@strantor , a hint when Tig welding rusty steel like that is to get rid of as much of the rust as you can before welding. The rust contaminates the bead and you will try to add more Amps to get the metal to flow and doing that blows out the metal.

Learned stick welding first, the oxy/acyt. If you can torch weld the Tig is just an extension of those skills, you just need to learn to work the pedal to adjust the heat, instead of backing the flame away. The Mig is likewise an extension of stick welding you need to learn to keep the distance between the weld head and work the same at all times.

If I was to suggest a newbie a type of welder to buy, first thing is to ask what they think they will be welding. for most around the house everyday welding Mig will be the easiest to learn and most beneficial. For very thin stuf Tig or gas welding both work and need the same prep work, no rust and no paint or grease. Where as stick and Mig are more forgiving of dirty conditions.

@jpanhalt , never heard of the need to back purge on normal steel Tig welding, but it is a regular thing and needed with stainless or other high chrome metals.

I've been welding since around 12 or 13 years old, and did it a lot in my day job.

 

+1 on what @shortbus said. Learn STICK welding first. With stick, you learn the basics of metal to metal gluing with metal. Then learn how to gas weld with metal glue. Also, you should have cleaned the tubing BEFORE you started welding. It makes welding easier and it is easier to clean straight sticks of tubing than an "art project". I use flap disks in an angle grinder to quickly remove any rust/scale.

Most of the welding I do is with a MIG torch. If I really need to penetrate, I go back to stick at high amps.

 

@shortbus Most of that welding with argon back flush was 321 stainless exhaust repair. At least that is what we thought it was. However, I practiced the technique with just mild 14 gauge steel and a backer plate with a groove under the weld for the argon. I was surprised at how nice the back side looked.

Anyway, my patches never came off.

 

You guys didn't get to see the pics before I welded, but I did grind away the rust around the edges to be welded. I could have ground a little more than I did, but the rusty pitted look is what I am going for, and I didn't want to have 2" of smooth metal in every direction where there is a weld. Rust contamination may have contributed to the problem but mainly I think it was just thin metal and I'm not good enough to weld it properly.

 

My latest project. I have a bunch of crappy old speaker elements that I've been using in my workshop. I have an intercom speaker down there and my old hifi from my college days. I've been cleaning up down there lately and decided I should build enclosures for all those speakers. I never had the tools before (table saw, miter saw, router) but now it's a snap.

The box is made from 1"x8" (3/4" x 7.25" actual) pine from the big box store, cut into 14" lengths. The joints are face mitered and simply glued - no other fasteners. The rabbets are roughly 5/8" x 5/8" and were cut on my router table.

The front and back are cut from a piece of 1/2" MDF (I think?) I had on hand. Those are screwed into the rabbets. The box is filled with a hunk of fiberglass insulation (free from Menard's, I've had it for years) and the two elements screwed in. Holes are 5" and cut with my drill press.

 

Building the second box. The clamping and gluing step. The purpose of the corner clamps is obvious, but the pipe clamps are there because the wood was very slightly bowed or cupped. A little pressure was needed to flatten them out to make a good joint.

 

Internal blocks will increase the strength a lot. Effect on sound? I'm almost deaf.

 

Internal blocks will increase the strength a lot. Effect on sound? I'm almost deaf.

Once the front and back panels are screwed in, that's plenty of support against diamond-ing. These are not pieces of furniture that have to stand up to loading and unloading. They're just boxes. So yeah, I'm sure the joints could be stronger. I considered borrowing my neighbor's biscuiting rig but ultimately I realized that a standard glue joint is plenty strong for this application.

 

Do any of you guys ever wonder why Veritas planes cost so much? Here is a video showing why.

 

Had my first table-saw kickback today! The photo shows two pieces I've been making and it's basically a before-and-after. I was cleaning up the back edge on the saw and had completed the cut. You can see the arc-shaped gouge that the saw made as it launched that piece 30' across my basement.

I honestly don't know exactly what happened. It was really fast. I was standing well to the side but was not using my push stick because I had trouble finding it (safety lapse!). It did whack my hand pretty hard as it launched but no blood or bruising, so I got off easy. Took me 5 minutes to find the piece. It's seriously gouged but will still work for its intended purpose.

No more shortcuts on safety.

 

Had my first table-saw kickback today! The photo shows two pieces I've been making and it's basically a before-and-after. I was cleaning up the back edge on the saw and had completed the cut. You can see the arc-shaped gouge that the saw made as it launched that piece 30' across my basement.

I honestly don't know exactly what happened. It was really fast. I was standing well to the side but was not using my push stick because I had trouble finding it (safety lapse!). It did whack my hand pretty hard as it launched but no blood or bruising, so I got off easy. Took me 5 minutes to find the piece. It's seriously gouged but will still work for its intended purpose.

No more shortcuts on safety.

View attachment 174166

Yikes! Very glad you’re ok.

 

Looked up kickback on a table saw and found this.......http://www.raygirling.com/kickback.htm

I had no idea, I thought maybe a sign that the blade was dull.

kv

 

I had no idea, I thought maybe a sign that the blade was dull.

Definitely not. My blade is almost brand new and a premium blade, meaning it's ridiculously sharp. It may be true that a dull blade increases the risk - not sure. Mostly it's all about the angles.

Another laziness factor that contributed was using the table saw instead of my miter saw for such a small piece. I should have used my miter but it wasn't as readily available. I used the table saw just yesterday and it was right there calling to me – all I had to do was turn it on. Never again.

 

Definitely not. My blade is almost brand new and a premium blade, meaning it's ridiculously sharp. It may be true that a dull blade increases the risk - not sure. Mostly it's all about the angles.

Another laziness factor that contributed was using the table saw instead of my miter saw for such a small piece. I should have used my miter but it wasn't as readily available. I used the table saw just yesterday and it was right there calling to me – all I had to do was turn it on. Never again.

Did you read the article, the fence can cause kickback if not align parallel to the blade.

This is kickback waiting to happen (fence-induced kickback) - the stock cannot pass cleanly through the blade and will be forced sideways into the back of the blade by the fence. This is why it is ESSENTIAL to make sure that your fence is parallel to the blade.

Some woodworkers adjust their fence so that it “leans away” from the blade, even by just half the thickness of a business card. This removes the potential for such fence-induced kickback, whilst not adversely affecting the workpiece.

kv

 

was not using my push stick because I had trouble finding it (safety lapse!).

Glad it wasn't worse.

That reminds me I need to make some push sticks. I bought some pushers for use with my jointer (the thought of those blades cutting into my fingers was just too horrifying). For the table saw, I just grab any piece of scrap wood that's handy.

 

Did you read the article, the fence can cause kickback if not align parallel to the blade.

Yes, and I read extensively about table saw safety when I first got mine. I was doing a few things right: I had precisely aligned the fence and was standing to the side. I try to do that as much as possible. But as I noted, I did a few things wrong: No push stick and the wrong tool for the job.

 

... I need to make some push sticks.

You certainly can but this is mine: https://www.harborfreight.com/push-stick-33279.html

Take 20% off that and throw in the free multimeter, and it's tough to beat. The orange color makes it easier to spot in the workshop.

 

Small pieces are like a mis-aligned fence. They are not stable. Ripping thin pieces creates much the same situation. Finally, a feather fence opposite the fixed fence is fine. Don't try a solid fence replacement for the feather. The piece may bind, then you are left turning the saw off while unstable and in the middle of a cut that you are holding pressure against.

Craft shows will sometimes have a seller showing a board left "unpushed" and just sitting over the blade. The huckster is selling "alignment" tools.

 

...The box is made from 1"x8" (3/4" x 7.25" actual) pine from the big box store, cut into 14" lengths. The joints are face mitered and simply glued - no other fasteners.

A true audio purist would have used MDF for the box, with mitered joints. Solid wood is known to have resonances that can affect the output sound. Also, the size of the box also affects the output. The fiberglass on the inside will definitely help to dampen the effects of the enclosure. You would be surprised at how many different things are required to actually build a decent speaker enclosure. I know I was.

On your kickback, do you have a riving blade (that shark fin like protrusion right behind the blade)?

 

On your kickback, do you have a riving blade (that shark fin like protrusion right behind the blade)?

I don’t, but I want one and I’ve spent quite a bit of time to measure and design one. Trouble is I can’t find the right thickness of stock and have no way to cut it if I did. I could use an old blade for the stock but again, I don’t have anything to cut it. I’ve used a water jet cutter to do similar things for me but it’s not cheap.