China welding machines

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Hmm. There is no mystery to making out of position welds? Okay. When it's 95 out, I take a nap. "Anybody can weld with 7018", this from a professional welder. Washing welds with a torch? That's what a carbon arc is for. As to taking time to become proficient, as my old man always put it, "people learn as they age, some just don't live long enough to be worth a ****".
Dont be stupid with me and misquote
Ive been there done that, have the resumes, experience and licenses, city, ABS AWS, pipe tests , plus my W2's to back up what I say.

Thats right there is no mystery to making out of position welds using 7018. It takes practice is what I wrote and someone instructing you, understanding what your doing or did you miss that part?
As far as washing welds with a torch or using a carbon arc? You've just revealed a lot about yourself and the experience you do not have
Ive literally for example cut out hundreds upon hundreds of feet of shelling on ships, cutout and replaced decking , done countless heavy equipment repairs, piping boiler tubing work, I know when it's practical to gouge using a carbon arc and when its easier, faster, better to use a torch.

If you had one iota of practical knowledge you would have never made that comment
I guess all those Boilermakers, ship fitters, welders I've worked along side of dont know what there doing
As far as what your dad told you? That may apply to some folks, but if you want something bad enough you get it and in this case or my case, you learn from the best and you practice every spare chance you get, you watch and listen, learn and thats the no mystery part.
 
Dont be stupid with me and misquote
Ive been there done that, have the resumes, experience and licenses, city, ABS AWS, pipe tests , plus my W2's to back up what I say.

Thats right there is no mystery to making out of position welds using 7018. It takes practice is what I wrote and someone instructing you, understanding what your doing or did you miss that part?
As far as washing welds with a torch or using a carbon arc? You've just revealed a lot about yourself and the experience you do not have
Ive literally for example cut out hundreds upon hundreds of feet of shelling on ships, cutout and replaced decking , done countless heavy equipment repairs, piping boiler tubing work, I know when it's practical to gouge using a carbon arc and when its easier, faster, better to use a torch.

If you had one iota of practical knowledge you would have never made that comment
I guess all those Boilermakers, ship fitters, welders I've worked along side of dont know what there doing
As far as what your dad told you? That may apply to some folks, but if you want something bad enough you get it and in this case or my case, you learn from the best and you practice every spare chance you get, you watch and listen, learn and thats the no mystery part.

Wow, nothing I like better than people throwing certs at me. They look real nice, framed, on a wall.

I worked in coal fired power plants for over 40 years as an engineer. And in that time I've seen mechanics with torches screw up equipment trying to wash out a weld with a gouging tip. Carbon arc, not so many problems. Out of position welds? Yes, for someone who does it day in and day out, out of position welds aren't a problem. But, it takes constant use to remain proficient. It isn't like tapping a hole where you can do one every ten years and still get an acceptable job. The raw FACT is that some people could practice welding under expert tutorship until Hell freezes over and they could NEVER run an acceptable bead. Some people just do not have the talent, period.

But the bottom line is that your arrogance astounds me. You assume I know nothing and you know everything. Sleep well with that concept.
 
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Wow, nothing I like better than people throwing certs at me. They look real nice, framed, on a wall.

I worked in coal fired power plants for over 40 years as an engineer. And in that time I've seen mechanics with torches screw up equipment trying to wash out a weld with a gouging tip. Carbon arc, not so many problems. Out of position welds? Yes, for someone who does it day in and day out, out of position welds aren't a problem. But, it takes constant use to remain proficient. It isn't like tapping a hole where you can do one every ten years and still get an acceptable job. The raw FACT is that some people could practice welding under expert tutorship until Hell freezes over and they could NEVER run an acceptable bead. Some people just do not have the talent, period.

But the bottom line is that your arrogance astounds me. You assume I know nothing and you know everything. Sleep well with that concept.
My arrogance? Maybe you should re read your reply to me and think about arrogance.
My thoughts were to encourage people that learning the skill of welding just takes time and patience under the direction of somebody who knows the trade
I retired a Union Boilermaker. The boilermakers turn out some of the best welders in the country. We train these young apprentices and everyone is a certified welder
Throwing certs as you said, only shows a welder has the experience and qualifications
Your a "engineer". That doesn't tell me much, in fact it tells me nothing. Are you qualified in welding procedures for high pressure vessels? Have you any knowledge of Boiler codes for your state?
Maybe you need to properly train your welders or just use local union Boilermakers.
If one of your "mechanics" ruined something with a torch, it was because he didn't know what he or she was doing.
Heres the "FACT"s ...Some guys are naturals at stick welding as well as doing TIG pipe work.
They have a good hand but unless your hand shakes badly or your eye sight is just so bad most anyone who wants to learn how to weld can. Some are better than others but thats with almost anything
All power generation welders have to pass code tests, as you know. You also know all these tests are in a 6G position. While its easier to weld that test piece in a booth or shop than it is to do a out of position joint lying on your back on a scaffold in the penthouse, if a guy can pass that test he should be able to make any weld in the field and if he can't he needs to get back and practice
Bottom line is I assume you know nothing because that's what your reply projected to me
And BTW as far as washing welds....Go to a shipyard, cutout a hundred feet of side shell, cut out all the stiffeners. After you rough cut it, tell the boss you cant clean it up because you need a carbon arc torch because you cant use a torch without scarfing the **** out of the deck...... You'll find yourself unemployed
 
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Welding wars... LOL :mob:
Im not here to ring my own bell.. I never considered myself talented. I have a trade, I'm proficient at it and made a very good living at it. I also have a reputation/ reliability that took time to build
I admire all tradespeople. When you suck at a trade it usually means you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn. It comes down to what you like and how bad you want it
 
Im not here to ring my own bell.. I never considered myself talented. I have a trade, I'm proficient at it and made a very good living at it. I also have a reputation/ reliability that took time to build
I admire all tradespeople. When you suck at a trade it usually means you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn. It comes down to what you like and how bad you want it
Easy Tigger.... (LOL..)... You need to calm down a couple notches brother.... Ain't no one calling you on your qualifiers... Notice the LOL in parentheses there I was just trying to make light of the situation and get it moved on... You're a great welder and good for you...
 
Im not here to ring my own bell.. I never considered myself talented. I have a trade, I'm proficient at it and made a very good living at it. I also have a reputation/ reliability that took time to build
I admire all tradespeople. When you suck at a trade it usually means you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn. It comes down to what you like and how bad you want it

We do agree on something, I admire tradespeople too. I don't care if it's boilermakers, pipefitters, operators, laborers, electricians.....any of the crafts. I'm an amateur machinist and welder and I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from craft labor who were willing to share their knowledge. Once I got past the "you are bird-dogging me" mentality and they realized that I just wanted to learn, most are proud of their abilities and are willing to share. I sense that pride in you and commend you for it.

When you suck at a trade, yes, it's definitely possible that you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn to become proficient. It's also definitely possible that you have no talent for that trade. That's my point, you seem to be saying that anyone can be a proficient welder with enough effort, practice, and training and that is just not the case. I saw it all the time. The pipefitter that can't weld gets stuck greasing studs. The boilermaker who can't weld gets stuck in the tool crib. I met few that were good at everything. Best example is boilermakers, there were plate welders that were good for not much else but casing and there were tube welders who were good at surface AND casing.

As to me I'm a bastard electrical engineer that learned early in my career that most equipment that breaks in a power plant is mechanical and if I wanted to keep my job I'd have to step up my game. I did a LOT of power piping and some minor power boiler work. I'm rusty now and probably can't do it but I used to be able to quote requirements from B31.1 by heart. As to the BPVC, I routinely had to have a working knowledge of Section II, Section V, and Section VIII, Div 1.

But back to welding. The biggest single project I ever built was my car trailer. All welded, in position, 7018 stick. I know just from your comments if you looked at my trailer you could tell where I started and where I finished just from the weld bead quality. I must have done something right as that was 1987 and after thousands of miles, nothing has broken yet.

At this point let's agree on what we can and agree to disagree on what we can't. Life is too short.
 
We do agree on something, I admire tradespeople too. I don't care if it's boilermakers, pipefitters, operators, laborers, electricians.....any of the crafts. I'm an amateur machinist and welder and I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from craft labor who were willing to share their knowledge. Once I got past the "you are bird-dogging me" mentality and they realized that I just wanted to learn, most are proud of their abilities and are willing to share. I sense that pride in you and commend you for it.

When you suck at a trade, yes, it's definitely possible that you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn to become proficient. It's also definitely possible that you have no talent for that trade. That's my point, you seem to be saying that anyone can be a proficient welder with enough effort, practice, and training and that is just not the case. I saw it all the time. The pipefitter that can't weld gets stuck greasing studs. The boilermaker who can't weld gets stuck in the tool crib. I met few that were good at everything. Best example is boilermakers, there were plate welders that were good for not much else but casing and there were tube welders who were good at surface AND casing.

As to me I'm a bastard electrical engineer that learned early in my career that most equipment that breaks in a power plant is mechanical and if I wanted to keep my job I'd have to step up my game. I did a LOT of power piping and some minor power boiler work. I'm rusty now and probably can't do it but I used to be able to quote requirements from B31.1 by heart. As to the BPVC, I routinely had to have a working knowledge of Section II, Section V, and Section VIII, Div 1.

But back to welding. The biggest single project I ever built was my car trailer. All welded, in position, 7018 stick. I know just from your comments if you looked at my trailer you could tell where I started and where I finished just from the weld bead quality. I must have done something right as that was 1987 and after thousands of miles, nothing has broken yet.

At this point let's agree on what we can and agree to disagree on what we can't. Life is too short.
We can just let this go as a misunderstanding, im ok with that and yes you have a valid point and im big enough to admit that
Some guys cant cut it at any given trade but most of my experience is if you desire something bad enough you can do it.... funny you mentioned boiler tubes, story only you and I most likely would know
So im finally ready to do a piece out of a leaking boiler tube...Scaffold is set up, everything is in place
I bring up a section of tube with the windows all cut out and dressed ready to use
I start the job and its getting close to quitting time im not done, sweat is poring off my face
Finally im done come back down and foreman tells me go see the general Forman.....What took you so long he asks and not nicely......Procedes to rip me. new asshole.....Well by the time I left that job years later, I would get set up to do a piece out, tell the other guy in the climber to take something to sit on and something to read....we'd go up and id tell the other guy sit down and take a nap and by lunch the job was done ......I nerve forgot that foreman lacing into me for taking to long when I started out LOL
 
Easy Tigger.... (LOL..)... You need to calm down a couple notches brother.... Ain't no one calling you on your qualifiers... Notice the LOL in parentheses there I was just trying to make light of the situation and get it moved on... You're a great welder and good for you...
Not a problem and I appreciate it......Wish I knew body and paint as a trade LOL
 
Also I know when I'm over my head with my cheap harbor freight welder that has lasted almost 10 years now and is working great...
For instance when I had a customer who wanted to chop the frame of his 51 Chevy and put c notches over the rear axle to put airbags and lower it down to the ground I insisted we had the proper welder for that. I laid down some nice smooth deep penetrating welds on that and was very comfortable with it....
 
We do agree on something, I admire tradespeople too. I don't care if it's boilermakers, pipefitters, operators, laborers, electricians.....any of the crafts. I'm an amateur machinist and welder and I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned from craft labor who were willing to share their knowledge. Once I got past the "you are bird-dogging me" mentality and they realized that I just wanted to learn, most are proud of their abilities and are willing to share. I sense that pride in you and commend you for it.

When you suck at a trade, yes, it's definitely possible that you didn't dedicate yourself enough and learn to become proficient. It's also definitely possible that you have no talent for that trade. That's my point, you seem to be saying that anyone can be a proficient welder with enough effort, practice, and training and that is just not the case. I saw it all the time. The pipefitter that can't weld gets stuck greasing studs. The boilermaker who can't weld gets stuck in the tool crib. I met few that were good at everything. Best example is boilermakers, there were plate welders that were good for not much else but casing and there were tube welders who were good at surface AND casing.

As to me I'm a bastard electrical engineer that learned early in my career that most equipment that breaks in a power plant is mechanical and if I wanted to keep my job I'd have to step up my game. I did a LOT of power piping and some minor power boiler work. I'm rusty now and probably can't do it but I used to be able to quote requirements from B31.1 by heart. As to the BPVC, I routinely had to have a working knowledge of Section II, Section V, and Section VIII, Div 1.

But back to welding. The biggest single project I ever built was my car trailer. All welded, in position, 7018 stick. I know just from your comments if you looked at my trailer you could tell where I started and where I finished just from the weld bead quality. I must have done something right as that was 1987 and after thousands of miles, nothing has broken yet.

At this point let's agree on what we can and agree to disagree on what we can't. Life is too short.


Exactly. Go out and buy the most expensive welder you can and just bur wire, or sticks or whatever. It doesn’t work that way.

Not everyone can weld. Even less can FIT. I’d take a top notch fitter over a bead runner every day of the week and 10 times on Sunday.

The fallacy that if you want it bad enough you can make it happen. We’re that even remotely true, we’d all be out hitting golf balls to turn pro. That’s where the money is. And yet, we are not.
 
Exactly. Go out and buy the most expensive welder you can and just bur wire, or sticks or whatever. It doesn’t work that way.

Not everyone can weld. Even less can FIT. I’d take a top notch fitter over a bead runner every day of the week and 10 times on Sunday.

The fallacy that if you want it bad enough you can make it happen. We’re that even remotely true, we’d all be out hitting golf balls to turn pro. That’s where the money is. And yet, we are not.[/QUOTE
I guess when you cant accomplish much, have a short attention span, maybe just plain lazy, than you just might have a point
Fitting comes with experience, you work with a experienced fitter, pay attention and learn
 
I have had my Millermatic 251 since 2004. Still going strong.

My Miller EconoTig is a little under powered, but gets occasional use since I bought it way back in 04 or 05. I was going to buy a Synchrowave 180, and the sales guy talked me into the EconoTig. I should have bought the Synchrowave 180.

I bought a used Econotig (that weighs a million tons) and it's been tits for most of the tig work that I've done. It's not as fancy but it does work well.
 
You're right, if I was your boss you'd be getting the 110% duty cycle. :D


What percentage of the day do people actually work?


In all career fields, the average worker is productive for 60% or less each day. For office workers, however, that percentage drops drastically. Research conducted by Voucher Cloud determined that the average office worker is only productive for two hours and 23 minutes each day.Jun 13, 2022



I give em an ”Honest 8”. Most days 10, plus Sunday.
 
What do you more experienced guys think about the Eastwood 140 machine, priced at just under $400? I need to weld some sheet metal patches for my Dart project. It has the dial settings for current and wire feed, has the gas regulator and comes with a few accessories. 3 year warranty. Good choice for a beginner or not so much a good choice?
 
What do you more experienced guys think about the Eastwood 140 machine, priced at just under $400? I need to weld some sheet metal patches for my Dart project. It has the dial settings for current and wire feed, has the gas regulator and comes with a few accessories. 3 year warranty. Good choice for a beginner or not so much a good choice?
Yes. Those are pretty nice welders for the hobbiest. They have consumables available as well.
 
The Cheap chinese machines flooded the Australian market but thet found no service companies would touch them a lot of people have gone back to the name brand machines. Try to claim warranty on a Chinese machine ,a distributor friend bought some in & took 1 home to try out when he plugged it in he woke up up on the floor after recieving a serious electric shock they dont pass the same safety standard tests as the US & UK built machines .We only buy from the US or UK as they support their products through training & service centres throu-out Australia
I bought an Everlast that um, didn't last. Motherboard went out in less than 2 years, no way to fix it either. Worked great while alive, but didn't last
 
That’s not true. Has nothing to do with not being able to afford something. I’m not paying THREE TIMES more for something that a bunch of fools think is USA made.

They may be assembled here but you can bet your *** not one part of any of the electronics is USA made. Not one.

Keep telling yourself this **** is made here. Big difference between made is USA and assembled in USA.
Whew- well, as someone that went to china a manufactured stuff in China- there can be a real world of difference in brands. Why? An analogy of a typical western manufacturer headed to china "I have this table I want made, costs us 1000 to make in the USA, can you make the same table "-- Chinese manufacturer "well, yes, we can make that exact table for 600 dollars"- - American businessman "well, I only want to pay 400 for it"- Chinese guy "well, I can make it look the same but it won't be as good quality for 400"- American guy "fine, make that one, and I will blame it on poor chinese quality control"

SOOO- my point being- if the company, such as miller, Honda, Lincoln, Ryobi- whoever- specs the tool/part to the specs they want- it can be pretty close to any Euro-American level part- after all, America builds those factories.

So, sometimes, paying 2-3 times more for a properly spec'd part, you can get what you pay for.

I was also in the TTI factory- they make Craftsman, Dewalt, Ryobi etc- and each one has a different quality level than the other due to quality control specs demanded by TTI for the different brands.

Craftsman, at thier best- never manufactured a single tool- ever. They spec'd their tools to different manufacturers.

So, to some degree, you do get what you paid for.
 
I bought an Everlast that um, didn't last. Motherboard went out in less than 2 years, no way to fix it either. Worked great while alive, but didn't last
Thank you for sharing that. Those new Everlast machines look like a good deal and I know a guy who just bought one and says its a good welder
Sometimes the temptation is hard to resist but having that board fail within 2 years and not being able to replace it kills the deal for me
Would you mind telling how much use did it get?
 
Thank you for sharing that. Those new Everlast machines look like a good deal and I know a guy who just bought one and says its a good welder
Sometimes the temptation is hard to resist but having that board fail within 2 years and not being able to replace it kills the deal for me
Would you mind telling how much use did it get?
I am honestly not sure if my example is a good one- I used it heavily for 6 months, no problems- really, really good machine, it was 700 in 2015 when I bought it, then about 200 in stuff I had to buy to get the Tig part to work. So lets say 900, shipping included to Hawaii. Then, it sat for nearly two years in my garage without being used- in Hawaii humidity, which is known to kill stuff. So I could be what I call "sit-itus" that killed it, which will kill nearly anything with a motherboard here. That being said- my millermatic MIG 135 110v machine I bought in 2006 is still going strong, despite sitting for prolonged periods of time.
 
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