My welding projects

[T-man]

Hi there welding folks.

Over the last few years I've done a bunch of little projects, and it's enabled me to become better at sticking metal together. If there was a way to travel back to being 20 years old again, I would have taken another path which I would be a pro welder by now, as I find the process fascinating. Every single time I make something new that previously didn't exist, or repair something that had failed, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, as with the myriad of other projects (non welding related) that I've done over the years had. Still new, still learning, but with each project, I get the "feel" for it a little better. At some point, I'll have to find another willing victim to teach me a few new ways of being more efficient, better accuracy, and able to produce a much greater quality weld.

So, I drive a Cummins powered beast, and in the first generation, the VE pump has a FSS (Fuel Shutdown Solenoid) that has minimal, at best, accessibility. Eventually, all FSS units fail from age, and sometimes it's while you're on the road, especially if you buy anything aftermarket china made, they just don't seem to last.

So, stopped at Home Cheapo, bought a new wrench and revamped it so it would fit the FSS without the clearance issues normally associated with such a long and cumbersome wrench. It sits in the truck, along side a new FSS, as you just never know when you'll need one. The revised version works perfectly, and now that I'm always prepared, I'll never have another one fail while on the road...

[T-man]

I went to the local welding supply where I purchased my Miller 211 autoset, and was looking for a welding table to be able to stop burning holes in the plywood sheets on top of the saw horses I usually set up to do projects. I never found anything I thought was worth the money they were asking for, so I decided to make up my own work table and have some "welding time" added to my ever ending process of learning to lay beads. God knows when was younger, all I ever wanted to know how to do was to "lay". Things change when you get older, eh ?

I bought a 4x8 sheet of 1/4" plate at local supply house, and since my little shop is so small, made up my first official welding table. Turned out to be a learning process in disguise, but with anything I've done over the years, I realized that I never quite do it correctly the first time..... Ever.

Along with some 2x3 thickwalled steel tube, 4 casters, and a bunch of 1/4" x 1.5" stock, I was able to fabricate my first welding table setup. What's really cool about it is that it's so dang heavy, that it doesn't roll away, and I can beat the snot out of anything on it, and not have any worry of doing it any harm. Works well when separating brake drums and hubs, when you don't feel like setting up the 20 ton press.

Since then, I've welded on a few hooks to hold clamps onto the legs, but never photographed any of it since.

[Ltbadd]

The table looks good, well done.