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  • FCAW VU VD TACK TACK TACK

    From Bob La Londe@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jun 18 16:04:22 2025
    I just went after it, and I discovered even at higher powers TAC TAC
    still works with difficult welds.

    The uprights on the gooseneck trailer are not vertical on the front.
    I'm taking two piece of 1/4" (6.35mm)thick angle to make the equivalent
    of a piece of channel across the front that is vertical so I have a
    vertical surface to weld the jacks to.

    I tacked the top of each piece, measured to the top edge and bottom edge
    of the trailer frame to get them perpendicular to the frame, adjusted
    with a hammer, and then tacked the bottom.

    The tacks went fine. The horizontal weld on the top went fine. Even
    given I had to fill a gap left by a fishplate/repad. Vertical up went
    terrible. Vertical down went marginally better, but you are suppose to
    weld FCAW with a trailing angle due to flux inclusion. Neither made me
    happy. I welded the two pieces together in the front by stacking tacks
    as if I was welding pickup beds or sheet metal. Except for being a bit
    taller than I might like it looked pretty good. It also cleaned up
    decent. Well for a shade tree farm mechanic anyway. Of course I had to
    then grind that weld flat which showed my terrible results. Not as bad
    as you might think. In 12 inches of weld I did have a few tiny pockets exposed, but only a few. 4 or 5 at most. Probably flux/slag inclusions.

    I've done vertical welds with FCAW before, and I have welded over head
    with it. The problem is I don't do it often enough to remember what
    worked last time, much less develop any muscle memory.


    Now to make the mounting surface for the other jack... after I have
    another glass of water. Its hot out there.

    I am not looking forward to welding the jacks on. That will be another
    48 inches of weld... probably stacking tacks.



    --
    Bob La Londe
    CNC Molds N Stuff


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  • From Bob La Londe@21:1/5 to Jim Wilkins on Wed Jun 18 17:38:38 2025
    On 6/18/2025 4:34 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
    "Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:102vglm$3e85e$1@dont-email.me...

    I just went after it, and I discovered even at higher powers TAC TAC
    still works with difficult welds.

    --------------------------------

    I just made a trailer hitch for my tractor from 1/4" x 2" angle. Since
    the hitch ball bolts onto the weld between the two angled sides I had a
    pro do it for better penetration and $10. He did a gorgeous job that I admired for two minutes, then milled flat.


    You know why I started learning how to do more different kinds of welds?
    I hired a pro twice to do a job, and both times they did it wrong.
    That's wasn't the main reason though. I need to get jobs done. I
    dropped a job off at a reputable local shop, and asked how long. He
    said, "We are pretty busy, but you can come get it in two weeks."

    I came by in about 15-16 days and the project was exactly where I had
    unhitched it with a layer of dirt on it untouched.

    "Oh, I see you didn't get to it. How long. "

    "Two weeks."

    "Oh, I see you didn't get to it. Its been almost five weeks now."

    "Well this agency more important than you, and that business more
    important than you..."

    "Okay. How long until you will get to it."

    "Two weeks."

    After four months I showed up one day and I could see tracks in the
    layer of dirt all over my project.

    One part was done wrong. and one part wasn't done at all. I accepted
    the excuse for the part that was done wrong, and then watched as he did
    the part that wasn't done, right now in front of me in about two
    minutes... wrong. I had to cut the weld completely out when I picked up
    a welder that would do the job, and do it the way I had originally said.

    I suck at welding, and I do not enjoy it, but if I don't do it myself it
    won't get done. If it does eventually get done in a "pro" shop it will
    be beautiful and wrong.

    You know why I installed the gooseneck/5th wheel hitch in my truck
    myself? It wasn't because I wasn't willing to pay somebody. I got
    bullshitted and jerked around by one shop who as soon as I said, "okay"
    started backpedaling on their price. I didn't negotiate. When they
    gave me a price I said "okay." Another shop wanted me to leave a cash
    deposit and wait for months, and then started telling me some story
    about needing to take the bed off the truck to the install the hitch. I
    had already read the instructions and watched a couple install videos.
    It also isn't the first in bed frame mounted hitch I have installed. I
    knew he was just trying me on to see how hard he could fuck me.

    I needed it done, so I did it myself.

    So maybe you have a welder near you who will do a small job and not jerk
    you around and waste your time. I probably do to, but I don't know who
    it is, and I am tired of looking.


    --
    Bob La Londe
    CNC Molds N Stuff

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  • From Bob La Londe@21:1/5 to Jim Wilkins on Wed Jun 18 19:20:58 2025
    On 6/18/2025 7:02 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
    My complaints are minor because I have as little to do with people as possible.

    I try to go out of my way to do business with people who treat me right,
    but that list is pretty small.

    --
    Bob La Londe
    CNC Molds N Stuff



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