That's a good idea, Das. He had more in the barn, but he is 80 years old and he liked to talk! We were kind of pressed for time, so I didn't go for it. Interesting guy.  I liked listening to him talk. I wish we had had more time. I told him I was a blacksmith and he said, REALLY?! I get that a lot...

 

I.D.F.C.,

Thank you for that information.

It is appreciated.

C.G. Lady, 

In light of the gentlemen's advanced years.

I suggest that you consider crafting somethings like heart-horseshoe, bottle opener,  and letter opener as a quid pro quo, for his generosity.

He may be suitably impressed to give you those forges and other blacksmith tools that he might have stashed away. Alternatively, he may have some friends or kin that may have those tools.

A little time chatting may be very appreciated and he might just be a fount of information that you and I could profit from.

SLAG.

SLAG, I completely agree. He talked a lot about goats, then told us about starting out in the grocery business, then working for the railroad for 22 years. Then about his time with cutting horses and race horses after that. Then some about old age. He was a right nice fella. He told me he didn't have most of his farrier tools anymore. He showed me old hammers and saws and tools I have no idea what they were hanging on his shop walls with great pride in them. There are three sets of two shoes welded together for wall hangers. I'm going to leave those intact and clean them up and use them. I know who made them and that is special to me. I was really glad I got to meet him. 

It's great to meet people with knowledge and interesting stories to tell. The old timers have seen and done a Lot, and most of the time like to share. I love listening now. Wish I had more when I was younger but still have learned a lot. 

I think a forged horse shoe heart would be a great gift/thank you. Don't forget to put the string on it so all he has to do is just hang it. I would definitely make time to talk with him more if you can. Beyond tools (which can be found, made, purchased, an old timers knowledge comes from their life long experience only. 

Right on, Das. My sentiments exactly. I used to love listening to the old timers, but most that I knew are gone now. It was like talking to my Grandpa. I haven't had grand parents in a long time. I didn't even ask him about tools. Just the shoes and told him I'd be interested in his forges. It was a very positive experience and I miss hearing stories of days gone by. My mother's memory isn't real good anymore, but I still get little bits of stories from her. I'll make him something out of the shoes he gave me. Maybe we can chat again with no time constraints 

For sure CGL! Hope you get to. 

An old lincoln tombstone stick welder followed me home today. Lucked out as a mechanic I used to work with had just posted it on fb. Seemed fair enough since the longer cord on it is at least probably worth the $50.usd asking price. He said it works and he seemed trustworthy enough when he worked at our shop. 

Funny enough, I've never used a stick welder. Figured it would be a good addition to the welders and as soon as I get some rods and time I'll give it a try. Good backup welder to have anyway I'd think.

 

Same kind as Fowllife used to weld up the frame of The Pressciouss.  

Don Shears, that tamping bit would make a nice post anvil, bell stake.

CGL- nice score on the horseshoes.  And yes, definitely go visit him again when you have more time. Sounds like a N.O.G. to me (neat old guy)  

Das-that is an AC only welder, so make sure you use the appropriate rods as not all run well on AC. But that is a good deal you got.

Thomas- sounds like a good gig for you. Congratulations.

That's a nice little welder, Das. I was going to make some recommendations about its use, and figured I better fact check, since I've been out of welding school a good number of years. Glad I did.

Better to keep my mouth shut and let you all THINK I'm an idiot, than to open my mouth and prove you right! 

Glad it sounds like a good machine for the money. 

Biggun, I'll have to do a lil homework on that. Thanks for the heads up. 

Glenn, you know more than me. never struck an arc with a stick welder. I'll study a bit before jumping in it. How hard can it be.  I'm a mig guy. I just couldn't pass up broadening my equipment and knowledge along with it. If I dig it maybe I'll get a broader capability machine and pass this deal off to the next person starting out. 

I think once you strike and arc and learn how to keep it stable, you will wonder how you have gotten along without it. I have a Tombstone just like it, only probably 20 years older and still use it to weld heavier metal. They are like the Energizer Bunny, just keep going and going. I still love the MIG welder though.

Wouldn't doubt it one bit Irondragon. I will say the hobart ironman 230 had certainly been a missing component for the heavy gauge needs, but this will be added flexability with all the different rods they make. (Atleast the ones usable for the ac only machine.) I'm excited to try it out. 

50$ for the welder is a great deal if it is operational. - Nice! 

I'd probably pop the cover off and just make sure all the lugs are tight inside for good measure.

Grab some 1/8" 7018AC rods and give it a go to see if it works well.

Open it up and vacuum out any wasp nest, mouse nests, and spider webs. Disconnect the electrical leads, clean them, and then put them back tight. Think of it as maintenance.

Das, you luck dog!  I've been searching as hard for one of those as I have an anvil.  Cheapest one I've found was $150 and looked as if it had been through a tornado!  Some Day.

 

Chris

Das, that machine is about as bullet proof as can be, not the top of the line, but it will weld every time you flip the switch on. 3/32  & 1/8  6011 is a good all around rod  for it along with the 7018 Tdriack recommended. Well worth the $50.

Here is a list that explains what the numbers on the rods means. As a pipe welder, I use DC power supply with a E6010 root weld, followed up with E7018 hot pass and cover pass. So in the 7018 rod, for example, 70=70,000 lb/sq inch tensile strength, 1=good for all welding positions, 18= a Low Hydrogen Iron Powder Flux coating. This rod is good for AC or DC current. The key for Low Hydrogen rods is to keep the flux very dry (water contains hydrogen) preferably in a rod oven. 7018 lays a very nice weld, easy to control. If you type "AC vs DC Welding Productivity" into your search engine, it should bring up the article where I got this chart, a very informative read, and nice refresher for me, since I haven't used AC in about 15 years. Also a weld supply store should be helpful in directing you which rods to choose.

A lot of rods are rated for both  ac/or dc

7 hours ago, Glenn said:

Think of it as maintenance.

One thing I did with mine was to put several drops of 3 in 1 oil on the cooling fan shaft bronze bushings also.

You used to be able to download PDF's  From most of the big welding manufacturer websites. I haven't looked into it in about 10-12 years but it might be worth a try.

Pnut

 

Lincoln still has them, a search function for model # is available from here.  https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/pages/operator-manuals.aspx?q=POWER+MIG&type=text

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/im348.pdf

Thanks for all the good info! I'll be sure to open it up and give it a go over before I get started. Thanks for the rod info Glenn, Les, tdriack. 

Chris, it was luck. I wasn't looking for one but it popped up and I figured I shouldn't pass on the deal. Didn't even realize what these go for. 

21 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

Lincoln still has them

Indeed they do......................but have you looked at the prices?????

225 Amp Arc/Stick Welder AC225S, 230V  $379  new  230 Volt input, full range 40-225 Amp welding output range

 

The PDF manual download is free.