# Al in Calgary



## alman (Jan 15, 2016)

Hi All,
welder / millwright with ubber electrical experience. nice to see a forum like this here in Calgary, ,  networking helps and maybe some have skills to share an pass around for helping others.

FYI, looking for a decent single phase / 220VAC lathe, 1 1/2" bore or better.

been gearing up garage to hopefully do a little work on the side to keep from goin crazy since getting laid off, , , expect its gonna be a while 

have welding gear - 
Miller Syncrowave - DC +/- an Squarewave AC for aluminum
Lincoln 180HD MIG with Ali gun
Miller Maxstar 150STL, ubber portable
hypertherm plasma cutter
1/2" 1n 1 1/2 hp drill presses
9x12 Horiz/ vert bandsaw
3T arbor press
20 & 40 gal wash tank
glass bead cabinet for blasting parts
an my pride an joy, ,  steam pressure washer ! 

If anyone has any projects an could use some help with weld or fab / material cut an drill, drop a line


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## Alexander (Jan 16, 2016)

Welcome to the form. Hang in there on your job search. The local economy has completely derailed at the moment. On the plus side you should be able to find some side jobs and the job market will bounce back.


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## PeterT (Jan 16, 2016)

Welcome & ya, hang in there. I signed up for an intro TIG welding night course at SAIT, more for bucket list personal interest & 'maybe-one-day' wishful thinking purchase consideration. So maybe I will pick your brain on this topic when the time comes. Although between $U exchange & working in volatile O&G, who knows....


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## EricB (Jan 17, 2016)

Hey, welcome to the forum!


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## John Conroy (Jan 17, 2016)

E
Welcome to the forum Al, hope the work situation turns around for you.


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## Jwest7788 (Jan 19, 2016)

Welcome. Good to have you in the group!


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## Janger (Jan 21, 2016)

PeterT said:


> Welcome & ya, hang in there. I signed up for an intro TIG welding night course at SAIT, more for bucket list personal interest & 'maybe-one-day' wishful thinking purchase consideration. So maybe I will pick your brain on this topic when the time comes. Although between $U exchange & working in volatile O&G, who knows....



I have an Everlast TIG AC/DC plasma stick all in one. It was only about $1500 CAD! and it's been pretty good. Welds Aluminium etc. @Kris Jensen has a few Everlast machines too. I think they are good value for money. I got it from http://www.everlastwelders.ca/multipurposeunit/powerpro-164.php - turns out it is a guy who is the Canadian dealer. Small outfit. I'd buy another one from them. I saw a guy buying a Miller TIG at KMS the other day, I think it was close to $4K. !!!


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## Janger (Jan 21, 2016)

@alman Welcome to the forum!
In your experience what is the best way to clean up greasy hot roll to prep it for welding and painting? I've been going to the car wash and washing the material before I get it home, that helps a lot, but I still seem to spend a lot of tedious time with an angle grinder and a cup brush cleaning it up more, and wiping it down with degreaser, towels, etc. I'm hoping there is a better answer - a quicker answer. Something I can afford and do in the garage...


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## alman (Jan 25, 2016)

Janger said:


> @alman Welcome to the forum!
> In your experience what is the best way to clean up greasy hot roll to prep it for welding and painting? I've been going to the car wash and washing the material before I get it home, that helps a lot, but I still seem to spend a lot of tedious time with an angle grinder and a cup brush cleaning it up more, and wiping it down with degreaser, towels, etc. I'm hoping there is a better answer - a quicker answer. Something I can afford and do in the garage...



Hi,
depending on how much grease there is, I use a steamer, , ,  hot steam breaks grease down so fast, cold pressure jus blows it around.  wire wheel only spreads it around, , ,  gas is a cheap degreaser, but very flammable, ,  varsol works well also, I am in the SE, Queensland area


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## Janger (Jan 26, 2016)

Interesting Al. I invite you to post some pictures of "an my pride an joy, , steam pressure washer !" ??? What brand and model? Diesel? Gasoline? Electric?


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## alman (Jan 27, 2016)

Hi Janger,
It is wired for 220VAC, but can change to 110, , but better consumption ratio power wise at 220. 
Has port connection to use soaps and degreasers compatible with pump. Gonna wash exterior of house this spring, way better with steam instead of high pressure to get grime off. Great for engines and equipment like bobcats and the like before working on them. Clean as a whistle. ! Let me know if you want to try. Need a decent warmish day, as I have to run garden hose for water, don't have running water in garage, , ,  yet.


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## Matt_b_m (Jan 28, 2016)

Welcome aboard Al! Hang in there and keep busy bud, things cant stay down forever. Times like these are when the inventive minds create the next new thing just in time for the next round!
Enjoy


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## Janger (Jan 29, 2016)

alman said:


> Hi Janger,
> It is wired for 220VAC, but can change to 110, , but better consumption ratio power wise at 220.
> Has port connection to use soaps and degreasers compatible with pump. Gonna wash exterior of house this spring, way better with steam instead of high pressure to get grime off. Great for engines and equipment like bobcats and the like before working on them. Clean as a whistle. ! Let me know if you want to try. Need a decent warmish day, as I have to run garden hose for water, don't have running water in garage, , ,  yet.



I do want to try it. I need to make a firewood holder and the material needs to be painted nice to last outside.

So guys I have some tremclad latex primer and metal paint. I was going to thin and spray it (the firewood rack). Is there something else that would be better ? The spray cans stink so much but this stuff is very low odor. Not sure about the durability.


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## Matt_b_m (Jan 29, 2016)

Not that it might help you much since you already have the paint, but honestly I've had great reliability with the traditional oil based Tremclad and a brush, primed and unprimed. The brush streaks vanish as the paint dries and the finish is smooth and durable. I have a utility trailer I painted in 2003 that until this year never rusted and it only did so because I towed it when the roads were wet and had been salted. The color palet can be limited but I also discovered that some small rural type hardware stores carry Ace Hardware branded implement paint, so Cat yellow, Ford blue, JD green and yellow, MF red, etc. The down side being they take a while to dry, but for me it's been the perfect outdoor paint for things that need to last. A wood rack is a prime example of something I'd want a good tough finish on and judging from the wood, cement, rebar, motorcycles, ATVs I've carried on my trailer the paint held true to being durable.
As for prep, a lot of times I haven't really worried with that stuff. Like mentioned, varsol, lacquer thinner, and most importantly clean rags.

I do remember an old apartment that I had that will proudly display it's high gloss Ford blue kitchen cupboards and grey cabinet bases for a long time....

I built a work bench a year ago for reloading ammunition and I wanted a smooth durable finish. I used MDF and Tremclad grey with a brush. The MDF is terrible at sucking the paint up, but the second coat a few days later turned out with an amazing high gloss finish that is really durable and so far as resisted gun oil and similar.

Hope that helps.


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## Janger (Jan 29, 2016)

Another question @alman - does it use electricity to heat the water or burns fuel? I was looking at them on eBay and I was confused if they were dual fuel diesel/electric or what?


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## alman (Jan 29, 2016)

Janger said:


> Another question @alman - does it use electricity to heat the water or burns fuel? I was looking at them on eBay and I was confused if they were dual fuel diesel/electric or what?




Hi Janger,
The AC power drives the pressure pump and the burner / blower, , , the unit uses either diesel and or kerosene to heat the water to 250D f


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## Wayne (Jan 30, 2016)

Hi,
I am out in the country past Cochrane, would you be interested in building/ welding a lathe stand or modifying the one that I have? I would like it to be more solid and easier to attach the lathe to. I would also like to have some heavy screw in/ bolt adjustable legs on it to assist with leveling. And if anyone can think of a way that I could have wheels on it to move it around and then lower it to set it on the ground to use it. Any ideas?


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## Jwest7788 (Feb 9, 2016)

Wayne said:


> Hi,
> I am out in the country past Cochrane, would you be interested in building/ welding a lathe stand or modifying the one that I have? I would like it to be more solid and easier to attach the lathe to. I would also like to have some heavy screw in/ bolt adjustable legs on it to assist with leveling. And if anyone can think of a way that I could have wheels on it to move it around and then lower it to set it on the ground to use it. Any ideas?


Hey Wayne,

Kinda late replying here, but consider posting to the "Request a job from a member" section of the site for this.

Also, @Kris Jensen is a welder who takes on project work, try reaching out to him. 

JW


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## Wayne (Feb 9, 2016)

Hi,
Thanks for the information. I now have the lathe mounted on a King lathe stand. It will have to sit where it is until I figure out a leg system that is height adjustable that might even allow wheels to be put on and off. I think my location [In the country puts some people off].
Wayne


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## Tom Kitta (Feb 10, 2016)

Welcome!


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## Kris Jensen (Feb 14, 2016)

Hey Wayne welcome. I have one of my main clients out in Cochrane so I'm out there once or twice a month so if you need any help on anything let me know.


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## Tom O (Feb 14, 2016)

PeterT said:


> Welcome & ya, hang in there. I signed up for an intro TIG welding night course at SAIT, more for bucket list personal interest & 'maybe-one-day' wishful thinking purchase consideration. So maybe I will pick your brain on this topic when the time comes. Although between $U exchange & working in volatile O&G, who knows....


So what did it cost for Sait,  how did you find the course was it worth taking?


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## Janger (Feb 14, 2016)

Well, I've taken the MIG and the TIG night cont ed. style classes at SAIT. The good is you learn a lot, get to use equipment and get a feel for it, and learn some welding and get critiqued by the instructor. You make really rapid progress for the first couple of classes, then I'd say less so. The con is the classes are bloody expensive. $500ish. I'd prefer half the length and half the price myself. It has put me off taking more classes at SAIT unfortunately. Anyone else?


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## Tom O (Feb 14, 2016)

Last time I looked that one was $600.00 I'm wondering if that is the one Peter T was talking about.
Now that it is warming up a bit I'll start venturing out in the garage lol.


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## PeterT (Feb 14, 2016)

I'm mid-way through the SAIT Tig course & finding it pretty good overall. Minimal classroom stuff, mostly hands on. They divvy it roughly 2 classes carbon steel + 2 stainless + 2 aluminum + couple classes for project. The project sounds pretty loose & open - either a class project or bring in what you have that needs welding. Mostly attendees are no experience hobbyist guys like me, maybe the odd prospective career changer. They use Miller 200-series boxes & the facilities are quite nice - your own booth, table, nice tools etc. The handout mask & oven mitts are somewhat lame, but a student number gets you a discount at AirLiquide which netted cheaper than KMS sale. So far, mostly flat stock / coupon bar work so basically different joints, thicknesses, fillers, settings etc. Although a tad repetitive, its probably the normal training approach - walk before you run. TIG is fascinating to me. Once you start to get the hang of technique & settings, its a great feeling to make a nice weld. Not sure if/when I will invest in the gear, its pretty spendy. But between this intro & hours of Youtube grazing, I'm 99% sure TIG is most aligned weapon of choice to my project needs. So treating this as a 'down payment'   I'm sure its like most things, the real progress happens at home in the shop with lots of practice.

Yup, ejumacation costs these days. Its $540 for 30 hrs. I think some folks could tax deduct tuition if it aligned to work. I need to check into that.
http://register.sait.ca/saitApp/cal...Type=All&courseCode=WELD-204&startTerm=000000


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## Kris Jensen (Feb 14, 2016)

Tom O said:


> Last time I looked that one was $600.00 I'm wondering if that is the one Peter T was talking about.
> Now that it is warming up a bit I'll start venturing out in the garage lol.


$600 pay me $300 and I'll teach you everything I know


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## PeterT (Feb 15, 2016)

I might just take you up on that one day buddy. Especially to see your Everlast... now that I have a primitive understanding of what the blinky light button & knobs actually do!


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## Bofobo (Mar 18, 2016)

Janger said:


> @alman Welcome to the forum!
> In your experience what is the best way to clean up greasy hot roll to prep it for welding and painting? I've been going to the car wash and washing the material before I get it home, that helps a lot, but I still seem to spend a lot of tedious time with an angle grinder and a cup brush cleaning it up more, and wiping it down with degreaser, towels, etc. I'm hoping there is a better answer - a quicker answer. Something I can afford and do in the garage...


Have you tried super clean? It's available at canadian tire and breaks down grease like nothing else I have seen. We used it at MMI for exactly that and I used it to blast thru the shipping wax/grease in my mini machines. Just  super clean in a spray bottle, wait and wipe. I've got a sample bottle I can give you, it was a world of wheels freebee and I have a jug


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## Janger (Mar 18, 2016)

Welcome @Bofobo !
Kind offer! No I have not heard of that product. Super clean. Looking on can tire web site I don't see it. Got a link?

Edit: here we go. It's superclean one word. http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/autom...t&utm_source=AskAndAnswer&utm_content=Default


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## Chris Roy (Mar 19, 2016)

welcome


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## Bofobo (Mar 19, 2016)

Yeah that's the stuff.


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## Janger (Apr 10, 2016)

It's on sale at can tire. $12 for a gallon and the small bottle is $4 ish. I bought some and it does work well on greasy metals. Thanks for the tip @Bofobo


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## Bofobo (Apr 11, 2016)

Janger said:


> It's on sale at can tire. $12 for a gallon and the small bottle is $4 ish. I bought some and it does work well on greasy metals. Thanks for the tip @Bofobo


It's uses go far beyond metal, I gave one of the sample bottles to a friend of mine, she says it works great on greasy clothes too. I don't have a woman to answer to when I wash my greasy clothes so it never occurred to me lol. Who knows might save a marriage haha


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