For you folks that TIG, you have to try the Pyrex cups. What a difference over the standard alumina cups!!! Especially if your right handed and blind in the left eye, vise versa.
Lets see a photo of your setup. I'm still welding with the pink cups. Now you know what I need for christmas!
Today's progress. The burner arm not only swivels from left to right but up/down & in/out as well. Just have to weld a few tabs & nuts on each side of the burner clamp and the build is finished, short of prep & paint. Added a folding handle as well. Wish the folks at CK told me yesterday that when using the pyrex cups the tungsten needs to be stuck WAY out there and not like with an alumina cup. Roached
WHY NOT??? I have 3/4" & 1" burners. To adjust accordingly for placement of flame within the furnace.
Are these cups only a friction fit with an o-ring? Yea the plasma is getting up to 6,000 F and higher. 1/2" extension of the tungsten is fine.
CFB to the rescue. Since my set up has a 1" drain hole and a bowl contoured furnace floor along with it being covered up with a plinth, does it still need to be plugged/blocked off? I've never noticed any flames shooting out the bottom. I read somewhere that the ideal plug is a zinc plate.
Well David, the out rigger joke is going to have to become a reality. When the pedal lifting system is stomped on to raise the lid the entire setup pulls a wheelie and teeters backward. While I'm at it I am going to go ahead and build a hoist out system. Got the dolly all finished up today and it needs 2 things. The outrigger/stabilizer system and a couple of stop tabs for the lid mechanism. That damn thing does a 270* swing around on ya because of the free rolling thrust bearing. Tweek, tweek, tweek. All in all, I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out.
If this furnace is any indication of your OCD, I can't wait to see some of the stuff you make with it.
Not letting the cat out of the bag just yet but here's a sneak preview of the components for the outriggers. A couple more pieces have to be fabricated and then I'm building the hoisting system which will be integrated with the OR's. Got tired of the good ole harsh Florida sun backing my hide so went an picked up a cheap pop up canopy from HF.
Your butthole neighbor needs a cover for that boat. If not, it's on him when steel dust flys and lands on it. The morning dew will turn each tiny steel dust particle into a rust spot. A $20 dollar walmart tarp goes a long way to keep the sun off the gelcoat. I buy a new tarp twice a year for my old sailboat sitting on the side of the house.
I chemically treated it yesterday and that boat has NEVER been cleaner. I've given that asshole SOOooo much stuff over the years............ Anymore, I wouldn't give him the sweat off my nuts if he was dying of thirst in a desert. A few years ago I gave him one of those very expensive anti theft locks for his boat trailer. Guess what the asswipe did with it? Sold it. WTF? He's as dishonest as they come. Always looking for something free.................................. He leaves his boat keys in the ignition hoping somebody will steal it. He had somebody steal his trolling motor off it one night so he could get his insurance company to buy him a new one. I could go on for ever about "That" individual but won't.
Time to install a big ass power hammer. Then run that sucker up to the minute the law allows. After a few months of headaches, you'll see a forsale sign in the yard. Plus, you'll be a great blacksmith in 3months. These are wayy overpriced https://www.kensiron.com/kz100 but you get the idea.
I went the route of a purpose built dolly for my furnace as well. No where nearly as "robust" as yours mind you, but my furnace only weights in the realm of a 100+ lbs so I didn't see the need to make it handle the weight of a car...lol I also opted for a self leveling tripod approach. Two rear wheels and front central foot. It's extremely stable. ...not that I would attempt to push it over when it's puking fire anyway. Do you think the outriggers are really necessary..? What type of terrain do you expect to do your casting...?
