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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ballina, NSW
    Posts
    900

    Default Traps for young players

    Fellow welders...

    I put a bigger argon bottle in the workshop today, moved a few things around to fit it in and rigged up a new safety chain. While I was drilling holes in the wall, I took the opportunity to rearrange the workshop a bit and spun the welder around from its normal position so I could arrange the nest of cables a bit neater. Great. Everything tidy now.

    Did some ally TIG welding this arvo. Should've only been a 2 minute job, but it turned out really dodgy. Arc was flakey, random oxidation, poor cleaning action, etc. got the grinder out and re-cleaned a few times, but same deal

    Checked the gas - everything working fine. no leaks, right flow rate. Started to doubt my new gas supplier pretty seriously.

    Had their number on the mobile - was just about to hit the call button, then I noticed something. Turns out that the fan on my welder was blowing a previously unnoticed jet of air right across where I was welding. The argon didn't have a chance.

    Embarrassing, but now I've shared one of my goofs - let's hear yours

    Cheers

    - Mick

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
    Age
    64
    Posts
    4,887

    Default

    I used to run 3 different bottles for mild,stainless and nickel,had to change from stainless to nickel wire,took me about 600mm of weld and about 20 mins to finally workout that I didnt change the bottles.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NINGI Qld Australia
    Age
    68
    Posts
    208

    Default

    Because I am so scungy with my gas, I tend to turn the gas bottle off even over a lunch break in case of any slow leaks even though I am sure there is no leaks, just more habit I guess. I invariable come back, turn everything else back on, gloves on, helmet on, hit the arc on my nicely prepared job, arrrrrgh!! no gas. Oh well clean it all up and start again...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NINGI Qld Australia
    Age
    68
    Posts
    208

    Default

    Just thought of another one.
    I am not all that experienced with different TIG machines other than my own at home but was asked to do some work with a TIG machine where I work as no one else was having any success with it on Ally.
    Yeah no worries I can handle that. Mess around with this machine over a few days which was a bit more sophisticated than mine with a digital operating interface. I couldn't get it to do anything other than burn holes in the Ally. Got the manual out which didn't help. Messed with every setting on every extreme. Still no good.

    I was in the process of taking it down to the repair shop to let the experts try and work out what was wrong with it. I was taking the main cables out of the machine to pack it up and noticed that the work or earth cable had an alternative socket next to it which yeah also had a graphic sine wave symbol above the spare socket.
    Now I must admit that I had noticed that before but figured that it was there for stick work or something because the control panel had a process change switch from DC to AC which is all I do on my machine and don't have to relocate the work clamp cable to change processes.

    Anyway I thought what the hell, put it back together and try it in that socket. Welded Ally like a son of a gun.
    Felt pretty stupid after telling everyone that something must be wrong with it, but just said "it's all good now, it was just an incorrect setting" and they were all happy anyway and thought that I was a genius for fixing it.

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