Re: Helium price hike...
Yesterday I welded a 1-3/8" shaft. It was meant to get no wear. A bearing locked onto the shaft, a roller bearing was to get the wear. The bearing seized, and the shaft wore away inside the bearing race. It was a build up before turning in a lathe to original size. Probably the piece weighed 5 LBS.
TIG welding with 1/8" tungsten, and 3/32 ER70S6, I needed most of 200 amps at first. As the piece got hotter, I was down to 100 amps max, not wanting it all. I never checked, but I feel I was at 90 by the time I ran out of argon.
An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.