal they were cutting with a torch and cut into the anvil. Unfortunately they didn't learn the first time and had to continue trying to figure out how the anvil was being damaged. Build a metal table for your welding work and keep your anvil in good shape.

Thomas, you hit that nail on the head.

Templehound, Plain and simple are not words to be used when describing any of your work! This is another excellent example of your craftmanship. Drop points are my favorite style of knives, and all I use as daily carry, skinning and deboning game. I would consider it an honor to be able to own and use one of your knives, but I would probably spend more time showing it off than using it.

I would check with the shipyards. Try to speak with a Supervisor, not the office. I was given a 4' section of 6" prop shaft just by talking to the right person. You may have more luck with a repair yard then new construction, but both have a lot of scrap. Catch the workers getting off shift, or at their local stopping place after work, and put the word out what your looking for and ask who you need to talk to.

rdennett, if you are just wanting to tack things together and weld thin plate that machine will do it.

We had a Little Giant in our fab shop in New Orleans sit under 5ft of water salt for two weeks after Katrina. No one had time to touch it for a year. When the man who worked in the shop had time he pressure washed it, let it dry and oiled it up then turned the power on and it ran perfect.

Yes, those drills are strong, always remember that the handle on the back of the drill is to carry it, not to use while drilling. If the bit gets stuck and you are holding that handle it will break your hand when it kicks back.

I’ve watched my youngest daughter walk into the pasture behind our house and pick up and pet a feral cat several times. She moved to Nashville four years ago and on the way to school one morning she heard noises under the hood, stopped to check and found a feral kitten a couple months old. She dropped it off at a vet then went to a doctor to get patched up before class and it’s her house cat now.

Give us an update after you've used a few weeks.

Sounds like a new style hold fast for your work.