Just passing through

[Thom2]

Just wanted to pop in and say 'HI GUYS' .... Been awhile since I've been around and was thinking about this place when working on my latest project and getting my shop back in some sort of 'order' (yes, I still have a shop, believe it or not).

I'm now into my 5th year of being self-employed as an Independent Insurance Adjuster and work has taken up a good bit of my life the past while. When not working, I've got a daughter that will soon turn 16 and we put a camper on a seasonal site a few years ago to attempt to cure her 'screen syndrome'. Tabi then showed an interest in shooting and I signed her up for a .22 league that I was very active with for a few years. The shooting led to hunting and I purchased a second camper that I put in Northern PA for a hunting camp and enjoyed some time in the mountains with my daughter. I gave her a teenage girl a gun, took her into the woods and still managed to make it back alive so I guess that means I must be an okay Dad.

While I don't get much time to cut wood these days, I do still have the shop and do all of my own repairs and maintenance on everything from the vehicles to the house to the lawn equipment. I spend a good bit of time helping friends and family with different projects and there's always stuff to be done for the campers.

Figured I'd pop in and share my latest project. While it doesn't involve wood it does involve keeping my shop mobile and in shape to use. While re-organizing the shop recently I realized how much thanks I owe to so many people around this place. I've learned so much over the course of time that I did spend here and it's allowed me to put together an incredibly versatile shop that I am quite proud of. So a big THANK YOU goes out to you folks as I keep trying to make my shop better.

[Thom2]

Shop Shots

Figured I'd share some photos of the shop as well. (While it's still suitable for photographing )

[Pappy]

Good to hear from you Thom!

The shop looks good, especially the overhead cabinet doors! It's too clean. You have either been taking lessons from Rod, or you need a little sawdust time...

[LCHIEN]

Hi Thom! Stop by more often!

[cabinetman]

Thanks for checkin' in. We wonder what happens to members when they aren't posting for a while.

.

[Stytooner]

Oh that is very cool. Glad to hear from you and see you are keeping the faith. I too like the finish on those cabinet doors.
Stop around more often. We don't bite often and when we do, it ain't deep.

[Thom2]

"I'm just going to build a simple welding cart" --- said someone who totally underestimated how overly complex he can make things



My wife finally made me admit that I have a 'problem'

[Thom2]

Good to hear from you Thom!

The shop looks good, especially the overhead cabinet doors! It's too clean. You have either been taking lessons from Rod, or you need a little sawdust time...

I don't know how Rod does it, Pappy ..... I feel like I spend more time cleaning than I do working in the ****** thing!!!!

[LinuxRandal]

Other then the missing tank chains, that seems like a simple welding cart (keep your needs handy). I don't see a problem.

[capncarl]

Thom2, is that a Dillon torch set in your welding cart?
I tried the welding cart route in my past and after I bogged it down in the yard we decided that was the reason you see all the welding equipment mounted on a 2 ton truck, and I could never remember needing stick, wire feed, tig and oxy/ac at the same time, so I went to individual carts for each.
capncarl

[Thom2]

Other then the missing tank chains, that seems like a simple welding cart (keep your needs handy). I don't see a problem.

Still far from 'done' ... retainer for the tanks is at the top of my list. I'm also waiting on a piece of 1/4" to 3/8" plate from a buddy of mine that will be installed to the right of the mig to make a small flat tack table for quickie projects. I still also need to finish the bottom tray and install some sort of stick rod holders (I have about 100lb of stick electrodes). Miscellaneous holders to be installed including helmet holders, nozzle dip holder, tank cap storage etc.

Then after construction is all done I'll tear it all down and clean up all the welds, blast it and paint it.

I do have a question tho' .... I've kinda set this rig up that both welders ground to the entire rig and then was planning on using another single lead with a magnetic ground, neither welder would never be plugged in at the same time but my Dad did express some concern about the tanks being grounded to the chassis. While they are inert gasses and pose no risk of explosion from the actual gas, he's raised a concern in my mind about insulating the tanks from the chassis as a safety issue. I'm curious of opinions on whether it's a fully warranted concern???

[Thom2]

Thom2, is that a Dillon torch set in your welding cart?
I tried the welding cart route in my past and after I bogged it down in the yard we decided that was the reason you see all the welding equipment mounted on a 2 ton truck, and I could never remember needing stick, wire feed, tig and oxy/ac at the same time, so I went to individual carts for each.
capncarl

The ocy/act set is a Harris torch set.

I fully agree about never needing stick, mig, etc all at the same time. I opted to keep the ocy/act rig totally separate as it can be used for junk yard runs, field work etc with no electrical requirements. Ialso didn't like the idea of an acetylene tank being onboard with electric welders. To be honest, to some degree, acetylene scares the living crap out of me.

I've had a 110v mig for years that has got me out of a lot of jams and fixed a lot of stuff around here. While I did want to upgrade, I was afraid to be put in a position of "NEEDING" 220v for a bigger mig. That fact kinda put me off of the upgrade path as I still wanted the 110v mig for portability and field work. When I found the Millermatic 211 w/spool gun on an AWESOME deal I just couldn't pass it up as it is dual voltage and a simple change of a quick connect plug takes it from 110 to 220 which fits my portability requirements as well as giving me a VERY capable welder that will also handle aluminum (been wanting to do aluminum for YEARS). In the shop when I have 220 available this welder kicks some pretty serious ass.

I built the entire mig/stick cart around the fact that the mig is still easily removable for field work, actually both units are easily removable for individual use but stick requires 220v 50amp and I don't see that ever making it out of the shop area.

All in all, I've put quite a bit of thought, consideration and planning into all of this and I'm quite pleased with the way it has all come together.

[GPA61]

Hey Thom. It is good to know you are still around!!

[Bruce Cohen]

Hey, good to hear from you, you still have the BT Thong??. be really cool if you did.

Bruce

[LinuxRandal]

My brain has been back and forth on the insulated tank issue. I think I can see his point though, that if for some reason the ground became live, you wouldn't find it out when you went to shut off the tank.