Thread: What welding tools and acessories have you made?

It's not quite clear to me what these are for Graeme.
Do you insert this cable between the Welder earth and the piece?
How about a pic showing then in use?

This is the first tool I made when I first started work. All welders in the factory where I worked had their own tools: Helmets, G clamps, hammers chippers, etc. This is the only tool I have left from those days, I used it every day for about six years until I gave the welding game away, from then on it has seen regular use in my shed. So it'd be about 50 years old now.

Just a simple flat bastard welded to a bit of tube and ground to suit, for the life of me I just can't remember re grinding it either, although I must have at some stage for it still to be in use. Funnily enough I don't remember seeing any welder with anything but these type chippers, we had a couple of the common spring handle types that sat on a shelf in one of the tool cupboards, but that was the only action they ever saw.

That terrible weld would have been one of my first I would think, doesn't look the best, but at 50 years old I think it has served it's purpose!

BobL, Yes that's exactly what I do.

When I have small items to be welded I usually do them on my welding positioner. It is a turned down 50m diam towball locked between 2 rings.It allows movement through 90 degrees, flat to vertical.
The unit raises whatever there is to be welded to near shoulder height. It helps with declining vision and removes the need having to bend down.

The existing earth return clamp and cable was big, heavy and ungainly - heavy clamp and cable - hard to position.There were times the earth could only be positioned in such a way that made a difficult approach angle for welding or tacking.

The light weight extension earth cable quickly connects between the old heavy earth clamp and the work to be welded on. The vice clamps allow quick re positioning. It is meant for work where the current setting would be under 100 amps which is 80% of what I do. I'll take a picture of it connected ,soon.

Shamelessly stolen from Jody of Welding Tip & Tricks - these are very handy items. Just a lump of old scrap steel with 2 short legs and a long finger made of 3/8 rod. The ends of the rods are tipped with a bit of braze metal to aid with conduction from the welding table.

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Hi Gavin, interesting piece of gear, but what's it for or do? Please explain!!!
Kryn

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Hi Gavin, interesting piece of gear, but what's it for or do? Please explain!!!
Kryn

It's a 3rd hand, it can be used to hold stuff in place when you want to tack it. It is also used to place downward pressure on light stuff onto the welding table so I get a good ground (very useful when welding aluminium parts).

This has been posted in the main forum, but perhaps worth posting here -
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A jig for welding up bandsaw blades. The copper block is used as backing, the small pieces of blade are run-on/ run-off strips. The copper block slides out for annealing after welding.

Michael

Good one Michael, never thought of using over run blocks.
Kryn

Michael,

Your B/saw blade welding jig raises a question. The tooth pitch looks like a metalworking blade.

Are you buying Bi Metal blade in bulk rolls?

A while back I looked the cost of a 100ft roll on 1/2" x 10/14 blade and was quickly discouraged by its price . Are you just cutting blades to saw out blind holes, or do you have you a stash of blade stock?

I have a stash of blade stock - only carbon steel as my bandsaw has small wheels and I'm told that the bimetal blades won't take the flex. 100ft roll will give me a bit over 30 blades - I think I worked out the break even point was around the half way mark. I think the best bit is that I don't have to begrudge changing blades or being caught on a weekend with a broken blade and no way of replacing it. I make up 3 or 4 at once (including rejoining some that break) and I'm away.

The original post. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/tig-welding-bandsaw-blades-143247
My law of welding says that the best welds are where people can't see them so typically this one did not have quite enough heat and is a bit lumpy but then again, it dressed back and worked.

Michael