Carbon arc gouging questions

[Protraxrptr17]

I got my hands on a K4000 gouging torch today. I have two Idealarc 250 tombstones that I never use. Would these be good power sources for gouging? Can I hook them together for more power? Hopefully I'll have an Invision 345MP or 456MP to use before much longer, so I won't need the Idealarcs for gouging after that. I have never used this process or seen it used. Any tips? I know Tigman 250 does alot, Coalsmoke works on heavy stuff so I think he knows about it too. Any advice from ya'll would really help. Tomorrow morning I have to repair a bulldozer blade that needs about 18' of shabby welding gouged and redone. I hope I don't have to grind it out or torch it. :eek:

[Pile Buck]

Hi Protraxrptr17 I can’t answer you about running the two machines together, but the 250-amp should be enough to run 3/16 or maybe ¼-inch rod, just going by memory here. I don’t think I have any charts for carbon arc rod. You didn’t mention your air compressor. These puppies eat air like crazy. Also remember to keep the air holes under the rod, and keep the stick out of the rod 3 to 4-inches. Closer if you don’t have enough power. ;)

[admweld]

yes you should be able to series/bridge those too machines miller has some info in there education section on the home page or the welding libary not sure which one but its there.also you,ll need a good air supply at least a steady 80 to 90 psi with a decent size storage tank my shop compressor is a 60 gal.i personally never seriesed any machine that is the main reson i have the dimension 652 and BB402D for A-CAC.

[Pile Buck]

Another thing, the torch you have, does it have 2-air holes or 3? The 3-hole torches are real bad on air consumption. If it’s a 3-hole torch, and you compressor is on the light side, run a sheet metal screw in the center hole. :)

[J hall]

The K4000 has 3 air holes, PB's sheet metal screw idea sound good to me.
If you run off one of those 250's you could try 1/4"
have you considered a scarfing tip?

[Stick rod]

Protraxrptr17,
You should be able to use 3/16" rod off of your machine.It might run 1/4" not real well but it might. Run her wide open.I am able to run 1/4" carbons off my TB 301G,300amp output.As for the air supply as others have said that is where you might run into trouble if you don`t have a big enough compresser,this uses ALOT of air.Let us know how you make out with this.

[wb5jhy]

You'll know after the first 5 seconds or so but just so as not be completely surprised, wear full coverage clothing and have your ear plugs in. :D

[calweld]

1. keep fire extinguisher handy.
2. Keep body parts out of the way. It will blow through any leather articles or welding blankets you have in no time at all.
3. suggest trying 3/16 with 250 amp. DCEP.
4. stick rod out of torch approx. 4" - 5" to start. With practice you'll find the best amount for your machine/amperage/air.
5. ear protection
6. double check on #1 above, before starting.

[Protraxrptr17]

I have two air compressors that I can run simultaneously if I need too. My primary compressor is a 60 gallon Snap-On/Air Source that puts out 17 cfm @90 psi (maybe it's 19 cfm??). The secondary is an old Champion, I don't know it's rating. It has a 60 gallon tank. I don't use it much. I run a 1" impact wrench on the Snap-on by itself regularly and it keeps up pretty well. Those things consume huge amounts of air. I got two boxes of rods with the torch. The smallest looked like they were 1/4".

I assume gouging with my Dynasty 300 is a no-no?

Admweld, thanks for the info on linking the two machines. I'll check that out.

I'll try to post some pictures of the results tomorrow. I'm going to take the blade outside to gouge it. I have heard it makes a huge mess and is a fire hazard. It should save me a huge amount of time if I can use it for this job.

[Coalsmoke]

Sorry Protrax but I was out of town for a while. all the guys before me have you covered well. If 1/4" is your smallest rod size, you'll really need every bit of 300A to run them properly, and, depending on the voltage that those tombstones run at, you may need closer to 350-375 amps to compensate. Remember when gouging out old welds, most applications best use a low rod angle, usually about 20-30 degrees, which helps keeps the slag flying and the torch travel speed up. The most important tip I can pass on though is to ensure full preperation with a grinder before rewelding. That slag is high in carbon, and if you start burning it into the weld you'll get serious cracking problems down the road. Lastly, a really steady hand pays off in this process, so get comfortable and use ear plugs for the noise and to keep the hot sparks out of the ear drums. As for the number of air holes, I thought my K4000 had 4 holes, I'll have to double check that tomorrow, but maybe they changed the design of it. I do know that 22"ish" cfm at 95psi just barely keeps up with the CAC provided I don't switch out / adjust the carbon rods too quickly ;)

[calweld]

There are different swivel pads available for the torch. You can get pads with two, three, or four holes to fit your torch.
22 - 24 cfm is usually plenty to keep up with the three or four hole configuration.
Like Coalsmoke mentioned, removing the slag is important also. A needle scaler comes in handy.

[Protraxrptr17]

Looked up the info on linking the two machines together. It in the books and literature section. All you have to do is hook the leads together and use the same amperage settings on both machines. Such as, 200 amps on both machines if you want 400 instead of 150 and 250.

My torch has 3 holes. I forgot to post that last night.

I don't have a needle scaler just yet. It's on my list. Any recommendations on a brand?

Well, I'm off to work. I'll be back with the results tonight.

[tigman250]

sry i have been gone a bit too but it looks like your questions have been answered. the gouging process is a very valuable one, my father and i have just added a Lincoln DC 1000 (yep that's right 1000 amps!) for gouging. only problem now is our K 3000 and K 3 torches are too small! :rolleyes: when gouging you really need alot of power your tombstones will work, but hook up at least 600 amps THEN watch the sparks fly! don't forget to cover up very well and put in ear plugs! the gouger puts off very large sparks and they seem to aim for inside your shirt! Good luck and let us know how it goes!!

[Pile Buck]

1000-amps holy crap!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: The most I’ve ever used was 750-amps, with about 250 to 300-psi. Had to open up an 8-foot long weld on laminated ¾-inch thick high carbon steel plates. Just about wasted a pair of work boots :mad: , and my arms were killing me by the time I was done. Holding back all that air pressure, and trying to have some control all at the same time, what a PITA!

[dyn88]

oh boy do the sparks fly!! I wear full kevlar with leather chaps and shoe covers. My kevlar foundry gloves are good for about 10hrs gouging with 3/4 carbon at 1200-1600 amps, depending on depth of cut. this stuf smells and is also not good for your health. No matter how good your ventilation wear a respirator(and a good one with a foam face gasket). Oh yea dont forget the ear protection..

[Pile Buck]

Oh yea dont forget the ear protection..
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p :D

[wb5jhy]

He said Don't Forget the ear plugs !!! :D :D

[Pile Buck]

Will you speak up? Too many years of listening to these I guess :eek: :D

[calweld]

Regarding the noise -- I usually run 3/8" carbons at 450-500 amps. My neighbor (1/2 mile away) can't hear the welder, but he can hear the air arc. One of these days I'm going to hook both machines together (1000 amps) and try a 1/2" carbon and see how far away that can be heard.

Protraxrptr17 -- you asked about needle scalers -- Ingersoll Rand makes several different models -- both standard duty and heavy duty. $150 up to $450 - $500. There are some knockoffs some are good others are junk. The local foundry here tells me they buy the Harbor Freight version (about $75 or so) and replace the needles (Graingers has them for $10-$15 or so a set). HF needles aren't tapered at the base and start breaking after 5 minutes or so. Once you have one of these, it becomes pretty indispensable -- so I keep a couple on the truck all the time. Superior Pneumatic also makes them (their own design, not IR knockoffs), they are more in the $500 range, I haven't had a chance to try them, but from what I've heard they're supposed to be good.

[MAC702]

My latest needle scaler is a Texas brand, I think, or something like that. It's got yellow trim, over what looks like the same basic IR design. It's actually stamped "Made in the USA" and has been a very nice tool. I think we got it at Praxair locally.

[Coalsmoke]

you know, I always hear people talk about the very loud crack and noise of the CAC, but I can't say what I have done has been all that loud. Course, I'm also within 20 feet of the welder and gas driven compressor and always wear foam earplugs, so maybe it all seems loud and I don't notice it, but, it seems that maybe I'm not getting it as loud as others. Could this be rod choice? I use Airarc, but bought a no-name brand box the other day. I should try them out and see if there is a difference.

As far needle scalers, I have heard good things about them, but haven't used one yet myself. For me the 7-9" grinder does what I need and in a pretty good hurry, but I think for large jobs like cleaning up after washing a 4" strip with the CAC, a needle scaler might be the cat's pyjammas

[calweld]

Every once in a while, you get a tool and a couple months later you don't know how you ever got along without it before? Needle gun is one of those -- for me anyway. It is perfect for precleaning weld areas (paint, rust, dirt, etc). Cleans slag from multiple 7018 passes better than chipping hammer/grinder. Even helps peening welds when necessary, doesn't hit as hard as an airhammer, but more like micro-peening, helps when welding high-carbon or cast iron. It's almost automatic now, when I start doing anything that's going to take any time at all, the air hose comes out with the welding leads.

The airarc is a high pitched noise -- I can't hear it either, but I'm half deaf anyway. I think you get the effect better standing off a ways, rather than being right there operating the equipment. The earplugs are a very good idea, otherwise you end up like me.

[J hall]

DON"T EVEN THINK OF RUNNIG A ARCAIR WITHOUT HEARING PROTECTION !
Happy New Year
Jeff

[Protraxrptr17]

Every once in a while, you get a tool and a couple months later you don't know how you ever got along without it before?

For me it is this torch. Except it only took a couple minutes. I just used it off one of the Dialarcs. The smaller rods that I had were 3/16, so I figured I'd just try it with one. It wasn't the fire throwing beast most of you described, but I think when I combine both machines it'll be a hoss. It saved me a huge amount of time removing that hatchet welding job and some gussets that I'm going to replace. I took some pictures, but I left my camera at the shop. I just got home a few minutes ago. I gotta go back tomorrow and finish up. Thanks for the help. I'll have some pics tomorrow.

[J hall]

Here's a couple pics for you. 3/8 carbon.

[Protraxrptr17]

Yeah, that's more like it. I think I'll be even more pleased after I get more power. My compressor held up just fine. I ran about 80 psi.

[Pile Buck]

Here's a couple pics for you. 3/8 carbon.
You ought to be shot :D , for doing that to one of the best welding machines ever made ;) . Evidently you didn’t have a POS electric machine you could have destroyed instead of that beautiful SAM! :D

[J hall]

The old SAM needs that once in a while to get everything situated :D
The guy running it wanted to throw rocks at his old AIR PAK.

[Pile Buck]

So which put out more black smoke? The diesel engine, or the 3/8 carbon? :D

[JTMcC]

Keep in mind that there is such a thing as "kinder, gentler" air arc work. I regularly run into an equipment mechanic type welder that has an old SA-200 and a small 5 horse Honda type air compressor on his truck and he air arcs with it almost every day. Nice, neat, precise weld removal. Usually there is a guy next to him with a 500 amp machine pegged out, and a big honkin Ingersall air compressor going full tilt. One makes a lot more noise/mess than the other but both seem to do about the same amount of productive work.
It wouldn't do for relining haul truck beds but it works nice for him on the repair jobs he does. He doesn't run his machine wide open either. I've been seeing him on jobs for at least 6 or more years now and he's using the same setup.

JTMcC.

[Pile Buck]

Yup, one is like surgery, the other is what the dirt hands call mass X, HOG it out!

[J hall]

JT,
I agree completely. I do a lot of gouging with my little Ranger-305, and most of the gouging I have done with bigger machines has been at around 300 amps.
But sometimes you need a lot of current, and a lot of air ;)

PB, if you run 3/8 on that old 400 Airpak, people will think you are burning a tire pile. The SAM just purrs along.

[admweld]

my 402 will run 3/8 without even gasping for air no problem and the 652 loves it it,ll eat 3/8 carbon rod for breakfast :eek: :cool:

[J hall]

The old Airpak has 6800 hours on it.....

[Coalsmoke]

Keep in mind that there is such a thing as "kinder, gentler" air arc work. I regularly run into an equipment mechanic type welder that has an old SA-200 and a small 5 horse Honda type air compressor on his truck and he air arcs with it almost every day. Nice, neat, precise weld removal. Usually there is a guy next to him with a 500 amp machine pegged out, and a big honkin Ingersall air compressor going full tilt. One makes a lot more noise/mess than the other but both seem to do about the same amount of productive work.
It wouldn't do for relining haul truck beds but it works nice for him on the repair jobs he does. He doesn't run his machine wide open either. I've been seeing him on jobs for at least 6 or more years now and he's using the same setup.

JTMcC.

I'm in agreeance with that for sure JT. I also find there are a lot of people who seem to think that CAC will burn a machine out in 5 hours, yet running a DC rod maxed out at 300amps day after day will not :confused: IMHO, 300 amps on a 300 amp machine is just that, whether CAC or 7024.

Here's a question for the masses who know more than I: I'm running 1/4" carbons just fine on the TB302. I have been using CV and set the voltage to 100%, but I wouldn't mind running at 90% power output instead, as I don't really like running stuff at their max rated capacity. I'm pretty sure the CAC would still run fine at say 290A, but if I am in CV and turn down the voltage 10%, I'm thinking I will NOT get this desired effect (of lessening the machines workload) because the machine will still be outputting 300amps, but now it will just be at a slightly lower voltage, making it more difficult to properly run the CAC. This would make turning down the output by 10% while gouging in CV mode pointless. Correct? (or all wrong ;) )

[JTMcC]

The old Airpak has 6800 hours on it.....


That's just getting broke in and smoothed out for a big diesel.

Seriously, that's not even close to old and wore out.

I watched guys in a large mine run 600 amp Lincoln motor/generators maxed out day after day gouging the liners out of haul truck beds and shovel dippers, and then they would turn around and weld in the new liner with .120 NS3M wire at the same 600 amps with between 3" and 8" stickout :eek: Amazing, to me at least. They did the same out in the field with 400 - 600 amp Lincoln engine drives. I realized then that the duty cycle ratings and the max output ratings on a motor or engine driven generator don't reflect the machines actual abilities.
My oh my the abuse those guys inflicted on those machines.

JTMcC.

[calweld]

I've never tried running an air arc on cv -- always ran mine on cc. Any benefits to running on cv?

[admweld]

I,ll second that i have never AIR- ARCED in cv mode is there a advantage i don,t think that is right ,but i don,t know everything.

[precisionworks]

don't have a needle scaler just yet. It's on my list. Any recommendations on a brand? The first three that come to mind are Patco, Patco & Patco :D

Quite a few are in use around here, by big boys who lean hard for eight hours a day. Well made, built like a brick house, made in Lapeer, Michigan. Less well known than IR (so the price is lower) but equal in durability. Low cost replacement parts. Simple design.

http://www.patcoairtools.com/

[MMW]

I was told to always CAC with cc as you want to control the amps not the voltage just like running stick rods. I have used cv to CAC with a deltaweld 452 & I don't think it works as well as using it in cc . As far as scalers I don't have a favorite brand but I like the ones with a chisel end better than the needles. I'm sure they each have there place but I think the chisel is better for heavier stuff.---MMW--

[calweld]

I've seen a couple of those Patco tools in the past -- just never knew where to find them. Thanks for the link.

Admweld: I see you are located in Stoneham, MA. More than a few years ago, I was born in a little town called Woburn -- not too far from you?

[storts]

1000-amps holy crap!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: The most I’ve ever used was 750-amps, with about 250 to 300-psi. Had to open up an 8-foot long weld on laminated ¾-inch thick high carbon steel plates. Just about wasted a pair of work boots :mad: , and my arms were killing me by the time I was done. Holding back all that air pressure, and trying to have some control all at the same time, what a PITA!
Thanks PAl,,,My screen needed a windex washing,,,I did the same one day,,and the owner of the company sais whats wrong?Told him,that his son was a firefighter,,,,like holding a fully charged 2 or 3" hose,,,,,,Thanks for the clean screen!!!!!!!Jack :D

[Protraxrptr17]

I'll have to check out Patco. I usually get my air tools from my local Snap-On guy.

I got the pics. As you can see, the problem came from running a badly worn cutting edge. It ended up wearing away the edge of the actual blade. It finally split open. Somebody did a quick fix by just running a few beads over dirt, wood splinters, rust, and whatever else was rammed in the crack. I ended up cutting one of the corners completely off. It was cracked up terribly and pushed back about an inch. I cut off some of the gussets and replaced them with 1X2 flat bar. The originals stopped a couple inches short of the edge. I ran the new ones all the way down. This machine is used for pushing fire breaks and punching roads for loggers through the woods so if the gussets leave a little bit of a track behind the blade it won't matter. Digging stumps is murder on a blade, it needs all the support it can get. I ran a couple passes of .045 Fab-Cor 86R and capped it with 7018. I just can't get a consistent smooth bead with my old Mega-Mig. It leaves a hump every once in a while. That's the reason I finished it with SMAW. Feel free to critique the gouging, welding, and the way I repaired it. I get more and more work like this everyday. I need all the advice I can get.

[Protraxrptr17]

Here's a couple more.

[calweld]

Actually, from here the job looks good. Looks like you like that airarc. An old boilermaker gave me my first one about 15 years ago -- I wasn't even sure what it was at first, had to learn trial and error until I got it right. At this point I don't know what I'd do without it.

Now all you need is some big wire so you can fill the gouges faster . . .

[Protraxrptr17]

Ha, that's where I got mine! I did some mechanical work to an old forklift of his. I told him he didn't owe me anything, but I wanted to borow the torch. He said I could keep it as long as I wanted it. He brought it to me Friday and said he was giving it to me.

No kidding about that wire. There's quite a few 7018's in there. I needed some harder steel for the plates, but the customer said he had to have this dozer tomorrow, so I had to use what I had on hand.

[calweld]

I used a lot of 3/16" and 1/4" 7018 before I got the wire feeders -- It takes a little practice to use, esp. the 1/4, and everybody thinks you're nuts (it's like welding with telephone poles), but you can sure lay down a lot of pounds in an hour. 7024 is also fast, but it only works flat and doesn't handle contaminants very well.

[Coalsmoke]

I've never tried running an air arc on cv -- always ran mine on cc. Any benefits to running on cv?

Calweld, admweld, and mmw. CAC with CV is not necessarily "wrong" but is a little more touchy to keep lit if you don't have steady hands (remember, we're not laying rod so the CV vs. CC is not important in respect to weld quality). The reason I use CV over CC is specific to the Trailblazer 302. I cannot say it better than the Miller representative that I talked to did, so here is what he had to say,

Stephan:

Carbon arc gouging in CV mode will not hurt the Trailblazer 302.

The reason for the better performance in CV mode is that very little stabilizer is used. This results in less inductive losses. CV mode may be slightly more sensative to arc outages.

In CC mode, more of the stabilizer is used resulting in less output due to more inductive losses.

If I had a 400 amp machine I would gouge in CC for simplicity's sake, but because I need every ounce of output power that the 302 produces, I gouge in CV when using 1/4" rods.

Protrax, good repair on that dozer blade and good to see that you kept the accomodations for the replacable cutting edge. One piece of advice for you is that you need to use a LOT more air when gouging. Make sure your connections on your air hoses are 3/8" and not 1/4". I noticed much of the slag from the CAC was not being blown off properly. Also, did you grind and prepare the gouges very well before laying in those welds? It is critical that you take it down to bare metal to prevent carbon infusement (which results in embrittlement).

[Protraxrptr17]

Yes, I fully ground all the cracks and old welds where the gusset were. I spent about an hour just grinding. I set my air pressure to 80psi with the valve on the torch closed (Should the valve be open?). I did use a 3/8 hose, but maybe my regulator was cutting some of the flow.

1/4" 7018's ? How many amps for those?

[J hall]

Your repair looks good. I hope you charged them enough.

[Pile Buck]

Protraxrptr17, have you tried those flat flushing rods? They work great for removing welds or metal welded directly to a flat plate. We used them all the time to remove things that were welded to decks of barges. Sometimes it was better suited for the labor we had, to have the lesser qualified hands to take an O/A torch and just cut off a deck sheave, fairlead or what ever, and then have a weldor type person come through and flush off the remaining material. Another trick I just learned about 3-years ago is use your plasma cutter in the scarfing mode. First time I ever used a plasma cutter was in a Shell Oil refinery about 1976, but only used it to cut ¾-inch SS plate. Then the next time I used one was around 1983 to rip 8-feet long SS plates set up on a tractor. But I bought a Hypertherm 1250 3-years ago. I used it to scarf out some welds on used shapes I got for my bridge crane. OMG, it reminded me of watching the surgery channel when they do laser surgery. Seems to me you can go longer without having to stop and clean all the crap out of your way in order to maintain an arc. Only down side I could see is with an air arc you can get into tighter places. Than with a 90° of whatever angle head your torch has. If you haven’t tried a plasma torch to gouge with, give it a try first chance you get ;)

[storts]

Looked up the info on linking the two machines together. It in the books and literature section. All you have to do is hook the leads together and use the same amperage settings on both machines. Such as, 200 amps on both machines if you want 400 instead of 150 and 250.

My torch has 3 holes. I forgot to post that last night.

I don't have a needle scaler just yet. It's on my list. Any recommendations on a brand?

Well, I'm off to work. I'll be back with the results tonight.
Hellow there ,,I have 2 that i bought used,,made my Jetchisel,,,thats whats on the size,,i buy the spare needles,thru McMasterr-Carr,,,and I also have a baby one,,,Dont buy one of thos,,the big boys are awsum,,i paid 200 bucks a pc,Used,,Dont know,but heard they were in the 4 to 500 dollar range,I just looked,,and I guess it might be made by Jet,as Ive found nothing as that stamped on it,,Jack

[HAWK]

Calweld, admweld, and mmw. CAC with CV is not necessarily "wrong" but is a little more touchy to keep lit if you don't have steady hands (remember, we're not laying rod so the CV vs. CC is not important in respect to weld quality). The reason I use CV over CC is specific to the Trailblazer 302. I cannot say it better than the Miller representative that I talked to did, so here is what he had to say,



If I had a 400 amp machine I would gouge in CC for simplicity's sake, but because I need every ounce of output power that the 302 produces, I gouge in CV when using 1/4" rods.

Protrax, good repair on that dozer blade and good to see that you kept the accomodations for the replacable cutting edge. One piece of advice for you is that you need to use a LOT more air when gouging. Make sure your connections on your air hoses are 3/8" and not 1/4". I noticed much of the slag from the CAC was not being blown off properly. Also, did you grind and prepare the gouges very well before laying in those welds? It is critical that you take it down to bare metal to prevent carbon infusement (which results in embrittlement).

My 302G will run up to a 5/16" carbon on CC or CV and I actually prefer the CC mode. However, I am running an IR 185 compressor so there's plenty of air to keep things moving even with the 302 being on the light side for 5/16" rods. With that much air I've never found a use for a needle scaler, pneumatic hammer, grinder or other slag removal tools. The Ingersol 185 just blows it out clean.

[J hall]

I run a lot of 5/16 on my Ranger 305 in CC. Never have tried CV.

[calweld]

I never tried more than a 3/16" carbon on my 301G -- but then when I started they only had the 250's -- went through 3 of those -- there wasn't much left of any of them when I got done with them. Only one was in any condition to sell the other two I just gave away. I do know somebody who had a Bobcat 250 who tried air arcing -- he burned it up three times --they told him they would no longer honor the warranty if he kept airarcing with it. They tell me airarcing is harder on the machine -- even though the machine is rated for the amperage, with a carbon rod you get much better conductivity than with a welding rod -- it's like having a dead short in the circuit. My Hobart would run 1/4" very well, never tried 5/16 or 3/8 until I got the commanders, they have power to spare. Good suggestion from Pile Buck about the flat carbons -- I've heard about them, but nobody around here carries them so I need to remember to special order some. You have to check your swivel pad, though. Some have a "V" only for round carbons, others are designed to be able to use both round and flat carbons. Any dealer that has parts for the torch should have a selection of swivels.

I usually run my air straight from the compressor -- non regulated. It tops out at 180 psi, when running the air arc continuously it will maintain at 90 -100 or so. Unless you have a big regulator, i think it does restrict flow somewhat. More air doesn't seem to hurt anything (unless you get in a corner and it blows back at you), less air definitely affects performance.

Protraxrptr17: I don't remember exactly what amperage i would run the 1/4" 7018 at, I'm pretty sure I had to have the 301G close to maxed out, the Hobart would be backed off somewhat so I'd say about 270 -300 amps. I still have a box out back somewhere, maybe I'll have to try them on the commanders sometime.

[Pile Buck]

They tell me airarcing is harder on the machine -- even though the machine is rated for the amperage, with a carbon rod you get much better conductivity than with a welding rod -- it's like having a dead short in the circuit.
I’ve always heard the same thing, but we’re from the same area! Maybe it’s just a Northern CA thing! :D :D

[calweld]

Or maybe it's just a rumor started by salesmen so people would buy bigger machines . . . all I know is I had a pretty good pile of burned up Trailblazers out back (including the newest 301) until I got rid of everything this summer. Engines were all good, it was the generators that were bad. Average hours were about 2000 - 2200 each. The newest one I sent in to be fixed, keeping it for little jobs, only has 1200 hours on it. No more carbon arc for it. Just take it out for quiet sunday drives, ha ha.

[J hall]

I never heard anything about Airarcs being hard on the machine until I got on these boards :D
I used to work in Wyoming, and the only thing that slowed you down was hot cables. You just ran as big as the machine could handle. If it couldn't handle the work you did, get rid of it.
I haven't seen the flat carbons for years, but they did work nice.
I never use an air regulator. if you want less air for some reason, use the valve on the torch.

[Pile Buck]

In 1983 I bought a brand new Trailblazer 55-D. I tried to go out on my own, but I have 3 huge Navy yards right here in my back yard. I think every other weldor in these yards has a welding business on the side. These guys will do the work, for less that I can buy the material for in some cases. So what I did was rent the welder and feeder to the contractors I worked for by the month, and I worked for wages. Very first job I came with in 3-months of paying for the machine. I always wrote in the rental agreement, “No air arc”! Now that’s not to say I didn’t do a little with it :eek: :D

[calweld]

[QUOTE=J hall]I never heard anything about Airarcs being hard on the machine until I got on these boards :D
I used to work in Wyoming, and the only thing that slowed you down was hot cables.

Maybe like Pile Buck said, it's a California thing. We are known for being more sensitive here, who knows.
I never let hot cables slow me down -- just keep a couple buckets of water around dunked everything to cool them off when necessary. Change the water when the steam starts rising . . .

[Pile Buck]

Maybe like Pile Buck said, it's a California thing. We are known for being more sensitive here, who knows.
Yup, that’s me sensitive, caring, tree huger, wouldn’t hurt a flea. In fact pink is my favorite color, and I grew up on the other side of the bay from SF :eek: :D

[Coalsmoke]

protrax, 1/4" 7018 will run nicely around 310-330 amps.

I set the K4000 CAC to 95psi when open, and every connector and hose has a 3/8" ID or 1/2" ID. If I set the air to 95psi open and close it off, it then read about 105psi on the regulator.

[calweld]

What town? I spent part of my wayward youth in the Concord/Walnut Creek area.

[Pile Buck]

What town? I spent part of my wayward youth in the Concord/Walnut Creek area.
Union City, 20-miles south of Oakland :eek: :D

[calweld]

So a few miles (and probably a few years) separated us.

[Pile Buck]

So a few miles (and probably a few years) separated us.
Oh maybe not as many years as you think! You know the Budweiser brewery in Fairfield? I help build that brewery. I worked there 9 or 10-months. I was 18 the day the first can of beer rolled off the line. ;) :D

[calweld]

Pilebuck:

My family moved into the Valley in 1972 when I was 11 yrs. old.

By the way, I have better touchy-feely credentials than you. I'm originally from Massachussetts, not far from Boston. Born and Bred, my folks (lifelong democrats) are still trying to figure out where they went wrong.

[Protraxrptr17]

storts, nice toolbox. My Snap-On guy said $269 for a standard duty IR scaler. Sounded a little high to me?? I gotta look around some more.


Those flat rods sound like the ticket for me. I am sick of grinding. Some days it seems like that is all I do. Just had a brainstorm (or maybe a brainfart). What will air arc do on aluminum? I have to remove a door frame inside a brand new aluminum horse trailer and flip it over so it opens the opposite way. There are about twenty welds around the frame. Sure would be nice to just gouge 'em out. I hate grinding aluminum.

I think my plasma is a little underpowered for this stuff. It's a TD Cutmaster 50. I never use it unless I have no other choice. I had to trim some of the repair plates and cut the bolt holes with it yesterday because I ran out of oxygen. I hated every minute of it. Of course the plates were right at the threshold of it's capacity. My dad loves the thing, but he doesn't work with anything more than 3/16. I would love to try a real industrial sized plasma to see if I enjoy it more. Isn't air arc essentially the same concept?

[Coalsmoke]

air arc and plasma are radically different in operating principles.

air arc is supposed to work on aluminum, or at least so I am told, but because I don't do any aluminum, I've never tried it first hand.

[Protraxrptr17]

I hope someboy has. The doorway is between the dressing room (which is carpeted and the horse compartment (for lack of a better word). It's going to make a mess no matter what I do. If I use a cutting disc on my grinder, dust and ground up aluminum is going to be everywhere. If I can use the air arc, I think the mess will be more concentrated. This trailer is showroom new. Never hauled a horse. About a $25,000 rig.

[Coalsmoke]

This trailer is showroom new. Never hauled a horse. About a $25,000 rig.

drop cloth the inside and get some sigma green aluminum cut-off discs. You'll have to grind a little bit anyways if you air arc it off, so may as well do a clean job right off the bat.

[admweld]

CALWELD,Woburn is our neighbors i,m working fenway park now left 8 mos long job in cambridge building a bio- lab building for yep MIT who else.

[Pile Buck]

I vote you use your plasma, this was cut out of 1/8-inch aluminum at about 40-amps, with a Hypertherm 1250 ;)

[calweld]

Protraxrptr17: You can air arc Aluminum but it makes the biggest mess you ever saw. The molten aluminum sticks to whatever is downstream from your cut, oftentimes you can scrape/chisel it off but it does discolor/mark the aluminum. I'd try it on a couple scraps to see what it does first, stand a piece up so your airstream goes against it so you can see what i mean about the molten aluminum. Also you can't cut down all the way because wherever you stop cutting is contaminated with copper/carbon and needs to be ground off. I would seriously consider Coalsmokes idea about grinding. Just from the fire danger/carpet melting alone I would be very careful. Can you get in with a sawzall to cut through the welds? Otherwise maybe some of those thin cutoff wheels you can get them to fit a small grinder and also smaller ones to fit a diegrinder. That way you can cut through the center of the weld and get the frame loose. If they start loading up you can run them against a piece of steel to sharpen it. After the frame is loose you grind the rest of the welds away with a regular Aluminum wheel. Will be timeconsuming, but again I would be more worried about damaging the dressing room than doing a fast job.

[Protraxrptr17]

Yeah, ya'll are right. I have some really thin cutoff discs. They don't last long, but I have about 150 of 'em. Sawzall won't fit. The welds are about 1/4" thick. I just don't have enough faith in the little plasma to try it. I tried to cut some 1/4 6061 plate with it once. Looked like a pit bull chewed it. Maybe it was just me. :confused:

[calweld]

Admweld:

Small world. I was still a kid last time I was back there (1969) but I still have a lot of relatives in the Boston and Cambridge areas. Pretty big extended family on both sides, but I've lost touch with most of them. I do remember where we lived was still kind of woodsy at the time, I would imagine it is all pretty much built up by now.

Here, we're just waiting for the rain to stop so we can get back to work. A couple more jobs came in this afternoon, all i can do is go out and tell people which puddle to park in. Couple big lakes back there too, have to be careful not to loose anything in them.

[calweld]

Protraxrtpr --

I couldn't say -- I can't remember the last time i used a plasma. Never had reason to get one. I do a lot of aluminum - cuts real good with a skilsaw and a standard combination carbide blade in it -- which could be another option for any welds that are easy to get to. Just be careful of the chips -- wear good eye protection, long sleeves.