Your homemade swage tool is rockin it. So I suppose you're going to either try to swage the first header tube or replace that first section of it?
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Looks great Greg! Nice job on the homemade swage tool.
How do you like that pyrex cup? I was thinking about trying one too. How is the quality of the orifice plate inside?
From me learning theharddumb way, if you ever see your tungsten turning black on half of it, don't notice it and then think you are doing something wrong and keep trying to do it better, fix the gas coverage!
The quality seems good, there is an orange o-ring that seals the cup to the handle and the diffuser was a nice snug fit as well. I haven't spent too much time with it yet, but so far it seems like a quality piece.
Yeah, I'll have to go back and redo the #8 tube again now that I have a good way to get a nice fitment. The biggest challenge is that once all the primary tubes are finish-welded (individually) and get loaded back into the header flange, they HAVE to install from the front side...with the tubes already formed into the square port shape. I probably won't be able to do the forming once all the tubes are fully welded since it will be too hard to clamp the headers down to do the pressing / swaging.
TIG really keeps the heat down so the distortion should be minimal. The flanges are a full 1/2" thick so I think they will take a LOT of heat before I would have to worry about warpage.
-G
If you ever do have an issue with warpage, you can always do what a lot of racers do and make cut the flange between each tube. Each tube has it's own two bolts anyway and some custom manufacturers actually sell the headers with 8 seperate flanges welded on.
I'm at my wit's end.... 
I turned the amperage down from 45A to 30A last night and I'm still making holes instead of fusing the tubes together.
How much lower can I realistically set the machine for 16GA? I can totally see that the metal is thin on the outside of the bends... so I really can't expect a 16GA setting to be the right number, but this is getting ridiculous.
-G
I turned the amperage down from 45A to 30A last night and I'm still making holes instead of fusing the tubes together.
How much lower can I realistically set the machine for 16GA? I can totally see that the metal is thin on the outside of the bends... so I really can't expect a 16GA setting to be the right number, but this is getting ridiculous.
-G
They can be finicky, sometimes a little dab of filler rod will help start the fuse.
Does anyone have a clever trick for sorting Mild-Steel tubing from 304SS tubing??
I've been pretty careful about keeping the materials separated, but I've got a few small pieces that could be SS or Mild and since they aren't rusty
I can't tell what they are.
Magnetically, they seem similar so I can't really use that as a criteria.
-G
I've been pretty careful about keeping the materials separated, but I've got a few small pieces that could be SS or Mild and since they aren't rusty
I can't tell what they are.Magnetically, they seem similar so I can't really use that as a criteria.
-G
Does anyone have a clever trick for sorting Mild-Steel tubing from 304SS tubing??
I've been pretty careful about keeping the materials separated, but I've got a few small pieces that could be SS or Mild and since they aren't rusty
Magnetically, they seem similar so I can't really use that as a criteria.
-G
Spray bottle and water?
I thought 304 was only mildly magnetic.I really don't know any other way.
Spray bottle and water?
I really don't know any other way.
Yeah, I don't either...
I thought maybe trying to cut them, it seemed like the SS doesn't spark as much from a cutoff wheel, but that might have just been my imagination.
It would just suck to get the headers built and find out that one little segment in the assembly was mild-steel instead of 304. That's the kind of thought that drives me nuts.
-G
I'm at my wit's end....
I turned the amperage down from 45A to 30A last night and I'm still making holes instead of fusing the tubes together.
How much lower can I realistically set the machine for 16GA? I can totally see that the metal is thin on the outside of the bends... so I really can't expect a 16GA setting to be the right number, but this is getting ridiculous.
-G
IIRC you have a Dynasty, correct? Try playing with the Pulse settings. It's been a couple of years, but I had good luck doing it that way. To me it slows the process down and makes it more manageable. I went and looked on a test tube I had under the bench, and I wrote 20-60 and 1.0 next to a weld, and other similar numbers. I don't remember exactly what I was recording, but a 20 background and 60 peak at 1 PPS might be a starting point. And if that is totally wrong, I plead brain fart.
Hit it with a grinder
Wrought ironWrought iron sparks flow out in straight lines. The tails of the sparks widen out near the end, similar to a leaf.[1][5]
Mild steelMild steel sparks are similar to wrought iron's, except they will have tiny forks and their lengths will vary more. The sparks will be white in color.[1][5]
Medium-carbon steelThis steel has more forking than mild steel and a wide variety of spark lengths, with more near the grinding wheel.[5]
High-carbon steelHigh-carbon steel has a bushy spark pattern (lots of forking) that starts at the grinding wheel. The sparks are not as bright as the medium-carbon steel ones.[5]
Manganese steelManganese steel has medium length sparks that fork twice before ending.[5]High-speed steel
High-speed steel has a faint red spark that sparks at the tip.[5]300-series stainless steelThese sparks are not so dense as the carbon steel sparks, do not fork, and are orange to straw in color
High-speed steelHigh-speed steel has a faint red spark that sparks at the tip.[5]
300-series stainless steelThese sparks are not so dense as the carbon steel sparks, do not fork, and are orange to straw in color.[2]
310-series stainless steelThese sparks are much shorter and thinner than the 300-series sparks. They are red to orange in color and do not fork.[2]
400-series stainless steel400-series sparks are similar to 300-series sparks, but are slightly longer and have forks at the ends of the sparks.[2]
Cast ironCast iron has very short sparks that begin at the grinding wheel.[1]
Nickel and cobalt high-temperature alloysThese sparks are thin and very short, they are dark-red in color, and do not fork
Greg
I think you have done an amazing job on just about everything, but it may be time to take a step back and get some training. I'm pretty much self taught at everything I have done also, but I can now see that a welding class would have helped me immensely. Wasted material, gas, rods, and time are very expensive. Think of it as the same as making a fixture to speed up any other process, only you would be making a fixture in your brain. A set of stainless headers with 10+ welds per tube is a VERY ambitious first TIG project. These headers push all the buttons, thin material, round tube, attaching to very thick flanges, odd angles, varying tube thickness due to draw thinning, and filling in gaps in thin material(collectors), and to top it all off, they will be very visible. Oh yeah, and they are expensive.
Sure, you will be a pretty damn good welder when you get done, but the quicker way to a good result is to take a class, or maybe even hire a good welder to spend a day with you and give you pointers.
I think you have done an amazing job on just about everything, but it may be time to take a step back and get some training. I'm pretty much self taught at everything I have done also, but I can now see that a welding class would have helped me immensely. Wasted material, gas, rods, and time are very expensive. Think of it as the same as making a fixture to speed up any other process, only you would be making a fixture in your brain. A set of stainless headers with 10+ welds per tube is a VERY ambitious first TIG project. These headers push all the buttons, thin material, round tube, attaching to very thick flanges, odd angles, varying tube thickness due to draw thinning, and filling in gaps in thin material(collectors), and to top it all off, they will be very visible. Oh yeah, and they are expensive.
Sure, you will be a pretty damn good welder when you get done, but the quicker way to a good result is to take a class, or maybe even hire a good welder to spend a day with you and give you pointers.
Does anyone have a clever trick for sorting Mild-Steel tubing from 304SS tubing??
I've been pretty careful about keeping the materials separated, but I've got a few small pieces that could be SS or Mild and since they aren't rusty
Magnetically, they seem similar so I can't really use that as a criteria.
-G
Analyze it on a spectrometer.
You're right.
This header project is a big elephant and even taking small bites there is a LOT of new learning that I need to do... I don't mind investing the time, but I have to begrudgingly admit that calling in a expert to help me get dialed-in more quickly is probably money well spent. I do actually have a local contact who is a VERY accomplished TIG welder.... I should give him a call and see if I can hire him for a few hours to critique my welding and teach me a few things that I can practice on my own.
Ultimately at this point, I would be happy if I could just get the headers rendered in 304SS even if they are only tack-welded... That would buy me time to practice my TIG welding and keep moving onto other important things.
I'll play around with the pulse option tonight and see if I can get more consistency with my tack welds. It is SO frustrating that I can't even do something as basic as a tack weld with TIG yet.
-G
Analyze it on a spectrometer.
Checking the iTunes Store now for the Spectrometer app....
-G
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Unless that's some serious chintzy 304 a magnet test should really be a huge difference.
Take a picture of said scenario where you're blowing through. Ive never really had a problem blowing through with tig. Perhaps your arc start amperage is cranked up for some reason?
Take a picture of said scenario where you're blowing through. Ive never really had a problem blowing through with tig. Perhaps your arc start amperage is cranked up for some reason?
Pulse TIG experiment
60A, 1pulse per sec, 40% at peak amps, 25% of peak amps during background time (15A)
Insanely better. I can time adding in rod a lot easier and fill a gap that I never could previously. Off to the upper right you can see a typical "blow through" ... Probably 45A and no filler or pulse.
-G
60A, 1pulse per sec, 40% at peak amps, 25% of peak amps during background time (15A)
Insanely better. I can time adding in rod a lot easier and fill a gap that I never could previously. Off to the upper right you can see a typical "blow through" ... Probably 45A and no filler or pulse.
-G
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Thats crazy. Ive never blown through something like that with TIG. What is your arc start amperage? Maybe drop from a 3/32 tungsten to a 1/16?
