Thanks for the compliment! I am definitely guilty of not doing as much preparation as I should. I do need to get better about taking my time and doing the appropriate prep.dacolson wrote: ↑November 4th, 2020, 7:09 pmGreat looking stack setup. Love that fat stack! On the sputtering welder, it looks like you welded over the tank paint. That will definitely cause a lot of spatter and potential porosity. Good news is this isn’t structural welding. I understand the frustration though. I get impatient and weld over crap too much myself. I need to focus more on prep and fit up for sure.
It may also be how much stick out you have. If you have long stuck out, you can get machine-gunning. Lots of factors. I’m learning too.thejm wrote:Thanks for the compliment! I am definitely guilty of not doing as much preparation as I should. I do need to get better about taking my time and doing the appropriate prep.dacolson wrote: ↑November 4th, 2020, 7:09 pmGreat looking stack setup. Love that fat stack! On the sputtering welder, it looks like you welded over the tank paint. That will definitely cause a lot of spatter and potential porosity. Good news is this isn’t structural welding. I understand the frustration though. I get impatient and weld over crap too much myself. I need to focus more on prep and fit up for sure.
In this case though, I did grind the paint off of the tank in this case. I have practiced welding on bare metal scraps and am still experiencing the sputtering. I think it has something to do with my wire feed system. There was some dust build up in there that I cleared out after doing this welding. I also replaced the wire roller wheel thing with a knurled one after doing some googling. Hoping that helps the issue but haven't welded since to test it out.
So I figured out what was wrong with my welder. I had a 10 pound wire spool in there and it was a little too narrow for the holder so as the spool got lighter, and the wire was being pulled out, it was jittering back and forth, causing the torch to spit and sputter. I went and bought a Lincoln 12 pound .035 spool and it seemed to fix the issue.dacolson wrote: ↑November 4th, 2020, 8:51 pmIt may also be how much stick out you have. If you have long stuck out, you can get machine-gunning. Lots of factors. I’m learning too.thejm wrote:Thanks for the compliment! I am definitely guilty of not doing as much preparation as I should. I do need to get better about taking my time and doing the appropriate prep.dacolson wrote: ↑November 4th, 2020, 7:09 pmGreat looking stack setup. Love that fat stack! On the sputtering welder, it looks like you welded over the tank paint. That will definitely cause a lot of spatter and potential porosity. Good news is this isn’t structural welding. I understand the frustration though. I get impatient and weld over crap too much myself. I need to focus more on prep and fit up for sure.
In this case though, I did grind the paint off of the tank in this case. I have practiced welding on bare metal scraps and am still experiencing the sputtering. I think it has something to do with my wire feed system. There was some dust build up in there that I cleared out after doing this welding. I also replaced the wire roller wheel thing with a knurled one after doing some googling. Hoping that helps the issue but haven't welded since to test it out.
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Hey thanks!dacolson wrote: ↑November 9th, 2020, 10:00 amLooks really good thejm. I know exactly what you mean about slow progress then leaping ahead. I spent the weekend working on my fire box and it barely looks any different from when I started! Glad you figured out the wire feed issue. It’s super satisfying when you can troubleshoot something and it works out.
Did you cut the throat opening in the FB after you had it attached? Nice way to get built in guides for your plasma torch.
The furniture rollers are great. I’m a garage builder as well. I’ve hung a couple old 1 ton chain hoisted from the rafters I use a lot to move/hold things in place. I also use a large furniture dolly turned upside down and put the tank on the wheels so I can roll it while I do the initial markup and cutting. Love to hear any other hacks you or others use in confined places.
Been there. Nothing like cramming your head and shoulders in the FB and welding 6" from your hood! Great way to trash a lens shield on your hood. Try pointing a work light through the throat from the CC side to help see where to start.thejm wrote: ↑November 9th, 2020, 10:22 am
Hey thanks!
I did cut the throat after my firebox was attached. I welded it in place and then used the tank as my bottom guide. My firebox is insulated and the inside wall is 2" from the outer wall so I measured and marked a line 2" from the edge for my top guide. Then I cleaned it up with my grinder.
I also still need to weld the inside wall to the plate that the throat is cut into. Its welded on the firebox door end but not on the other end. Not sure how im going to do that yet but i think i need to completely seal the insulation off from the fire/smoke. Maybe I can fit partially through the firebox door and lay in there.