Fusing/Saving Filler Wire...

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I have a whole bunch of machine chucks to rebuild..So to get this..To that..It takes a whole sh!tload of 3/32" 70S filler so instead of wasting the ends..Fuse them together and make a "New" piece of filler..Keeps the cost and waste downI do this with 1/16" also but with the amount of welding I have to do it adds up..Just take the ends and put them end to end..(I do this as I go along).."Zap" them with the torch..And there you go..Another piece of perfectly good filler to use..If you are on a budget then why throw all this away?...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I think Mr. Bill does this with his MIG wire left-overs, but uses his phazer set on "blurp" 200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:why not just mig it? (serious question, not a smart *** remark)Last edited by zapster; 08-20-2010 at 02:07 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by oxy moronwhy not just mig it? (serious question, not a smart *** remark)
Reply:Hmmmm, yeah I think for the 'talent' that you have and the obvious skill running a shop, I would say that your boss REALLY needs to invest in a 'DECENT' MIG so that you can spray that stuff on.  I'm sure that you can do that with out spending a LOT of money and the labour cost alone for jobs that require the building up of metal would likely be substantial... (even though my guess is that you can move pretty damn quick with the TIG! :P )Cheers,Edit:Myself, I don't keep too many of the 'steel ends' of rod, but I sure as hell keep my Copper PHOS, Copper Silver and Bronze ends....  Those get VERY expensive and are worth putting together IMO but I can see why you would do it when usig a LOT of rod for those 'Build-ups'./J..Last edited by jman; 08-20-2010 at 03:44 PM.Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Yeah maybe but it took enough arm twisting to get the Miller after the Hobart took a crap..We needed a TIG more than a MIG...I'm happy with what we got and yes I am pretty damn fast!!That is 12"Diameter and there is a 3" lead with rebuilding the shoulder back out 1/2" and it took 4.5 hrs to weld..Machining is a whole 'nother story.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Man Zap, you had nothing to do for lunch???? I will admit, I will save silfloss 15 this way, but not steel rod.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:My boss would be a bit miffed to see me wasting time welding filler rod together.Besides, Zap, you told us all you could run the filler right down to 3/4" - no gloves!What gives?
Reply:Originally Posted by oxy moronwhy not just mig it? (serious question, not a smart *** remark)
Reply:Originally Posted by TSORMy boss would be a bit miffed to see me wasting time welding filler rod together.Besides, Zap, you told us all you could run the filler right down to 3/4" - no gloves!What gives?
Reply:Works with brazing rod too.(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)
Reply:once i get under 6 inches of filler rod, i hold it with a pair of needle nose. no extra welding, and i take the filler rod down under 1/4 of an inch.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:5 seconds to weld them together.That's 5x longer than it takes to toss it in the scrap bin.  Where is the savings.70s is cheap
Reply:Originally Posted by bert the welder I thought you were talking about MIGing the bits togetherThought to my self, " That'd be stupid, he's got the TIG torch in his hand!!!!"
Reply:Id hate to work in a shop where the budget is that tight.Sometimes we even use whole pieces of TIG wire to hang stuff, then throw the whole length out.    I wonder how we stay in business.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Originally Posted by TSOR5 seconds to weld them together.That's 5x longer than it takes to toss it in the scrap bin.  Where is the savings.70s is cheap
Reply:Originally Posted by sn0border88Id hate to work in a shop where the budget is that tight.Sometimes we even use whole pieces of TIG wire to hang stuff, then throw the whole length out.    I wonder how we stay in business.
Reply:One of those tig cold wire feeders with a 12" roll of mig wire would be nice for that application.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterYeah maybe but it took enough arm twisting to get the Miller after the Hobart took a crap..We needed a TIG more than a MIG...I'm happy with what we got and yes I am pretty damn fast!!That is 12"Diameter and there is a 3" lead with rebuilding the shoulder back out 1/2" and it took 4.5 hrs to weld..Machining is a whole 'nother story.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterYou get the same answer.You do what you do and I'll do what I do.Thank you....zap!
Reply:Recently I've done this too.  Not so much to save money on filler rod, but because I was on my last filler rod I had fetched and brought over to the welding table, and almost done with the weld, and wanted to avoid the effort of opening up the tube to get another piece.    Well maybe saving money had something small to do with it too.What I like to do is let the weld bead freeze while the filler rod (that is getting short...) is still stuck in it.  The work then holds the short "stub" securely for tack welding the new filler on - no chasing the small stub around the welding table, can just hold one piece butted up, and tack weld in mid-air using the TIG torch in the other hand.  Then I grab the new "extra long" filler rod, move the torch back to the bead where I left off, and continue welding.  Oh yeah I found getting that extra 4" or so of length also makes for less frequent filler rod changes too, and you can get a little longer weld bead before the next restart.  (Especially if you fuse multiple saved stubs together all at once and make a super long filler rod.  )It is kind of cool though to use up all the stubs, and be left with almost no filler rod waste.
Reply:Originally Posted by jakeruRecently I've done this too.  Not so much to save money on filler rod, but because I was on my last filler rod I had fetched and brought over to the welding table, and almost done with the weld, and wanted to avoid the effort of opening up the tube to get another piece.    Well maybe saving money had something small to do with it too.What I like to do is let the weld bead freeze while the filler rod (that is getting short...) is still stuck in it.  The work then holds the short "stub" securely for tack welding the new filler on - no chasing the small stub around the welding table, can just hold one piece butted up, and tack weld in mid-air using the TIG torch in the other hand.  Then I grab the new "extra long" filler rod, move the torch back to the bead where I left off, and continue welding.  Oh yeah I found getting that extra 4" or so of length also makes for less frequent filler rod changes too, and you can get a little longer weld bead before the next restart.  (Especially if you fuse multiple saved stubs together all at once and make a super long filler rod.  )It is kind of cool though to use up all the stubs, and be left with almost no filler rod waste.
Reply:Originally Posted by jakerulet the weld bead freeze while the filler rod (that is getting short...) is still stuck in it.  The work then holds the short "stub" securely for tack welding the new filler on - no chasing the small stub around the welding table, can just hold one piece butted up, and tack weld in mid-air using the TIG torch in the other hand.  Then I grab the new "extra long" filler rod, move the torch back to the bead where I left off, and continue welding.
Reply:I was thinking...If we could start with the hot deoxidizing burn of 6011Attachment 55477and then move to the short stable arc of 7018.Last edited by denrep; 10-19-2010 at 11:48 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepI was thinking...If we could start with the hot deoxidizing burn of 6011Attachment 55477and then move to the short stable arc of 7018.Originally Posted by sn0border88You can...No stub loss either.
Reply:Alright lets move along now..Nothing left to see here......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterAlright lets move along now..Nothing left to see here......zap!
Reply:I do it too with 3/32" and up zap, when the hood goes up for the new rod the stub gets stuck on the back, a little brushing, a little stretch, and back at it. It's just a routine for me. Maybe from being young and having nothing but a small budget once, I seem to  be able to keep up with brand X out there...I'm wondering if DesertRider isn't right here, a home made setup with .045 S-3 wire will run a 1/2" to 5/8" wide bead anywhere from 1/16" to 1/4" tall and go nearly as fast as a mig.MattLast edited by Matt_Maguire; 09-09-2010 at 08:54 AM.