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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build

This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Overview Gallery Discussion
folkenheath said:
Its looking a lot better with the heat. Have you tried a gas lens? I bought a stubby gas lens kit from HTP and not only is is much shorter but the gas lens gives you better coverage for stainless.

And yes, make sure you poke a hole for the air to escape the purge. Also, the hole should be at the highest point if possible. Argon is heavier than air so treat it like water in the purge.

I like the thin TIG gloves, fit them snug.
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Stein said:
For TIG gloves I generally just go with the Harbor Freight super thin goat skin gloves. They are cheap and with the thin gloves it seems when you get them too hot the tips of the fingers shrink so at this price I can treat them more like throwaways.
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Heath,

I am realizing that for thin metal, the water cooled torch is probably a waste of money. :doah: I guess I'm still glad I have it for future projects, but I could have saved a lot of money by just getting the regular air-cooled TIG instead. The torch is a WP-20 Weldcraft, and doesn't have any options for a stubby gas lens..... given that I don't really need the watercooling, I think I should probably just buy a different torch that is small, and flexible and more optimized for low-amperage welding projects. Flex-head, stubby lens.... all that stuff! I just don't know how if the connector on the welder side is "standard" across different brands/models or if they are all different? :dunno:


Stein,

The burn I got was a real oddball situation. I was trying to put small tacks on the mild steel headers to lock the segments together before I removed them. So I had the TIG torch in the middle of that whole cluster of strut/engine cradle/header tubes. It was really hard to get into a comfortable position for welding and I was just "bare handing" it, since these were literally just 1-second long welds..... quick and dirty, or so I thought.

At one point, I lifted the torch out-of-position while it was arcing to the exhaust tube and I accidentally touched the .030" filler rod to the tungsten, where it immediately fused-itself and got stuck. The filler rod is 36" long so the other end was flopping around and at that exact same moment, the flopping end touched the underside of the engine cradle tube creating a perfect ground for the 45A flowing into the tungsten!!! That entire filler rod INSTANTLY turned bright red and welded itself to the engine cradle, and my fingers couldn't let go of it fast enough to get away from all that heat! It was pretty damn scary and painful, but I eventually dropped the torch and the circuit was interrupted but by then I had already gotten my "3-finger tattoo".

Lesson learned. Wear gloves (ALWAYS) and use smaller lengths of filler rod when working in tight spaces.


-G
 
After burning yourself like that, it must be a little nerve wracking when you start welding again :-)

don't burn your hand, don't burn your hand, don't burn your hand,
 
westn11 said:
After burning yourself like that, it must be a little nerve wracking when you start welding again :-)

don't burn your hand, don't burn your hand, don't burn your hand,
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YEP!

That was just me being really stupid and careless too.... Welding on a perfectly clean benchtop with perfect access is one thing, welding on an actual vehicle while twisted in a pretzel-shape is quite another! :haha:


-G
 
I envy your learning curve Greg, the end result is worth it though. TIG is show worthy stuff, which your rig deserves in this application!
 
Greg72 said:
Heath,

I am realizing that for thin metal, the water cooled torch is probably a waste of money. :doah: I guess I'm still glad I have it for future projects, but I could have saved a lot of money by just getting the regular air-cooled TIG instead. The torch is a WP-20 Weldcraft, and doesn't have any options for a stubby gas lens..... given that I don't really need the watercooling, I think I should probably just buy a different torch that is small, and flexible and more optimized for low-amperage welding projects. Flex-head, stubby lens.... all that stuff! I just don't know how if the connector on the welder side is "standard" across different brands/models or if they are all different? :dunno:
-G
Click to expand...

I found they do have gas lens for them, just not the stubby option...

Gas Lens

Greg72 said:
YEP!

That was just me being really stupid and careless too.... Welding on a perfectly clean benchtop with perfect access is one thing, welding on an actual vehicle while twisted in a pretzel-shape is quite another! :haha:


-G
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That is the truth. Its one thing MIG welding upside down, but when you are laying in a funky position with both hands busy on the torch and filler rod and you are trying to control the pedal with your knee it gets pretty tricky. :waytogo:

Keep in mind, I have made tach welds before with no filler. If the gap is tight enough, just use the torch and no filler and melt it together. It can work and its much easier.
 
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Greg72 said:
I debated about buying an extra Pyrex cup NOW, since I just know I'll end up breaking it at a critical time....but I'm stubborn, so I didn't. :)





-G
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You are now cursed. At least the newer ones are better than 10-20 years ago. Look at those wrong and they would break. Now I've had the torch slide off the table and they don't crack every time when hitting concrete.
 
I saw those pyrex cups when I linked the other link, I didn't put that link there because I have heard good things about them but never tried one myself. I hope you like it. :thumb:

The only thing I will warn you about is with the gas lenses the threads seemed a little rough, I ended up buying a 3/8-32 tap to clean out my torch threads.
 
I will have to look next time i am at the shop, but our torch has finger control on the torch and eliminates the pedal. I am still in the learning stage with it so have never used a pedal. My partner switched it over years ago when he was building command vehicles and says it has better control when out of position type welding, or welding in tight places on a rig.

Just a thought if you are considering a torch change, and up for comment with the other more experienced guys here. As i said i havent used anything else but i am learning to like it.
 
82355 said:
Meh.

Martin
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Captain conceded strikes again :rolleyes:




Looking better Greg. Definitely still need to slow your travel down but the heat seems to be under control. We just got the new Aspect 375 at work which is basically on par with your machine from lincoln though and me and my boss were shocked at the efficiency and penetration that comes from less amperage from the newer transformer machines. We were both welding stuff with good flow about 20-30amps under what our inverter machine does it at.

My point being every welder has its sweet spot. 100amps on your machine might flow better or not as well as 100 amps on a different one.
 
Quick update for slow progress... :)




#8 cylinder... First 4 segments are now tack-welded in 304 Stainless! Moving my way toward the collector swapping in one new SS segment at a time, aligning it, marking it and then tacking it in place. So far so good... :)


-G
 
jekquistk5 said:
Those are funny looking green welds!



Keep up the great work
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Indeed! :D

The markings on those tubes tell the tale of how complex the exhaust design is. There are 12 segments (and rotations) fir the number 8 exhaust port alone.... That is a lot of potential adjustment, but also a lot of opportunity for misalignment too!!! :doah:


-G
 
Have you mocked up the driver side to see if there's any effect on the passenger side? Or just mirroring the design over?
 
bp71k5 said:
Have you mocked up the driver side to see if there's any effect on the passenger side? Or just mirroring the design over?
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It never occurred to me that the design would transfer over to the D.S.

I have to fit a steering shaft on that side, so in reality the design could actually get MORE complicated than the one I'm going now. I think this one is good practice for me since it's simple. :D


-G
 
that would suck, cutting the fab time in 1/2...... :(


:haha:



looks good Greg..... :waytogo: I have no patience compared to you... :bow:
 
ryoken said:
looks good Greg..... :waytogo: I have no patience compared to you... :bow:
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That's because you listen to all that angry rock and roll music!!! :haha:

Put on some nice soothing, slow music.... You will be AMAZED at how slowly your build can go. :D :D :D


-G
 
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