I notice your getting some burn through... try following the filler rod with the torch instead of dabbing it in. This is almost like brazing it in, then you can go back over it if necessary.
Build Thread The Hoopty Chronicles - New House, New garage, New Car?
- Thread starter hoopty5.0
- Start date
-
Sponsors (?)
I decided it's time to call it a night when I started tacking sh*t on 180 degrees off center.
I've followed a couple of your threads and always thought that you had impressive work/fab skills. But as of right now I am in week 3 of an 8 week Tig certification program and you sir are a Tig master- that 
is HARD lol
is HARD lol
LOL, thank you. I just try to learn as I go. I'd love to take a class.
I'm gonna have an update in the morning with enough length and girth to make John Holmes blush. Get a towel handy.
Here's a teaser.
I'm gonna have an update in the morning with enough length and girth to make John Holmes blush. Get a towel handy.
Here's a teaser.
LOL, thank you. I just try to learn as I go. I'd love to take a class.
I'm gonna have an update in the morning with enough length and girth to make John Holmes blush. Get a towel handy.
Here's a teaser.
My class came with a 2 year contract lol
Ok, the story is going to start last weekend. The premise is that I need about another $250 to get this beast to fire off. On the community FB page, the guy that owns a local craft brewery posts that he "needs a couple kids to come dig some holes for $100." Being no stranger to manual labor, I volunteer because I figure I can show up after work and gang bang these holes into submission, take my $100, and be about my way.
Au contraire, monsieur.
I show up Wednesday after work with a couple of shovels and a pick axe, ready to party. The dirt in my area isn't dirt, but a sticky reddish brown clay. Pretty easy to get through. I met the guy and we walked over to an area with a bunch of picnic tables and 4 poles sticking about 10' into the air.
" I was gonna pull these poles out but ran outta time. Basically, I need a 4' wide by 3' deep hole where each of these poles are because I am going to be putting in larger poles and a bigger concrete footing."
Well sh*t, this isn't gonna be fun.
He goes on to say, "The area has some spent coal over it, and maybe a couple inches of crushed concrete below that, but afterward, you should be good to go.
WRROOOOOOOOOOOONG.
Exhibit A:
In this picture, you'll see about 8" of the spent coal and the light layer below that is another 8" of a caliche/river rock mix before finally getting to the clay, all the while having to dig around the effing pole. So as it progresses... pick axe...shovel....pick axe.... shovel.... pick axe.... shovel. So I worked for about an hour and a half wedesday afternoon and got most of the way through one of the holes.
I couldn't get back until Friday. I left work at 3:30 and got there about 4. I dug til 8pm that night. I was soaked completely through in sweat and had only made it about a 1/3 of the way into the third hole.
It was at this point I decided I had made a terrible mistake. Each hole had gotten progressively more difficult to dig through, until I reached a point in the 3rd hole about 6" down and the pick started to bounce. Have you ever seen a pick axe bounce?
I gave up. It was getting dark and I had been swinging for 4 hours.
For $100.
I'm prepared to go back and finish today, but I have to say, this project may kill me, either directly or indirectly.
End part one.
Au contraire, monsieur.
I show up Wednesday after work with a couple of shovels and a pick axe, ready to party. The dirt in my area isn't dirt, but a sticky reddish brown clay. Pretty easy to get through. I met the guy and we walked over to an area with a bunch of picnic tables and 4 poles sticking about 10' into the air.
" I was gonna pull these poles out but ran outta time. Basically, I need a 4' wide by 3' deep hole where each of these poles are because I am going to be putting in larger poles and a bigger concrete footing."
Well sh*t, this isn't gonna be fun.
He goes on to say, "The area has some spent coal over it, and maybe a couple inches of crushed concrete below that, but afterward, you should be good to go.
WRROOOOOOOOOOOONG.
Exhibit A:
In this picture, you'll see about 8" of the spent coal and the light layer below that is another 8" of a caliche/river rock mix before finally getting to the clay, all the while having to dig around the effing pole. So as it progresses... pick axe...shovel....pick axe.... shovel.... pick axe.... shovel. So I worked for about an hour and a half wedesday afternoon and got most of the way through one of the holes.
I couldn't get back until Friday. I left work at 3:30 and got there about 4. I dug til 8pm that night. I was soaked completely through in sweat and had only made it about a 1/3 of the way into the third hole.
It was at this point I decided I had made a terrible mistake. Each hole had gotten progressively more difficult to dig through, until I reached a point in the 3rd hole about 6" down and the pick started to bounce. Have you ever seen a pick axe bounce?
I gave up. It was getting dark and I had been swinging for 4 hours.
For $100.
I'm prepared to go back and finish today, but I have to say, this project may kill me, either directly or indirectly.
End part one.
Part two:
Saturday, I spent the first half of the day gutting a friends house that flooded recently. I won't get into that other than it was the most heartbreaking thing to see and the smells inside a flooded house are ungodly.
Later that night, the wife was out so I worked in the garage until... well, ya'll saw how far I got with the crooked down pipe. Sunday morning, I hit it hard again and decided to start over. I made a stand for my porta-band and learned how to cut pipe straight and proceeded to make some bends. Then we got to work on the down pipe. To say I am happy with how it came out is putting it lightly.
It's 21 pieces that I cut, fitted, cut again, blah, blah. I probably pulled the down pipe off twice per piece. But it fits like a glove.
I put the car back on the ground and I have 4" clearance at the lowest point. From the end of the pipe, I'm going to V band it and make a straight run to the cat back.
Next up is the waste gate plumbing, but I'm leaving for vacation on Thursday and will be gone 6 days. Not sure how much I'll get done.
Saturday, I spent the first half of the day gutting a friends house that flooded recently. I won't get into that other than it was the most heartbreaking thing to see and the smells inside a flooded house are ungodly.
Later that night, the wife was out so I worked in the garage until... well, ya'll saw how far I got with the crooked down pipe. Sunday morning, I hit it hard again and decided to start over. I made a stand for my porta-band and learned how to cut pipe straight and proceeded to make some bends. Then we got to work on the down pipe. To say I am happy with how it came out is putting it lightly.
It's 21 pieces that I cut, fitted, cut again, blah, blah. I probably pulled the down pipe off twice per piece. But it fits like a glove.
I put the car back on the ground and I have 4" clearance at the lowest point. From the end of the pipe, I'm going to V band it and make a straight run to the cat back.
Next up is the waste gate plumbing, but I'm leaving for vacation on Thursday and will be gone 6 days. Not sure how much I'll get done.
- Dec 19, 2010
- 5,719
- 4,238
- 224
Part two:
Saturday, I spent the first half of the day gutting a friends house that flooded recently. I won't get into that other than it was the most heartbreaking thing to see and the smells inside a flooded house are ungodly.
Later that night, the wife was out so I worked in the garage until... well, ya'll saw how far I got with the crooked down pipe. Sunday morning, I hit it hard again and decided to start over. I made a stand for my porta-band and learned how to cut pipe straight and proceeded to make some bends. Then we got to work on the down pipe. To say I am happy with how it came out is putting it lightly.
It's 21 pieces that I cut, fitted, cut again, blah, blah. I probably pulled the down pipe off twice per piece. But it fits like a glove.
I put the car back on the ground and I have 4" clearance at the lowest point. From the end of the pipe, I'm going to V band it and make a straight run to the cat back.
Next up is the waste gate plumbing, but I'm leaving for vacation on Thursday and will be gone 6 days. Not sure how much I'll get done.
Dang man. You get more vacation than anyone i know. Y'all hiring?
I get 10 days, I just make sure to use it wisely, like making sure there is a weekend in there too. Im only using 4 days this time, but I think it's my last 4.
I would have been done after the first hole. Lol.
The down pipe fitment looks great.
Oh...and I'm on vacation as we speak. 7 days with about 10 family members, fishing in the Minnesota north woods.
The down pipe fitment looks great.
Oh...and I'm on vacation as we speak. 7 days with about 10 family members, fishing in the Minnesota north woods.
I had to burry my Rottweiler last week, that was just 1 hole. If you will dig four of those holes for a $100, I have plenty of work for you to do around the house, lol. Seriously though, I can see a big improvement in your fab skills since the first stuff you posted. Keep up the good work.
Joe
Joe
- Dec 19, 2010
- 5,719
- 4,238
- 224
Thanks, I really appreciate that. I am sorry to hear about the dog though, that's always tough.
Day 3 of the hole story ended in agonizing defeat. I finished hole #3 (pictured above) with much difficulty and anguish.
Reluctantly, I moved on to hole #4. I swung the pick axe with all I had left and managed to make another foot of progress before coming to the conclusion that I had no business spending more than 8 hours digging 4 f*cking holes for any amount of money.
(Hole #4 as it was left)
I have an amazing job that most would kill for and here I am swinging iron like a complete dipsh*t.
Wow, and I thought junkies did desperate things to get their fix....you're crazy dude.
I need parts and I don't have a budget right now, so I do what I gotta do.
I did get a little welding done last night before running out of gas and rods again.
Almost looks like I know what I'm doing!
I did get a little welding done last night before running out of gas and rods again.
Almost looks like I know what I'm doing!
Well then start digging haha jk. Looking better everyday.
Last edited:
Thanks, guys. I've learned a lot since I've been going along. Most of it has been backing the voltage waaaaaaay down, but the rest is just hours on the torch and some good input from you guys.
Similar threads
