Author Topic: Australian Belly Tank  (Read 3171380 times)

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Offline maj

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5565 on: January 31, 2018, 03:03:16 PM »
Yup Don
i miss my old transformer tig and stick machines
inverter is just not the same

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5566 on: January 31, 2018, 03:08:37 PM »
Yup Don
i miss my old transformer tig and stick machines
inverter is just not the same

Inverter, super-light weight, do low penetration welds wherever you like....
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Rex Schimmer

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5567 on: January 31, 2018, 07:11:18 PM »
I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex
Rex

Not much matters and the rest doesn't matter at all.

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5568 on: January 31, 2018, 07:34:24 PM »
I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex

Will the voltage matter if it is upside down :?

Johnboy
John Gowetski, red hat @ 221.183 MPH MSA Lakester, Bockscar #1000 60 ci normally aspirated w/N20

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5569 on: January 31, 2018, 07:50:02 PM »
It's a new day, I'm not a quitter...( I have to be honest it was at the top of the list of practical solutions).

I rang the service guy. He hasn't called me back since our conversation which is a definite positive as he said he would look at my old machine immediately and if it was a simple issue he'd do it without further discussion.

Sometimes explaining a problem, or indeed a whole seemingly interlinked clusterfinkelstein of them can help beyond sitting there trying to nut them out with a busy conversation in your head.

"The wire is wandering, it's impossible to lay a straight bead, like the wire is being distorted"

I went back to the shed. I reduced the roller pressure til it wouldn't drive and then inched it back up till it did...I looked at some of the pieces of wire that I'd pulled out of the wire guide after the roller had bunched it up, sure enough they were flat on one side...idiot...that solved the wandering wire issue.

 Then I had a bout of lateral thinking. I reversed the torch angle. For me "hot spotting" has always worked best on light Al sheet. So I started with a "pull angle" and about 3/4 inch stick out so it's into spray transfer. I'd start each "dot" by aiming at the bottom edge of the previous one, this way the strike is better, it is right in the root of the weld and has the thicker area of the previous spot to dissipate some heat.....

I've got some off cuts from the original build of the car, I put .040 cuts in them and the welds are starting to look OK, not like I'd brag about them, and if you need your Coke can repaired go elsewhere but I'm no longer as Nick Cave would moan, deep in the woods.

Thanks for the offer Rex but I try to use welder I can take to the job :roll: :roll: :roll:

I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex

Will the voltage matter if it is upside down :?

Johnboy

The reciprocal of 110 is 240 Johnboy, and the electrons flow in the opposite direction here. Just as a word of warning, when you get here we are going to make a concerted effort to F with your head, don't ask Gray or I for advice if your life, sleep or urgent bathroom matters depend on it...... :evil: :evil: :evil:
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Reverend Hedgash

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5570 on: January 31, 2018, 09:06:43 PM »
Doc,

we used to sand blast every surface before welding aluminium to clean the joint of oxide/dirt/etc. Are you still doing that?

RevH+

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5571 on: January 31, 2018, 09:35:55 PM »
This reads like it is MIG welding.  A spool gun gives controllable and consistent feed with aluminum wire.

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5572 on: January 31, 2018, 09:44:56 PM »


I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex

Will the voltage matter if it is upside down :?

Johnboy

The reciprocal of 110 is 240 Johnboy, and the electrons flow in the opposite direction here. Just as a word of warning, when you get here we are going to make a concerted effort to F with your head, don't ask Gray or I for advice if your life, sleep or urgent bathroom matters depend on it...... :evil: :evil: :evil:
[/quote]

Remember that the next time we arrange a ride in a small aircraft for you :roll:

Johnboy
John Gowetski, red hat @ 221.183 MPH MSA Lakester, Bockscar #1000 60 ci normally aspirated w/N20

Offline Dr Goggles

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    • "Australian Bellytank" , http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/
Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5573 on: January 31, 2018, 09:51:14 PM »
Doc,

we used to sand blast every surface before welding aluminium to clean the joint of oxide/dirt/etc. Are you still doing that?

RevH+
Using a stainless brush and acetone, by next week they will be chasing me to make the Space Shuttle, is that still a thing?
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Dr Goggles

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  • The Jarman-Stewart "Spirit of Sunshine" Bellytank
    • "Australian Bellytank" , http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/
Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5574 on: January 31, 2018, 10:00:26 PM »
This reads like it is MIG welding.  A spool gun gives controllable and consistent feed with aluminum wire.

Just like the plane that fired a few shots at WH700 the Canberra that our tank came from....
spoolies aren't that common here.


I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex

Will the voltage matter if it is upside down :?

Johnboy

The reciprocal of 110 is 240 Johnboy, and the electrons flow in the opposite direction here. Just as a word of warning, when you get here we are going to make a concerted effort to F with your head, don't ask Gray or I for advice if your life, sleep or urgent bathroom matters depend on it...... :evil: :evil: :evil:

Remember that the next time we arrange a ride in a small aircraft for you :roll:

Johnboy
[/quote]

That was a plane?
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline grumm441

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5575 on: February 01, 2018, 05:06:05 PM »
I have an old Airco transformer TIG machine that I will give to you, works great! of course it weights about 1500 lbs
(680 Kilos) so the shipping may be a bit!

Rex

I had somethiing similar. Got rid of it when I moved from the shop. We used to call them a Pie Warmer
They had a set of points for the AC. Apart from it being really big, it was also three phase (480 volts)
Like most of Australia, I only have 240 at home
G
Chief Motorcycle Steward Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline Rex Schimmer

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5576 on: February 02, 2018, 01:43:50 PM »
My old ARCO (Which turned into Miller Welding) has a number of input power taps from 220 single phase to 480 three phase and if you put the power control in "kill" the max output is 460 amps! now that will melt your torch hoses fast!

I did build a pretty nice trailer with it and if you use 3/32 rod it will lay out a pretty nice fillet at around 200 amps.

Rex
Rex

Not much matters and the rest doesn't matter at all.

Offline grumm441

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5577 on: February 02, 2018, 07:30:48 PM »
One of my short careers was working as a service guy in earthmoving
I've broken a lot of 13/16 sockets tighening up track plates
and laid a lot of stallite on buckets and blades with a big DC welder
G
Chief Motorcycle Steward Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5578 on: February 02, 2018, 09:29:48 PM »
Same here but with grader blades.  Welding hard face on blades is an essential but extremely boring task.

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #5579 on: February 03, 2018, 04:16:49 AM »
If you're on Fartbook you may have seen this, anyway I've been working on some "power bulges"
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1590868137676260&id=100002592664801
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.