What did you do in the shop today?

[Anachronist58]

8 hours ago, alexandr said:

"довести до ума".

"dovesti do uma"

Alexadr, Google translate: 

"bring to mind",  which could be said as: 

"remind me of"; "make me think of"; "look(s) like beautiful, perfect, roses"...

Better translators than I, on this thread... 

Robert Taylor

 

Edited May 21, 2021 by Anachronist58
bring(s),[...], remove 's'

[alexandr]

2 hours ago, Anachronist58 said:

Better translators than I, on this thread..

These phrases "Improve, bring to perfection..."  better convey the meaning of "довести до ума"

 

[Anachronist58]

That puts it completely into context!  Thank you.

[JHCC]

Nipped into the shop to cut the spikes off a pickaxe head to fit in a Priority Mail flat rate box. That thing was a bear. It took forever to make those two cuts, I blew the breaker once, and the 3hp motor on the saw was bogging down if I pressed too hard. I don’t know if it was an abrasion-resistant steel or if I’m using the wrong cutting disc (I’m inclined to think it was the former); I’ll cut some other stuff later to see how the saw behaves.  

(Nice to trot out the chopsaw, though; I don’t use it very often.)

[ThomasPowers]

I hot cut the pick ends of mine; I may have to pick up a cutoff saw now that electricity is looming every nearer!

As for the warmer I was thinking the pipe branches and a hole/rack at the base of the trunk that would hold a couple of match  lighting briquettes. Briquettes are engineered to not burn too hot.

[JHCC]

In retrospect, it might indeed have been faster to fire up the forge and hot-cut them.

Of course, I didn't remember until halfway through the second cut that I do now have an oxy-propane cutting torch....

[Jobtiel1]

JHCC, that always happens with new equipment, the first few times after I got my leg vise restored I forgot to use it too. Was quite interesting to drift a top tool eye on the edge of the anvil.

[JHCC]

Jobtiel1, oddly enough, the very first thing I used the torch for (other than test pieces) was straightening the front jaw of my leg vise. Good fun.

[SinDoc]

I wish I had a torch. I will more than likely inherit my fathers when he decides to either start passing down his tools to clean out the garage or keels over from overworking himself. That oxy-acetylene torch has been in the family for quite some time. Granted it has had new gauges/valves since then. 

I recently gave him a photo that lists tool expectations that I found funny and he stuck it up on the wall above his workbench. He line of thinking follows it perfectly. If the torch comes out, he is done messing with it.

Pardon if posting a meme is a no no.

[M.J.Lampert]

sinDoc so true if its tight just allow it to drip off 

a trick my father taught me with tapered bearings is to weld a bead on the inside this causes it to contract and thus slip out

M.J.Lampert

[Glenn]

Chances your fathers tanks are out of date and can not be refilled.

Decide how much you intend on using the torch (volume of gas usage) and call the local welding shop for a price.  They can supply you with current pressure tested tanks as a rental, or sometimes you can purchase the current tanks outright.  If you choose to purchase the tanks, be sure to get and keep the sales paperwork so you can have them refilled.

[Gazz]

Most gas places will simply exchange customer owned gas bottle for full ones at least the one I deal with will although originally they wanted me to show proof that I owned them.  I bought bottles in 1970 and moved in the mid 80's.  The gas supplier in my new location would not honor my hand written receipt (because it was hand written!).  I had to rent bottles (they would not sell any) but I would still take my personal bottles back to NY to get filled.  The owner has now passed and they will exchange other bottles that I have bought at yard sales and such without receipts.  I will not take my NY purchased bottles there however and still take them to NY for refills when I visit.

[BillyBones]

Back a few years ago when i was working in a garage a kid i was training was having problems getting the bolts out of a cross member. I said to him "Burn 'em out" then showed him how to use the cutting torch. He came over to me a while later and telling me he had discovered his new favorite tool. 

A cutting torch is one of the most important tools to have in a heavy line shop. I learned very early on dont mess with it, burn it out. One problem i saw in a garage with them is that a lot of people do not pay attention to where the hoses are at. working on cars is almost alway over your head and the molten metal drops to the floor. I have seen more than 1 set of hoses get burned through in my time from the metal landing on them. 

But then you have people who dont know when not to use a torch. Had another kid doing intake gasket on a mercedes, he had the fuel rail pulled and was having a problem with getting the wiring harness up. So instead of using the dykes on top of his tool box he used a mini butane torch to melt a zip tie. The fuel on top of the engine from the fuel rail ignited setting the car on fire. I saw it grabbed the fire extinguisher and handed it to him and went to go open doors. He looked at me and i had to literally tell him "Put the (insert cussin' here) fire out." 

[Frosty]

SinDoc: Cutting torches aren't called "hot wrenches" for nothing you know. I'm pretty sure that's why they were invented. . . No, wait oxy acet torches were invented by a blacksmith name of Hobart so he wouldn't have to take large repair jobs off to fit on his forge. Think re-welding a gate hinge. 

I've owned my bottles since the late 70s and they started exchanging them in the early 80s. I was told they were being required to test all privately owned tanks to fill which added a week to the fill time and the gas plant was in the same yard. Exchanged tanks are always up to date, valves are good, etc. you're in and out fast. The yard guys swap them while you can walk in to the counter and pay. My bottles have gradually been getting larger too. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[SinDoc]

You make a fair point Glenn. I couldn't say the last time he actually had them filled as he does not use them very often. Last I remember was a good 15+ years ago. I do know he bought new hoses, gauges and torch just a few years ago but the bottles are the same they have always been since I first remember noticing it sitting in the garage all chained up to a dolly. 

[ThomasPowers]

"Smoke Wrench"  where I've been living.

[Frosty]

Properly adjusted cutting torches don't smoke. Mine don't anyway.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

30 minutes ago, Frosty said:

My bottles have gradually been getting larger too. 

One factor in my recent purchase of a smaller size oxygen tank was knowing that I'd be able to move to a larger size if/when necessary.

Speaking of cutting safety, might it be worthwhile to do small cutting jobs over a metal bucket to catch the sparks and slag? Since my shop is one half of our garage, I do try to minimize how much crud there is to clean up when I'm done.

[Frosty]

Absolutely a few inches of water in the bottom helps prevent high velocity spatter from bouncing. Cutting torches are serious fire hazards, probably where "smoke wrench" originated as a name. 

I discovered early on it takes a much softer touch to torch a bolt out without damaging the threads with oxy prop than oxy acet.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

The good news is that I've never used oxy-acetylene, so I don't have anything to unlearn.

The bad news is that everyone giving me advice about oxy-propane does it by making comparisons to oxy-acetylene, which isn't particularly helpful! 

5 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Absolutely a few inches of water in the bottom helps prevent high velocity spatter from bouncing.

Hmm. Might want to invest in a bigger bucket.

[SinDoc]

When my dad taught me how to use it, I was helping him build a floating dock and we were cutting a ton of angle iron to proper lengths. He built a makeshift workstation outside the garage on the concrete pad in front of it and it had a small tub of water underneath it to catch all the splatter so I was less likely to burn my teenage self. Geeze, that project was where I learned to use all sorts of tools. Grinders, torch, welder, impact etc.

[Frosty]

A metal bucket John, METAL. Small wash tubs work really well. 

Good point, from now on I'll try to remember not to compare to oxy acet. Following this line. An oxy propane torch is famous for blowing spatter a lot farther. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[SinDoc]

I have never used an oxy-propane torch. Did not even know they were a thing until relatively recently. So I am the opposite of JHCC lol.

[JHCC]

Opposite ends of Ohio, too.

[SinDoc]

Quite opposite lol. I think the closest I have ever been to you is the yearly trip to Cedar Point. I was up in the Poland/Youngstown area a couple years back for a friends wedding but that is it. Don't think I have even been in the greater Cleveland area. Maybe if they go ahead with that Amtrak rail I might have a reason to go up there!