Weld or glue?

[gangel99]

I have a stainless steel colander where one of the handles came off. The colander is thin perforated sheet and the handle is about 1/8" thick. Looking at it carefully it is hard to tell how it was fabricated.

For tools, I have a spot welder but I've always used it to weld thin...

[gangel99]

Voted for the Milwaukee which served me well for several years until I bought a horizontal band saw. Two years later after never using the chop saw I sold it. Don't miss the mess, the abrasive wheels, having to grind off the dross. My vote is for a bandsaw!

[gangel99]

If it is either-or then a bandsaw. Not a 4" x 6" cheapie but at least a 7" x 12" with coolant; runs all day; cuts straight -- or at a true 45 degrees. No mess, no dross to grind. After I got mine I stopped using my chop say totally. It sat around for two years until I finally...

[gangel99]

This alloy is sometimes called leaded steel, is very nice to machine but is almost unweldable - not sure whether this is due to the lead in the alloy or other properties. My question is whether it can be brazed or silver soldered. I'd also be interested if you have welded it successfully and how you...

[gangel99]

I am a weekend welder and keep my argon CO2 mix tank connected to my welder - at least until I run out of gas. The tank and welder are securely mounted but I wonder if I should be disconnecting the tank and screwing on the tank cap after I am done welding each time.

BTW I always disconnect...

[gangel99]

This is a fireplace set I made - pictures and fabrication steps are at http://www.msbn.com/Art/shop.html.

This is a real easy project. The secret is the fancy handles - a component I bought from King Architectural Metals....

[gangel99]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm certainly not looking for extra work so I'll adjust my view a bit about what is 'clean.' The saw had been banged up over the years and I am planning to repaint it when the weather gets warm. Guess I'll skip painting the drip pan.

[gangel99]

Upgraded from a 4 x 6 Harbor Freight to a (used) Jet 7 x 12. Couldn't be happier about the improvement but for the first time I am running a bandsaw with coolant. The manual says to clean and dry the saw after each use. Hah! There is a big pan under the entire saw that gets coated with chips and...

[gangel99]

I've done several in thicker steel with a really el cheapo bench drill press. I'm talking 1/3 hp and 200 RPM as the lowest speed.

For a clean hole you need to use three bits. Something small between 1/8" and 1/4". Then mid-size around 1/2" - 5/8". Then finish...

[gangel99]

You probably know this but just in case - you should be using an end mill suitable for aluminum a 2 flute or 3 flute rather than a 4 flute end mill.

[gangel99]

It may be the water that does them in but it is also planned life span. Water heaters here come with a warranted life of 6 years, 9 years, and 12 years with prices to match. I remember my old house years ago where the hot water heater lasted 25 years. It's not that they can't build them that way,...

[gangel99]

No - not a bad thing. I've heard a minimum of 3 teeth in the work piece and the point of it is to avoid catching and chipping a tooth. If you have 'too many' teeth making contact you lose some efficiency by making much smaller chips than needed - not a big problem.

I think if you...

[gangel99]

I am a metal sculptor and have done lots of patina work with steel. To make a long story short, nothing will stand up to being outdoors. Even for indoor sculptures you have to coat the patina with either wax or a clear sealer. These will not stand up to weather.

I've never used CorTen...

[gangel99]

I like King Architectural Metals. http://www.kingmetals.com/ I have not bought spear points from them but I have bought lots of other things. Decent service and, I think, prices.

[gangel99]

I've been doing a bit of SS Mig welding with a similar welder (mine is Red, not Blue) and it does weld differently than wire intended for mild steel. I would recommend you try it out on mild steel just to get used to the way it welds.

Let me add I am a very amateur welder so if you get...