Show us what you welded today

[12V71]

Now remembering the very first lesson I received running heavy equipment and jewelry.

Only a couple days on the job (running diesel shovel) a guy came by the jobsite selling watches out of the trunk of his car (this is back in the '50's). I was being paid by the hour and had to be responsible now for being on time and for knowing when it was quitting time. ALL the other construction guys wore pocket watches, which I thought looked pretty old fashioned to my young eyes. So I picked out a very fancy watch with (imitation) jewels around the dial and a fancy band for $10, thinking WTF did these old guys know.

Near as my memory can figure it was perhaps the very next day that I learned a very good lesson. The massive forged iron lever which pushes and pulls the boom away from and towards the operator is foot operated to "crowd" (away from operator) after which you slide your foot off the integral pedal and the lever then instantly returns towards the operator (with great force) to be caught in your left hand, which then pulls the boom back for the next bucketful. Well, I was a little lazy with my left hand in catching it and the massive knob at the top of this lever caught my brand new watch, literally exploding it into countless pieces.

My very next purchase was a pocket watch.

I've done the pocket watch thing for many years, I still have the brand scars from a "twisto-flex" wristband that shorted out the back side of a Freightliner ignition switch. Over the years I've actually collected some really cool pocket watches. My favorite is a huge Elgin from 1885 and my great uncles 1947 Elgin BW Raymond RR grade watch (he was an Engineer on the Milwaukee RR). I think I have 45-50 of them now.

[ezduzit]

...I still have the brand scars from a "twisto-flex" wristband that shorted out the back side of a Freightliner ignition switch...

I swear I have scars from a Speidel Twist-o-Flex watch band that shorted between a positive battery post and the fender sheet metal!

[Willie B]

I swear I have scars from a Speidel Twist-o-Flex watch band that shorted between a positive battery post and the fender sheet metal!

A teenager, I dripped a big glob of molten steel under my watch. It flattened out there. Acting faster than I could think, I pulled the watch off, taking 1/4" thick layer of cooked meat with it. I could see white bone the size of the watch.

[ezduzit]

I clearly remember the very moment that watchband touched the positive battery terminal and the sheet metal at the same time. There was a loud SNAP! and a bright flash of light (like welding) and a searing, burning pain in the soft, fleshy part of the underside of my wrist. And I remember hooking one finger of my right hand under it and launching it in an arc off my wrist and across the driveway.

I still wear a watch. But my working watch has a rubber dive watch band.

[motolife313]

third pic is overhead and I’ll get the rest of that berry with a hammer lol

[motolife313]

Back on the dual shieldmade the first pic in 1 run and still need to wire wheel it to make it look a lot more pretty

[motolife313]

pics of my office

[motolife313]

And the dog house is welded inside and out

[motolife313]

hard work pays off

[Welder Dave]

Surprised they get away with not having guards on the grinders.

[John T]

Surprised they get away with not having guards on the grinders.

No respirators, No guards on grinders...
Life is short...

don't be a buzz Kill..... baby needs a new pair a shoes.

[Munkul]

It seems like a petty hate, but the shops that tend to use shopping trolleys for wirefeeders tend to be cheap and penny pinching... we have them over here too.
Wouldn't it be nice to spend an afternoon and a few dollars making a rollcage frame and fitting some castors to the feeder instead? Would save money in the long run, since putting a feeder into a trailer bed would just be a 1 man job then...
Moto, I hope you have a respirator

[SweetMK]

Surprised they get away with not having guards on the grinders.

Some shops still operate without those needs,, I think it has to do with the number of employees,, ?

I know OSHA has never visited my farm shop, and I have one grinder without a guard,,,

[motolife313]

good thing it’s not as hot today

[Welder Dave]

No respirators, No guards on grinders...
Life is short...

don't be a buzz Kill..... baby needs a new pair a shoes.

No job a little while ago. And we never did hear the full story.

[whtbaron]

And now he's back. Maybe that's all the story we need to hear...

[John T]

No job a little while ago. And we never did hear the full story.

Well since you asked....

Yes, It was mentioned in another thread albeit Critically.
But it doesn't take much to read between the lines.

.... As far as the respirator, I'm quite sure he does not have one. Thats why he avoids the subject.

not to single out Louie, but he had a great reply... pretty much sums it up.

I am going to go out on a limb and hazard a guess that maybe his leaving that job wasn't voluntary. I mean in that text message we learn that Moto has trouble being on time and listening. If that's the case, he's lucky to get a second chance.

[Lis2323]

The dump body welds are looking awesome, moto. Thanks for posting!


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[motolife313]

A narcissistic person is easy to spot

[motolife313]

another hard working day and got recognized by the boss at the end of it. Didn’t do any of the frame welding just welding everything to the frame and hard wire welded the sides to the floor.

[motolife313]

the boss welding the inside of the dog house. He got side tracked and I finished it. And certainly not the smoothest weld there, it was part of my video lol.

[Welder Dave]

Critiquing the boss may not be the best plan. What if he said, OK grind it out and do it over if you think you're so good? I'm not sure why you need a leather jacket or sleeves all the time? I'd get too hot and the leather can be heavy after a while.

[motolife313]

I’m due for a new one. That one has 5 months on it. Go through black Stalin 730’s in about 2 weeks. I’m going to start getting a heavy duty left glove again. I’m going to ask the boss to get me some gloves because I do mostly all the overhead welding in the shop and it kills the gloves. Can’t make a good weld when getting burnt up by berries. We run 23.6 volts and 300-356 wire on the hard wire, we never change the volts and usually not the wire. Sometimes I turn the wire down a touch

[IAMsteelworker]

Critiquing the boss may not be the best plan. What if he said, OK grind it out and do it over if you think you're so good? I'm not sure why you need a leather jacket or sleeves all the time? I'd get too hot and the leather can be heavy after a while.

I think he was saying his welds weren't the smoothest. I could be wrong though.

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[M J D]

I’m due for a new one. That one has 5 months on it. Go through black Stalin 730’s in about 2 weeks. I’m going to start getting a heavy duty left glove again. I’m going to ask the boss to get me some gloves because I do mostly all the overhead welding in the shop and it kills the gloves. Can’t make a good weld when getting burnt up by berries. We run 23.6 volts and 300-356 wire on the hard wire, we never change the volts and usually not the wire. Sometimes I turn the wire down a touch

Get one of those reflective pads for your left glove. Really helps with the heat from dual shield. They do make some heavy heat gloves but the pad will do the same and be more comfortable.