Conference 7.286::home_work

    I have a chart at home, I will look it up. It also depends on the
    size of rod you use and the type. If using a 3/16 general purpose rod, 
    I beleive I plug into the low range and run it about 120-140 volts AC. 
    
    You didn't mention whether it is and AC or DC welder.

    If you are welding some thick metal on your trailor, you probably
    want to use a deep penetrating rod. I think the number is 6014 for
    that kind.

    All of the utility trailers that I've seen have a reasonable weight
    steel for the frame.  You should be able to use a 6010 or 6014
    electrode (say about 1/8 inch) and about 100 amps should do the
    trick.  It's hard to say without seeing the thickness of the metal
    though.
    
    As a side note, I hope you know how to use an electric welder. 
    If you don't, I'd suggest youpractice for a while on something else
    so taht you get a good weld.  Remember, the slag that comes off
    on the top should be  a nice smooth 'bead' and you should always
    chip the slag between passes of the welder.
    
    
    -bill

    I sent this off to the mad weldor, here's his reply:
    
From:	WFOVX3::KOEHLER      "The Mad Weldor" 17-SEP-1987 15:08:36.43
To:	SEESAW::PILANT
CC:	
Subj:	Mark, this is what I sent Lesson #1

I was sent a copy of you question about an old welder and a trailer
that needs to be welded.
First my name is Jim Koehler and I'm known as The Mad Weldor....Jim

Provided that you have all the safety equip. and some welding rod
for practice, let's talk about the welder. The holes at the lower 
side are the lowest amperage. They might start at 40 amps. the higher
ones are of course higher amps. maybe around 150-200. 
If you practice on some scrap metal try to get the same thickness as
your trailer. Set the metal on a bench or elevated above the floor. If you
do any welding with the metal lying flat on a concrete floor the concret
e will pop because it has air and water trapped in it. Be careful.
Ok now the welding rod. 1/8 inch all purpose rod (6013) will be the easiest
for you to use. You might want to start with the electrode (the one attached
to the handle plugged into the lowest hole. The other is the ground (clamp) 
will be plugged into the extra hole that I hope is marked Ground. 
I hope this not to elementary. You would be surprised at how many people
forget to hook up the ground to the machine or the part to be welded.
Let's start welding. Helmet and gloves. Hold the electrode at about a
45 deg. angle about 1" from the metal. flip down your helmet and lower
the electrode to the metal. As you lower the electrode draw it along
the metal. Lotsa sparks or did it stick? If you can't seem to keep it
from sticking, move the connector plug up one hole. Do this until you
are able to draw a nice bead across the metal. Use chipping hammer
or chisel to chip away the flux slag so you can inspect you weld.
Be careful when chipping no to get hot slag in you eyes.
Once you have been able to run several beads now is the time to bring
the heat or amps up to get good penitration to make a good solid weld.

Ready to take on the trailer? If at all possible try to weld in a flat
or horizontal position. Several passes will help make it strong. You
might want to lay another piece of metal over the crack too. Bring the
heat up to melt the two together. If you melt thru, lower the heat or
move the rod faster.

Good luck
Jim Koehler

    He sort of underestimated the HELMET and GLOVES.  Most welders already
    know.  The only helmet you should use is one designed for ARC welding;
    Don't ever try using the "dark glasses" you use for torch welding.
    You'll destroy your vision with very little effort.  The arc welding
    helmet will cover your entire face (with good reason, you can get
    a bad "sunburn" on exposed skin), and the glass will be so dark
    that you can't make out much by looking through it on a sunny day.
    
    Use HEAVY gloves.  There's nothing like a hot bit of metal hitting
    your hand and burning a hole.  Deep.
    
    Finally, cover up.  Don't weld if you have exposed skin showing.
    I got second degree burns on a spot the size of a half-dollar
    many years ago because I had a hole in my shirt facing the welding
    I was doing.  The burn was NOT from touching the metal, it was
    a sunburn-PLUS.
    
    Welding can be done safely.  And should be.

    Thanks, I received mail from Jim Koehler (aka "the mad welder")
    and really appreciate the time you all took to provide info.
    
    I have all the right stuff (helmet with very dark green glass, gloves,
    apron, shipping tool w/ brush, etc.) and will spend a rainy weekend
    in my shop practicing before I attack the trailer.  Luckily, I have
    lots of scrap steel (from bed rails up to 1/4" steel plate) to play
    with.
    
    Again, thanks!
    
    Pete

    
    
    Let us know how you make out with you mailorder welding.
    
    
    
    Did you know?:  "Welders have hotter rods"

                               or
    
    
                    "Welders always get it together" 
    
    The Mad Weldor....Jim
                         

    re: .7
    
>    -< this is a BIG notes file >- 
 
    THIS from a CARBUFFS regular?!?!
    
    -joet
    
    P.S.  Thanks for the assist.   

    The reason I say it's a Big file is because I have over 15k unread
    replies listed. 
    
    I like it here, but I don't know if I'll ever catch up.
    
    I suppose that carbuffs would be a "big" file if we had all the
    versions together. I've been in it since....the model T days.
    
    
    Keep up the good work.
    
    The Mad Weldor....Jim
    
    Any one want to help build a new section on my shop/barn?
    

    To remove something that's been welded, do you use the same tools
    as you use for welding?  Or some kind of cutting torch?
    (That shows how much I know about welding).

    

    To remove a welded peice you can use either:
    
    o A cutting torch (oxy-acetylene) that has an oxygen trigger for
      feeding increased oxygen to the flame.  The oxygen is what actually
      fuels the cutting of the torch flame.  This assumes that you are
      actually talking about a weld (metal fusion) rather than brazing
      (brass to metal fusion).
    
    o Use an air or electric cut off tool.  This is a small rotary grinder
      that is hand held and uses an abrasive disc for metal cutting.
    
    o You could also try using a carbide grinding bit in a high speed
      electric drill to grind down the weld.

    
    As a word of caution, all these methods require eye protection;
    welding in particular requires special tinted goggles.

or a Plasma cutter! < supposedly the cleanest cut >

    Hmmmm..... Since you say you know little about welding,
    let me add my $0.02 worth in here.  
    
    What welding does is to melt the metal pieces you want
    to put together.  With some additional metal (the same
    kind of metal as your pieces) to help, you end up... 
    after the whole things cools.... with ONE piece of
    metal.  Breaking the two (original) pieces apart
    involves the same process(es) as if you wanted to
    cut a single piece of metal.  (If you want to cut
    a piece of pipe, you may 1. hacksaw it, 2. grind it,
    etc. etc.)
    
    Brazing also involves heating and melting metal, but 
    the "glue) between the two pieces you want joined is
    a DIFFERENT metal than your pieces.  The best example
    of brazing you've seen is in copper water pipe.  "Sweat
    joint" copper pipe (NOT the kind that screws together)
    ends up with two pieces of COPPER pipe, held together
    with melted solder - the solder being a mixture of tin
    and lead.  
    
    Since the two pieces haven't actually become one piece,
    the process can usually be reversed.  Applying heat
    gets the metal in the middle (like the solder on pipes)
    to melt, and the two pieces can be pulled apart.
    
    
    Did that help, or just confuse you more??
    
                                 - Ed -

...or tell a teenager to not wiggle the pieces because it will crack the weld.
Two weeks max and it will be unwelded.

Sigh.......it worked

Dave

    Sound like good explainations to me....:-)
    
    
    The Mad Weldor....Jim

>                     -< Do you understand now?..if not, call me.. >-

    Yes.  I didn't realize how easily an abrasive blade on a circular
    saw cuts through metal.  I thought I need to use a cutting torch.
    The circular saw cut through it like butter.  Well..... frozen butter.