Nautilus out of an I-Beam - Questions on Bending

[Shootr]

This thing has jumped to the front of the line on my wish list:

YesWelder Thread With 10% off, I can get this thing delivered for $360 incl. taxes. MIG, Lift Tig, Stick. Dual voltage. All the videos online and reviews seem positive - I think it may be compatible with my current skill level. At least go to the war department to try and negotiate one!

[BD1]

I wouldn't buy that. Stick with proven machines like Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart.
Save longer and buy once and your done.
I would buy a Miller Thunderbolt or Lincoln tombstone before that junk. An AC/DC stick will perform great on thicker material.
Even a straight AC machine is better with proper rod.
Most AC near me are $100 or so and AC/DC are closer to $250.


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[whtbaron]

Yep, as soon as something goes wrong with that, you'll be throwing it in the trash. With an old buzz box you'll change maybe a switch or a plugin and keep on going... I find Chinese junk seldom performs as advertised even new.

[SlowBlues]

that nautilus came out great!

I'd be afraid of a multi process welder that cheap with those specs. '

IMO When it comes to "non top tier brands" the warranty makes all the difference - just make sure you're clear about warranty shipping coverage as well.

I'd get a welder from harbor freight's "titanium" line over the yeswelder, just as imported but HF has been GREAT about warranty stuff in my experience.

[John T]

I agree with BD1

Also,
A fancy little whizbang welder is not gonna help your project at all.

First of all you need to learn how to weld.

Buy a cheap stick machine and practice padding beads.

THEN maybe you can go back and fix the abortion holding up your very nice art project.



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[Shootr]

Just for giggles I marked my calendar so every year I can return to this thread and post a pic of the welds that haven't failed.

If they do fail I'll be sure to post that picture as well, because I'm a full disclosure kind of guy.

As far as these "cheap" buzz boxes and such - I'm really happy that in your area there must be hundreds of them for the taking - but they sure as hell aren't available in the Central Arizona area - I've been looking for a year and haven't seen one pop up yet that wasn't listed as broken for less than $500.

[BD1]

Just for giggles I marked my calendar so every year I can return to this thread and post a pic of the welds that haven't failed.

If they do fail I'll be sure to post that picture as well, because I'm a full disclosure kind of guy.

As far as these "cheap" buzz boxes and such - I'm really happy that in your area there must be hundreds of them for the taking - but they sure as hell aren't available in the Central Arizona area - I've been looking for a year and haven't seen one pop up yet that wasn't listed as broken for less than $500.

BUY new then with 3 year warranty.

https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tool...7383_200697383


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[Welder Dave]

It can be a tough crowd here. You can have the best machine in the world but that won't automatically make you a better welder. Welding requires a lot of practice so having a better machine can make the learning curve a lot easier. The consensus is your nautilus turned out great despite some people being skeptical but the welds didn't. Accepting the poor welds lessens the overall quality of your project. If it was a test in a weld design class it would fail because of the welds. It's an easy fix though. Some welds are a royal PIA to have to repair. Don't take it personally, everybody on this forum has done some terrible welds. The key is knowing how to repair them so they are acceptable. Don't buy a cheap AC buzz box. It will make the learning curve harder. Buy local from somewhere that can offer service and warranty support if you buy new. If you plan to do much welding, $500 isn't really that expensive for a decent machine. You want a machine with DC.

[OPUS FERRO]

John T

If you PM your Soc/Sec/No - I'll be your friend . . .


Opus

[John T]

John T



If you PM your Soc/Sec/No - I'll be your friend . . .


Opus

Oh,
That would be precious...

In lieu of a SS numbre,
Would you accept my EB-4 card?



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[Shootr]

I hear you Dave. Hell, I have a thick skin and it's water off a ducks back (mostly) - but if I haven't had a cigar and/or a beer with you, using words like abortion, shiite, WTF, etc don't really go down well with me.


(I giggle everytime I see one of these - but in reality it doesn't really work on me lol)

I'm also not following the logic of getting and learning a stick welder only, when I don't want to stick weld. I've played with them before, my hands aren't the steadiest and the coordination to hold and feed a moving target (weld) just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. I have a devil of a time seeing a weld and puddle unless there is a lot of light and contrast, even with cheater lens.

I much prefer the feel and control I seem to get using a wire feed gun. I can get on top of the work area and brace myself better. So whatever machine I choose, that is what I want to practice and learn with. Learn settings and situations, make a cheat sheet, find the limits of it and me, etc.

I'm no fan of China by any stretch, but I also don't throw the baby out with the bath water. My thinking is as follows: If I can get a $400 welder with the capabilities of the above unit, with a 4 year replacement warranty, that has been reviewed in videos, on sales sites, and by people on this forum - how is that blindly throwing money down the drain?

I wouldn't have posted pics of the welds if I didn't want constructive criticism - but some folks need to reel sh!t in just a touch.

[OPUS FERRO]

John T

Oh,
In lieu of a SS numbre,
Would you accept my EB-4 card?

Only if you're a Nigerian Prince . . .


Opus

[BD1]

Buy it and report back.
You must realize that all videos, positive reviews are phony right.
IF you search here, many members bought cheap imports and posted negative reviews on their forum. The manufacturers remove all the negative posts. It may work for awhile and the headaches begin when it doesn't. Lots of horror stories out there.
Many use them for door stops.


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[Kevin Morin]

Shootr, neat project, thanks for posting.

I would also vote for a more complex base /attachment form- keeping your circle/pipe segment. I think it helps add visual weight to the base and 'end' the piece into the ground.

The original or inspiration photo of another piece with a similar central content- seems to have lots of planning in their base to more thoroughly compliment the curved form. That wouldn't hurt on this piece, which is why I like the added circle instead of just 'dying' into the plate.

In fact, as I regularly suggest to PSA in his vertical steel sculptures - thickening the base edges would also help give the base a greater sense of mass- so a flat bar rolled (cold forming a 1/8" x 2" flat bar) around the base plate might give a sense of thicker material? Also a series of arcs of similarly flat metal could be used to develop a conic shape to help 'thicken' your base?

The welds shown are cold, and lack fusion along the edges so I think the weld remarks are cautions. But I'd remark your weld position is about the absolute (for me! @ 70!) most difficult position to work in. I'm not sure how much overhead room you have but if at all possible (?) I'd suggest working to get up to bench ht or at least get off your knees to weld? I find that compressing your chest while kneeling reduces the breathing - reducing steadiness and resulting in less that the best you could do?

I think your small power supply would give you better results by practicing some narrow stringers? Maybe on a padding plate? I'd encourage you to avoid wide, "buttered" welds as they're not nearly as strong. I'd ask you to consider 3/16" wide stringer type beads built up along the natural fillet formed between the end surfaces of the original beam end, and the plate? By overlapping these types of narrow, not widened by torch movement, stringer welds- I'm almost sure you'd obtain a stronger, more durable and reliable weld joint?

thanks for posting your project- its encouraging to see problem solving and the results of determination to see a project to the end.

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

[jfk92]

Shootr,

Great project - really enjoyed watching this unfold and also the full disclosure of what worked and what didn't. nice work.

[Shootr]

Shootr, neat project, thanks for posting.

I would also vote for a more complex base /attachment form- keeping your circle/pipe segment. I think it helps add visual weight to the base and 'end' the piece into the ground.

The original or inspiration photo of another piece with a similar central content- seems to have lots of planning in their base to more thoroughly compliment the curved form. That wouldn't hurt on this piece, which is why I like the added circle instead of just 'dying' into the plate.

In fact, as I regularly suggest to PSA in his vertical steel sculptures - thickening the base edges would also help give the base a greater sense of mass- so a flat bar rolled (cold forming a 1/8" x 2" flat bar) around the base plate might give a sense of thicker material? Also a series of arcs of similarly flat metal could be used to develop a conic shape to help 'thicken' your base?

The welds shown are cold, and lack fusion along the edges so I think the weld remarks are cautions. But I'd remark your weld position is about the absolute (for me! @ 70!) most difficult position to work in. I'm not sure how much overhead room you have but if at all possible (?) I'd suggest working to get up to bench ht or at least get off your knees to weld? I find that compressing your chest while kneeling reduces the breathing - reducing steadiness and resulting in less that the best you could do?

I think your small power supply would give you better results by practicing some narrow stringers? Maybe on a padding plate? I'd encourage you to avoid wide, "buttered" welds as they're not nearly as strong. I'd ask you to consider 3/16" wide stringer type beads built up along the natural fillet formed between the end surfaces of the original beam end, and the plate? By overlapping these types of narrow, not widened by torch movement, stringer welds- I'm almost sure you'd obtain a stronger, more durable and reliable weld joint?

thanks for posting your project- its encouraging to see problem solving and the results of determination to see a project to the end.

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

If you look closely, I had my knee pads on when doing this haha!

Great observations - A more complex base is just too much beyond mine and my current equipment capabilities. Pretty sure a HF FCAW isn't rated anywhere close to properly welding to 3/8" plate. The flexibility/springiness of the i-beam also makes me nervous to go any taller - at least with this first effort. I was sticking to whatever single pass I could, as there is conflicting information about single pass vs. multi pass abilities with flux core wire. Hence the pre-heating of the plate with a torch, then the "Linger on the plate, slowly drag up to the beam - repeat" method I used.

For a 55 year old body, my flexibility is surprising intact - until I feel it the next day - but that's what the hot tub is for. Only 8' ceiling in the garage. I'm just happy to have a hoist now!

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice.

[shortfuse]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logarithmic_spiral

Another - natural foundational reference is Circinate Vernation . . .

https://www.google.com/search?q=circ...w=1195&bih=974
. . .

Opus, I admit that I have disregarded about 99% of your posts, but the links to the types of spirals were educational, to say the least. Thanks for posting those.

[BD1]

If you look closely, I had my knee pads on when doing this haha!

Great observations - A more complex base is just too much beyond mine and my current equipment capabilities. Pretty sure a HF FCAW isn't rated anywhere close to properly welding to 3/8" plate. The flexibility/springiness of the i-beam also makes me nervous to go any taller - at least with this first effort. I was sticking to whatever single pass I could, as there is conflicting information about single pass vs. multi pass abilities with flux core wire. Hence the pre-heating of the plate with a torch, then the "Linger on the plate, slowly drag up to the beam - repeat" method I used.

For a 55 year old body, my flexibility is surprising intact - until I feel it the next day - but that's what the hot tub is for. Only 8' ceiling in the garage. I'm just happy to have a hoist now!

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice.

I know the feeling of getting old. My second knee replacement is three months old and first right months .
Instead of kneeling, lay down instead. I've welded many times like that. You may find it better for body positioning and control. The old days working it wasn't a option sometimes.
Your project is a success and you should be proud. Believe me, a, quality machine will definitely help especially at 220 volts.


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[Shootr]

I know the feeling of getting old. My second knee replacement is three months old and first right months .
Instead of kneeling, lay down instead. I've welded many times like that. You may find it better for body positioning and control. The old days working it wasn't a option sometimes.
Your project is a success and you should be proud. Believe me, a, quality machine will definitely help especially at 220 volts.


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Unrelated story: My mom has crappy knees - both replaced and she does well now. I've dislocated mine several times each from various activities and stupid stunts. Can't run a lick either - but somehow, someway I can ride a bike forever. Got into riding years ago to lose some weight, entered a few charity rides, never an issue with them. I'm hoping that bodes well for the future - maybe I'll be lucky if I do as you do and stay off of them and lie down instead. Good tip!

[BD1]

It got to the point where knee replacement was necessary. The first couple weeks for me were painful . The pain I had is gone, now therapy is complete. I did buy a exercise bike just for therapy . That makes a huge difference !
Getting your body in a comfortable position is a big help. Sometimes resting on a 2x4 or 4x4 helps. The little elevation can help.


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[shortfuse]

It got to the point where knee replacement was necessary. The first couple weeks for me were painful . The pain I had is gone, now therapy is complete.

I agree with you. My wife had both knees replaced, otherwise she was wheel chair bound. Yes, there is a painful period post surgery but the big difference is that with the surgery the pain is usually short lived, but without it the pain only gets worse. Same for the two shoulders she had replaced as well.

Now if I could only get her a brain transplant................................

[Shootr]

Alas, much like life itself, the Nautilus project has come full circle. Today it's new owner picked it (and the windmill) up to go to their new home. Yes, I cleaned up and redid the booger welds, as well as a good scotchbrite scrubbing and new clear coat. I must admit it is all very satisfying - $700 for the nautilus (plus $50 for the windmill), and the customer felt it was worth driving 250 miles round trip to get it. Now the front yard is bare again, I has a sad, but eventually the totem pole will rise to take their place.

[psacustomcreations]

Congrats on the sale.


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[E T]

Good to see You sold it for a good price and thanks for the inspiration it gave me to make my seahorse.

[Shootr]

Good to see You sold it for a good price and thanks for the inspiration it gave me to make my seahorse.

I remember you posting this a while back - it came out so awesome! Do you happen to have any closer pics of the tail, body, and head? The missus saw it and went nuts - I have to try and build her one.