Ask your WELDING questions here.

[DiabloADV]

My gas regulator has psi on the outflow side, and I need cfh. The welding shop has replacement cfh gauges for only $12. Can I unscrew the psi gauge and screw in the cfh? Or do I need a whole new regulator? The guy at the shop wasn't sure.

Thanks...

edit...pic of my regulator and the replacement cfh gauge...

[DiabloADV]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

My gas regulator has psi on the outflow side, and I need cfh. The welding shop has replacement cfh gauges for only $12. Can I unscrew the psi gauge and screw in the cfh? Or do I need a whole new regulator? The guy at the shop wasn't sure.

Thanks...

Bump...

[GSWayne]

If you want to add a flow meter to that regulator it is has to be a separate gauge you install on the output between the regulator and the hose. That extra gauge shown in the photo would need to be attached to some sort of flow restrictor and be measuring the pressure drop across it. Flow gauges I am familiar with usually have a tapered transparent vertical tube with a ball in it. The more gas flowing through it the higher the flow of gas pushes up the ball.

Pressure and flow are different measurements like voltage and current. Pressure is how hard the gas is pushing against the inner surface of the hose, and flow is how much volume is flowing through the hose.

[DiabloADV]

I know those things...still, every welding company sells a regulator that has a flow gauge on the output side, instead of a pressure gauge. I know how those flow gauges work...they are actually pressure regulators that estimate flow by measuring pressure on two sides of a calibrated orifice. It's a flow *estimate* and it's good enough for home garage MIG welding.

My question is whether I can install this flow-estimating gauge on my existing regulator.

[David R]

Your regulator is a Nitrogen regulator. I don't think the cfh gauge will work. flow is measured at a certain pressure.

I still would weld and keep turning it down until you get porosity then up a little.

David

[DiabloADV]

According to a couple regulator makers' websites, nitrogen and argon use the same regulator. This one is the Nitrogen Series(TM) inert gas model. Oddly, they make a Nitrogen Series regulator for O2 and other gases.

I'm going to install this gauge and try it out.

[GSWayne]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

I know those things...still, every welding company sells a regulator that has a flow gauge on the output side, instead of a pressure gauge. I know how those flow gauges work...they are actually pressure regulators that estimate flow by measuring pressure on two sides of a calibrated orifice. It's a flow *estimate* and it's good enough for home garage MIG welding.

My question is whether I can install this flow-estimating gauge on my existing regulator.

I still don't think it will work because the port with the pressure gauge is set up to measure the output pressure, it is not measuring the drop across an orifice.

[KTM640Dakar]

Originally Posted by kirkster70

I'm getting ready to fabricate a winch bumper out of a combination of 6061-T6 and 5052 aluminum plate. 6061 for framing, 5052 for cosmetics.

Would 4043 or 5356 be a better filler rod for this application?

I've read that 4043 is less prone to cold cracking on 6061, but 5356 has better strength and ductility than 4043. It won't be subjected to constant temps above 150F, which is not good for 5356. It also won't be anodized, so color match isn't an issue.

Sounds like either would be fine as the filler is stronger than the HAZ of each joint. Just not sure on what's best for a deer-smashing bumper application. 5356 maybe since shear strength would be the biggest issue?

Thanks in advance.

5356 has a higher tensile strength than 4043.

Use 5356.

[KTM640Dakar]

Originally Posted by sakurama

Well I posted months ago looking for tips as I was tackling building my own exhaust. I finally finished so I figured I'd post back some photos. I got some good advice here and elsewhere and certainly learned a lot in the process of making it. I feel very comfortable with stainless now. Anyway, here's a couple of shots of the final product.







I like that last one as it shows the first header flange I cooked which prompted me to go on a mission to learn how to weld stainless better and then on the right is the last header flange I made which I think sums up my learning curve.





There's more photos in my build thread but I feel like the bike is "finished" for the moment. My fancy pants X pipe didn't work as well as my H pipe (H = 1hp gain) so I'll have to remake that as the H was only done as a test. Still, I learned a lot in making the whole thing and the bike runs great making some kick ass torque. Quite happy.

Gregor

Nice job!

[djborden]

Originally Posted by KTM640Dakar

Nice job!

No shit... Nice work man!

[Epictetus70]

This thread is simply AWESOME.....thank you all you have knowledge in this area and willing to share it with those unfamiliar such as myself.

Yet another reason why ADV rider forum kicks A$$!!

[LexLeroy]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

I know those things...still, every welding company sells a regulator that has a flow gauge on the output side, instead of a pressure gauge. I know how those flow gauges work...they are actually pressure regulators that estimate flow by measuring pressure on two sides of a calibrated orifice. It's a flow *estimate* and it's good enough for home garage MIG welding.

My question is whether I can install this flow-estimating gauge on my existing regulator.

I don't know squat about MIG or TIG welding - just bought my first TIG outfit and haven't yet struck an arc. Here's a pic, however, of the output-side gauge of the Victor AF210-580 flow meter that came with the welder.



Note that it's marked with an orifice size, in this case .032 of an inch. I did some reading after I opened the box and found a dual-gauge regulator rather than the expected floating-ball type of flow meter. Seems that the orifice size is paired with gas type to give a certain flow at a given pressure. Where's the orifice? With this regulator it appears to be in the outlet fitting, but your's might be different.

David R's advice sounds pretty good to me - fiddle with it until you get decent welds and call it a day.

But again, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt 'cause I don't even rate as a n00b at this point.

[David R]

Lexleroy, Everyday you own a new tig welder and do not use it is a sin.

I like your regulator. It must be made by a company that sells gas.

I use 15 cfh for mig or tig and usually its plenty. There are times I use more like with Aluminum tig. Other times I Can use less especially with a 3/8 (#6) gas cup mig or tig.

This does not make me right. My Harris Flow regulator with a ball and glass says its calibrated for a .050" orifice. No need to ever change it or even see it. As long as you get the proper amount of shielding.

My first Mig was a Lincoln SP100 in about 1985. It came with a fixed 35 cfh regulator. I burned through an 80 cf bottle in the first day. I exchanged the regulator for an adjustable one when I got the tank filled. I still have that regulator.

Enjoy your machine. I want to see pictures of your welds.

David

[LexLeroy]

Originally Posted by David R

Lexleroy, Everyday you own a new tig welder and do not use it is a sin.

David

Tell me about it. I'm holding the new TIG, a Thermal Arc 185 Arcmaster, over my own head as an incentive to finish the bicycle that I started for my daughter. I'm down to the final braze-ons and bridges between the stays, but I got distracted this summer with my dirt bike. The poor V-Strom also suffered some serious neglect as well.

Here's the daughter's bike so far - brass fillet brazing for some of the lugs and then silver brazing the lugs to the tubes. The thing behind the bike is the frame fixture that I built to hold all of the pieces together for pinning and brazing.



And here's two of the home-made fillet brazed lugs, shown with a production investment cast lug, prior to being silver brazed into the bike.



Brazing with oxy-fuel is fun but I'm pretty stoked about learning TIG... looking forward to lots more conversations in this thread.

[NitroAcres]

BeerCap shown only for size relationship....