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Comparing stick welding and flux-cored wire welding, I posit that the cleanup is easier with stick. You break off the spent flux and (if you're doing it right) you have a nice scalloped weld beneath it. Sometimes the flux just falls off on its own after it cools down. FCAW throws molten crap all over the project so you have to come back with a cup brush or something to get that all cleared away. It's like little beads of metal all over the area, and burned flux, ash, whatever that stuff is. I don't do any of this for a living so this is firmly a home-gamer's point of view. Actual weldors with certifications would probably disagree with me on some of this. My equipment is the cheapest crap from Harbor Freight and my training was 6 weeks long from a metal art guy almost 20 years ago.
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May 6, 2019 22:32
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Note that none of the above should be done in a shop filled with sawdust. Yes, absolutely, if I were going to go in on welding at large scale I'd probably have to build a second workshop.  But at this point I haven't even tried it at all, and if I did get started I'd probably start out using my garage first.Thanks for the additional details. I very much doubt that I'll be in a position of caring about speed much anytime soon, so your recommendation of focusing on stick welding as a starting point seems reasonable. Assuming of course that I enjoy the course enough to want to get my own kit. Incidentally, the main reason I'm looking into this is that I've been watching MichaelCthulhu videos on YouTube. Dude makes gigantic sword-shaped sculptures. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be learning any technique tricks from him (he used a table saw to make some wooden shims once and his cutting technique had me cringing), but from a general perspective of "working with metal looks like fun" he's a good source of inspiration.
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May 6, 2019 22:33
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Note that none of the above should be done in a shop filled with sawdust. ... or if wearing a sweater of any sort of fuzziness. My friend went ablaze in our highschool welding class back in the day. I was learning to tig weld and out of the corner of my eye I saw a giant blue flame and before I knew it he was standing there shirtless and the smell of burning hair was heavy. It singed all of the hair off his torso and some of his eyebrows. Luckily he laughed it off.
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May 6, 2019 22:35
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IOwnCalculus posted:My Milwaukee M18 string trimmer kicks the poo poo out of every plug in trimmer I've ever had, and is easily on par with the gas ones I've used. Jaded Burnout posted:also apparently square profile line cuts less cleanly but more powerfully than circle or oval profile so if you've got tough stuff to cut get square. Or so I read.
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May 7, 2019 03:42
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I can do all my welding with an old DC inverter. TIG and stick does all I need. I do stick welding outside. A mobile setup is key.
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May 7, 2019 09:04
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Any experience here with Makita's 36 volt push mower? Just need it for a rather small hillside yard where the reel mowers don't jive with the wife'n'kids so getting spare batteries usable for my other tools out of the expenditure is tempting. Or would Ryobi's 18 volt push mower be okay for such light service to save some cash and get spare batteries out of it for my second line tools without overdrawing the batteries and fragging stems? Speaking of Ryobi, recently picked up the 18 volt inflator/deflator with high volume line on one side and high pressure on the other. I've started inflating bicycle tires for the family and so far, so good. High volume hose is short and chintzy as the only immediate concern but it's not river tubing season quite yet to test it.
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May 7, 2019 13:54
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I have a 20v Dewalt Planer that I used to plane down some bowed deck joists last summer. In my carelessness, it accidentally made some light passes over some Grace Vycor adhesive flashing I put on top of the built up deck beams. I don't think any actually got into the blades, but the boot is all covered in black gunk. Is there any way to get this stuff off or did I basically ruin my planer? I'll post a picture later today.
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May 7, 2019 16:01
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Incidentally, the main reason I'm looking into this is that I've been watching MichaelCthulhu videos on YouTube. Dude makes gigantic sword-shaped sculptures. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be learning any technique tricks from him (he used a table saw to make some wooden shims once and his cutting technique had me cringing), but from a general perspective of "working with metal looks like fun" he's a good source of inspiration. I'm very jealous of all the metalworking stuff Laura Kampf has, even if the way she uses an angle grinder makes me fear for my fingers sympathetically. His Divine Shadow posted:I do stick welding outside. It's been a while since I did my research, am I right that that's feasible because there's no free-flowing gas that gets blown away by the wind?
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May 7, 2019 16:09
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Jaded Burnout posted:I'm very jealous of all the metalworking stuff Laura Kampf has, even if the way she uses an angle grinder makes me fear for my fingers sympathetically. Mr Executive posted:I have a 20v Dewalt Planer that I used to plane down some bowed deck joists last summer. In my carelessness, it accidentally made some light passes over some Grace Vycor adhesive flashing I put on top of the built up deck beams. I don't think any actually got into the blades, but the boot is all covered in black gunk. Is there any way to get this stuff off or did I basically ruin my planer? I'll post a picture later today.
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May 7, 2019 16:19
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Mr Executive posted:I have a 20v Dewalt Planer that I used to plane down some bowed deck joists last summer. In my carelessness, it accidentally made some light passes over some Grace Vycor adhesive flashing I put on top of the built up deck beams. I don't think any actually got into the blades, but the boot is all covered in black gunk. Is there any way to get this stuff off or did I basically ruin my planer? I'll post a picture later today. goo gone is another option I've used to release that on windows
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May 7, 2019 16:24
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Harry Potter on Ice posted:goo gone is another option I've used to release that on windows
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May 7, 2019 16:36
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Goo gone is basically kerosene/naphtha that has some lemon scent added to it so it doesn’t smell so bad and costs 8x as much but it will certainly work. I personally prefer the natural scent of petroleum distillates-the worse it smells the better it works, right? I just looked at the ingredients I'm dumb and like to pay $$ for lemony fresh  Don't do what I told you do the other idea
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May 7, 2019 16:51
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Are there good gel versions for when you need to remove adhesives from vertical surfaces like windows? Or just mix some kerosene into petroleum jelly or something? Sounds dangerously close to napalm at that point.
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May 7, 2019 21:49
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I just took some vinyl stickers off of auto glass the other day. Razor blade + heat gun to get most of it, WD40 to deal with the remainder. It doesn't need to be thick to hang around, it works quickly.
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May 7, 2019 21:58
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Why would you use a solvent on a window? A razor blade scraper is so much easier.
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May 7, 2019 21:59
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Motronic posted:Why would you use a solvent on a window? A razor blade scraper is so much easier. In my case the adhesive left behind was just getting smeared around by the blade. WD40 on a paper towel took care of it in 30 seconds.
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May 7, 2019 22:02
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IOwnCalculus posted:In my case the adhesive left behind was just getting smeared around by the blade. WD40 on a paper towel took care of it in 30 seconds. I suppose if it's soft enough. WD40 does work well. Also, a fresh blade. It's amazing how quickly they go dull. I always do my finish work with a fresh one (like removing inspection stickers).
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May 7, 2019 22:05
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Butch Cassidy posted:Any experience here with Makita's 36 volt push mower? Just need it for a rather small hillside yard where the reel mowers don't jive with the wife'n'kids so getting spare batteries usable for my other tools out of the expenditure is tempting. Or would Ryobi's 18 volt push mower be okay for such light service to save some cash and get spare batteries out of it for my second line tools without overdrawing the batteries and fragging stems? I have a hybrid ryobi, takes 2x18v batteries or a cord, it's fine, I'll never go back to gas or pure corded. Can't speak for the 18v version but for a tiny patch I'd consider it.
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May 7, 2019 22:25
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What do you guys use to clean your dryer vents? Are those chintzy little rods that attach to drills in all the retail "kits" durable enough for many years of usage?
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May 8, 2019 00:29
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nmfree posted:Home Depot has a deal on right now where you can pick up a Quik-Lok string trimmer and get another attachment (or an extra smaller battery) for free, if anyone's thinking about getting a Milwaukee trimmer. Looks like I'm making a trip to Home Depot.
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May 8, 2019 00:52
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TheBananaKing posted:What do you guys use to clean your dryer vents? Are those chintzy little rods that attach to drills in all the retail "kits" durable enough for many years of usage? The one I helped one of my wifes friends use last year seemed like it would. It was able to clear a mostly clogged vent in conjunction with a shop vac taped to the outlet.
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May 8, 2019 01:50
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n0tqu1tesane posted:The one I helped one of my wifes friends use last year seemed like it would. It was able to clear a mostly clogged vent in conjunction with a shop vac taped to the outlet. Or better yet, a leaf blower on the inside house side (disconnect any critter guards on the outside first.) I have one of those brushes, and it works amazingly well. I have a fairly straight, horizontal shot of about 15-20 feet, so I don't know how well it would bend around tight corners. It seems plenty sturdy, and it was only like $15 on Amazon. I'm sure a company would come out and do it for hundreds of dollars, so even if it only lasts a few years, seems like a worthwhile purchase. edit: Don't do laundry for a few days to let the lint get nice and dry/powdery. Trying to do it with clumpy, wet lint would probably be a pain. B-Nasty fucked around with this message at 02:22 on May 8, 2019 |
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May 8, 2019 02:19
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cakesmith handyman posted:I have a hybrid ryobi, takes 2x18v batteries or a cord, it's fine, I'll never go back to gas or pure corded. Can't speak for the 18v version but for a tiny patch I'd consider it. I thought Ryobi's dual-battery rig just drained them in sequence to extend run time? Does the hybrid run them in series?
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May 8, 2019 02:31
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B-Nasty posted:Or better yet, a leaf blower on the inside house side (disconnect any critter guards on the outside first.) We tried the leaf blower, but it ended up working best with the vac sucking while we worked the brush from the other end. It made it around two 90s, but it was a bit of work to get it to go.
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May 8, 2019 02:36
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B-Nasty posted:edit: Don't do laundry for a few days to let the lint get nice and dry/powdery. Trying to do it with clumpy, wet lint would probably be a pain. This is not something that would have occurred to me before trying, thanks. Seems like a no brainier for the price, but I hate buying cheap poo poo and having it break after the one or two uses.
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May 8, 2019 02:44
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Seconding the use of a leaf blower from the inside. I found a trail of lint 10 feet from the outlet when I looked outside. If you have a gas powered leaf blower it’s also a great way to very quickly determine if your carbon monoxide detectors are working (ask me how I know).
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May 8, 2019 04:05
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I've always just used a shop vac to get as much as I can, but it's def not the most efficient with longer runs. I recently moved my shop into the basement and my dust collector is near my dryer. Can anyone think of a reason not to attach it to the dust system once or twice a year to clean it all out?
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May 8, 2019 14:45
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Motronic posted:Why would you use a solvent on a window? A razor blade scraper is so much easier. The import part of the question was not "windows" but "vertical".
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May 8, 2019 16:26
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Very thorough, though the thing he missed is the thing I'm curious about. He did check whether there was a significant difference in how clean the cut was (no significant difference) but he didn't check which profiles were more effective against tougher grasses and such.
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May 8, 2019 18:41
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Butch Cassidy posted:I thought Ryobi's dual-battery rig just drained them in sequence to extend run time? Does the hybrid run them in series? When I'm done both batteries are part drained, always the same amount. I've never heard or read about using the batteries in sequence. I suppose they could be running in parallel for the same effect but all the dual battery kit I've seen is labeled One+36V, indicating they use the 18v One+ batteries but run at 36v.
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May 8, 2019 19:45
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I bought this dust extractor and I've been using it very effectively hooked up to a random orbital sander. Only thing is, I'd like to keep using said sander in other rooms of the house while getting some decent dust extraction on my bench-top saws downstairs, and there's no way I can cart this thing up and down all the time. It's also incredibly loud. Do you have any suggestions for relatively quiet and small dust extractors such as you might mount to a portable workbench? It would only need to be powerful enough to clear dust and chips from one fixed power tool at a time (table saw, mitre saw, router).
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May 8, 2019 20:16
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cakesmith handyman posted:When I'm done both batteries are part drained, always the same amount. I've never heard or read about using the batteries in sequence. I suppose they could be running in parallel for the same effect but all the dual battery kit I've seen is labeled One+36V, indicating they use the 18v One+ batteries but run at 36v. Probaly just the person describing theirs to me. I'd thought it odd and asked them if they meant to say the batteres were in parallel ut they persisted so there was amisunderstanding on some level. Anyway, I'm currently leaning Ryobi to try out. Worst case, it doesn't work out, I get a couple extra batteries, and replace it with something else next season.
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May 8, 2019 20:54
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I got a drill/impact driver set of the Makita 18V sub-compacts from Big Orange to replace a tired set of Porter-Cable 20v tools and holy hell what an improvement it’s been.  The impact driver, especially; what used to be an awkward long rattle-battle with a 2 3/4” screw through 2x’s is now a laughably quick zip with a few impacts. I’m giving a recommendation without anyone asking, I know, but drat if these things aren’t nice.
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May 9, 2019 04:50
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Ripoff posted:The impact driver, especially; what used to be an awkward long rattle-battle with a 2 3/4” screw through 2x’s is now a laughably quick zip with a few impacts. I've got the DeWalt version of that impact. Anyone doing pretty much anything looking like driving screws, especially through framing lumber, should have one of these things.
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May 9, 2019 04:52
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I'll third that. Pull the trigger and just zip that thing through the wood, especially if you're using a screw head that doesn't cam out (torx, square, etc.). The only problem with them is that they're so good at driving that you may get lazy about drilling pilot holes and end up splitting the lumber.
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May 9, 2019 05:01
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I'll third that. Pull the trigger and just zip that thing through the wood, especially if you're using a screw head that doesn't cam out (torx, square, etc.). The only problem with them is that they're so good at driving that you may get lazy about drilling pilot holes and end up splitting the lumber.
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May 9, 2019 12:29
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I use the impact for drywall too. It's so much lighter and works so drat well.
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May 9, 2019 22:22
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I dont know why it took me so long to buy an impact but holy poo poo did it ever change my life.
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May 10, 2019 00:22
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:I use the impact for drywall too. It's so much lighter and works so drat well. You must be a mystical drywall god because I blow through the paper even with a proper screwgun setup. I remember putting like 15 test screws in a scrap 2x4 and fresh drywall and tuning it just right, then *bam* straight through the paper on the first real screw. Drywall sucks.
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May 10, 2019 03:12
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Ripoff posted:You must be a mystical drywall god because I blow through the paper even with a proper screwgun setup. https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-Drywall-Screw-Setter-4-Pack-DW2014C4/202302391 It cams out automatically. Literally the only thing phillps head as good at.
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May 10, 2019 03:38
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