Oxy/acet welding of 1/4" round aluminium rod

[rustyh]

Two liners sounds like a good idea, I had feed issues during one practice session and have no idea why it cleared. I assume there was a problem with the wire, and once it cleared, it's been flawless since. Blowing backwards sounds good to me ...thanks

I watched a vid that shows feeding alu through was quite successful, but the welds were dirty, assumed from the steel contamination within. It would need a new liner. I'll still get a spool gun. Next chore will be to find the nearest parts and consumables supplier....Vancouver for sure, but maybe Nanaimo or Campbell River.

Just got a quote for new plate to repair the tractor bucket, $129, it'll be a p/u in Nanaimo, so combined with the cost of the welder it's still cheaper than what I was quoted for a shop to rebuild.

[redneckalbertan]

There are a bunch of suppliers in both Nanaimo and Campbell River. Google Airgas, Linde, Praxair, Airliquide, red d arc. They are the big guys and there are also a few smaller ones that can be found with a more generic search.

I used to deal with Airgas and was very happy with the service that I got in Calgary. Then praxair bought out their prairie locations and I have not been happy with the service that the Calgary praxair branches have given me. I don't know if any one is better than the other... I now deal with a smaller welding supplier that gives me good prices and great service.

[rustyh]

I agree, my oxy/acet is with Praxair and they do this thing when sending out the annual rental billing. I get billings for weeks, after paying right away. Talking with others, they have the same experience, drives us all nuts...

I'm in the process of finding that small shop supplier, my preference. In Courtenay there is a gas torch repair shop that sells Thermal Arc and Victor, very nice father and son business. I'll inquire there first and/or see if they can recommend anyone, but it is probably outside their scope.

I have been over all the others, Lordco (Praxair), Courtenay Auto, Acklands, Praxair, Air Liquide, KMS etc. Most are listed as dealers but are primarily gas and bottle suppliers, I would have to order and wait as they don't seem to stock my needs. Anyway, I'll look when down in Nanaimo to pick up the tractor bucket steel on Friday. Campbell River is another good spot and I'm often up that way to paraglide off Mt Kitchener (when the snow goes), so will give it a look.

Here ya go...lol

http://vimeo.com/25700252

[Harold_V]

Here ya go...lol
http://vimeo.com/25700252

Is that you?

Harold

[rustyh]

Yep, that's me. I have hours more vids of various mountains I fly, but won't bore everyone by posting them. My wife just...

The background guitar music I used is a neighbour's. He travels the world, much in demand.

I once asked years ago, "What happens when I just can't run or hike that well anymore?". The answer was, "You start flying gliders."

Well, I'm now getting close to piloting gliders. My flying buddy and I are going this spring for a glider intro over in Port Albernie. I think it's about $180.

[Harold_V]

Thanks for the further information, and luck with the glider session. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Harold

[rustyh]

RNA

Just got back from Nanaimo, where I purchased the metal plate for the tractor bucket rebuild. About half a block down was the Air Liquide store, so I popped in to see if they had any of the welding supplies I needed. They had everything on my list except Miller .023" contact tips. I got all the consumables for the AQ M-130 welder, looked as if they has been on their shop shelf for years, they were happy to get rid. Offered me good pricing on the Spoolmate 100 and the two tanks I'd need, Argon 100%, and Argon/CO2 75-25%. So it looks as if I've found my supply shop. Nice people to deal with as well.

[redneckalbertan]

It is great to hear that you found what sounds to be a good bunch of guys to deal with there! I am not sure about your location there, but Air Liquide here has been going away from the conventional valves on the compressed gas cylinders and going to a new lever type valve. Nice concept, flip the lever up gas is on flip it down gas is off. Very easy to see if the gas has been left on or not from a distance. As well those valves that I have seen also have a pressure gauge built in to let you know how much is left in the bottle without hooking up a regulator or flow meter.

If you have the conventional valve it is a double seat valve and the packing/o-ring is not the sealing agent like with low pressure valves. The packing only keeps the gasses contained while you are opening or closing the valve. I had never seen a valve leak until a few months ago. I got a bottle and was turning the valve, on or off I can't remember now, and heard a little bit of a hiss. So I played with the valve and fully open or closed it wouldn't appear to leak, and in between full open and full closed it would leak a little more or less depending on the orientation of the valve handle.

[rustyh]

Cut the rotten steel away on the tractor bucket today. I fit the new sides and will fit the new back plate and bottom tomorrow, then begin to weld it all together. There is an interesting band of some kind of steel that forms the leading edge of the floor of the bucket. I got it off and ground out the rust, not sure at the moment if it will go back into place as the rust was quite deep, might have to go and get a new piece. But the steel is quite "springy" and has a bow that doesn't want to straighten out, even with me jumping up and down on it. Definitely not "mild steel" as I know it.

Right now my back is killing me, but I'm a happy tired camper.

[redneckalbertan]

The buckets that I have seen usually have a good hard cutting edge, a lot of the time with larger loaders it is bolted on for easy changing. For a smaller bucket, which I am assuming yours is, it is welded on with the thought that most people with a small tractor will not do enough work with the bucket to wear off the cutting edge. If I were you I would either stick the old piece back on or see if I can find a piece of a grader blades cutting edge to put there instead. I used to do service work from time to time for a gentleman who owned and operates a grader before he had laser eye surgery that was botched. I think he was changing the cutting edge every month to two months during the summer when he was grading county roads, depending on how busy he was. When he was done with them they were still 4 to 6 inches wide, and I think would be fine for what you are doing. If memory serves me his blades were 5/8" thick he could also get 3/4" thick cutting edges which would wear longer but he preferred the thinner ones because he could handle them easier.

[rustyh]

I saved the old piece and it is as you said, much heavier stuff 1/2" I believe, it has two right angled bends at each end that go up about 3". I'm going to try and stick it back on but the back 2/3's has seen much pitting, maybe too much. I was thinking I could build it back up, say in 4 places, and then re-weld it back into place. That's how it was originally done, welded across the whole top front, then underneath with 3-3" welds. Of course water and dirt got in over the years and just rotted the lot out.

Yesterday was interesting, a lot of broken spot welds on the sides and back, going off like gunshots. Once the actual welding got done it was fine. I was doing "C's", if i just ran straight beads, then no problem. The whole bottom went on without a spot weld breaking, easy-peasy.

I do have a piece of worn grader blade on my grader blade attachment. It's worn down, as you've said. It might be the better choice, thanks.

I've been through 2-2lb rolls of flux core already and have one left. I can see why the larger rolls are a must! After using this stuff I can see why gas is a much better alternative. The contact tips sure take a beating even with nozzle grease, then that leads to poor feeds. I put one new tip in and it was a disaster. The tip itself was not well made, it had a restriction defect just inside the hole, which I eventually drilled out. A bunch of start and stops later I discarded it and put in a new one, the difference was night and day. I hope the rest of the pack is good.

One problem I have is seeing. At 9 I can't see the seams I'm trying to follow and at 8 I've had a couple of flashes, so immediately moved it back up to 9. I'm working on the problem....

[redneckalbertan]

Rusty, one thing that you might be able to do is put a cheater lens in your helmet. Some helmets will take them some won't. My eye sight is not bad but when doing critical work I put on a helmet with a cheater lens, then I can weld good again!!

I normally run 4 or 5 lenses in my flip helmet starting from the outside of the helmet and working to my eyes. Clear lens (glass or plastic), welding lens, clear lens (glass or plastic some people don't put this one in but it protects the back side of your welding lens when grinding my welding lenses have lasted 15 years and counting doing this!), clear lens (NO GLASS either a plastic lens or impact resistant plastic lens) then the cheater lens with the flat side to my eyes curved side towards the plastic lens this just makes cleaning easier, if I am using a cheater lens. If the helmet won't fit 2 stationary lenses then just use a cheater flat side out. Wearing safety glasses at all times is a good thing but if you do not have an impact resistant lens right next to your eyes DEFINATELY wear safety glasses!

If you are having trouble seeing get that sorted out first! If you normally, or should normally, wear glasses for reading wear them under your helmet or get a cheater lens similar or a bit stronger. I think my reading glasses rx is around a +1 and I run with a +1.75 cheater lens... (Im not sure but I may have stuck a two in there last time I changed it.) As another note when using magnification you may need to up your lens shade. I normally run a gold 10 with no cheater lens, or a green 11 with a cheater lens. I prefer gold to green but the shop I was working at when I started running cheater lenses didn't have the gold ones. I find that with the gold lenses you can use a slightly darker shade and still see better. I find the clarity much better through the gold than green lenses and think its Easier to tell the difference between the slag and the weld puddle.