Blown my welder up.

[Retired]

Hi,

Six months ago Bron bought me the TIG welder with me wanting to weld up a new aluminium petrol tank for the Colt mower I'd just fully restored; what an epic its been and once again I'd like to thank each and every forum member for your kind help and patience.

I was never in any doubt I would succeed but I did wonder if I'd live long enough. The weather here is as usual being dire; yesterday morning it was snow first thing turning to heavy rain which is still coming down and with an high of 5C it's hardly sweltering outside today. Yesterday so fed up of being a prisoner due to the weather I accepted getting wet and wandered into the workshop; with the 2kw fan heater full on blowing at me I finally welded on both domed ends then got wet again when I knocked off but feeling pleased with myself. I've just got wet again having left the workshop where I've welded on the filler neck and tap mounting; I'm unable to weld mounting brackets because the mower is half way up the garden in the hut and I'll now wait until the rain stops before venturing up there.

Because of the mower restoration I can now metal spin and TIG weld aluminium; OK it's taken six months but I've gained two very useful new skills which I wouldn't now have if I'd just moaned about all the problems and given up and a real bonus is being a member of this forum.

Thanks guys.

Kind regards, Colin.

New filler cap and neck bought through eBay. The small item is the petrol tap mounting which I failed to weld; I don't know what kind of aluminium it is but it refused to weld.

Plan "B" mounting for petrol tap; not pretty but it's welded.

New filler neck fully welded which was fun.

At last the new tank in all its glory; the tank end welds turned out better than expected considering I had the shakes to my hands; perhaps some day Yorkshire will attract some of this global warming; it's struggling to reach 5C today and with lots of heavy rain. Pleasure or punishment in making this tank; I'm unsure which?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@Retired You've done a great job there! Any pics of the rest of the mower [unless I've missed them in other posts...]

 

[Sammy7]

Hi,

Six months ago Bron bought me the TIG welder with me wanting to weld up a new aluminium petrol tank for the Colt mower I'd just fully restored; what an epic its been and once again I'd like to thank each and every forum member for your kind help and patience.

I was never in any doubt I would succeed but I did wonder if I'd live long enough. The weather here is as usual being dire; yesterday morning it was snow first thing turning to heavy rain which is still coming down and with an high of 5C it's hardly sweltering outside today. Yesterday so fed up of being a prisoner due to the weather I accepted getting wet and wandered into the workshop; with the 2kw fan heater full on blowing at me I finally welded on both domed ends then got wet again when I knocked off but feeling pleased with myself. I've just got wet again having left the workshop where I've welded on the filler neck and tap mounting; I'm unable to weld mounting brackets because the mower is half way up the garden in the hut and I'll now wait until the rain stops before venturing up there.

Because of the mower restoration I can now metal spin and TIG weld aluminium; OK it's taken six months but I've gained two very useful new skills which I wouldn't now have if I'd just moaned about all the problems and given up and a real bonus is being a member of this forum.

Thanks guys.

Kind regards, Colin.

View attachment 214350

New filler cap and neck bought through eBay. The small item is the petrol tap mounting which I failed to weld; I don't know what kind of aluminium it is but it refused to weld.

View attachment 214351

Plan "B" mounting for petrol tap; not pretty but it's welded.

View attachment 214352

New filler neck fully welded which was fun.

View attachment 214353

At last the new tank in all its glory; the tank end welds turned out better than expected considering I had the shakes to my hands; perhaps some day Yorkshire will attract some of this global warming; it's struggling to reach 5C today and with lots of heavy rain. Pleasure or punishment in making this tank; I'm unsure which?

@Retired well done you are an inspiration

 

[Retired]

Hi,

@Retired You've done a great job there! Any pics of the rest of the mower [unless I've missed them in other posts...]

Thanks for asking slim; no problem; here's a few pictures;

Suffolk Colt clutch drum.

Grass box stripped of wet grass.

Clutch drum in lathe being tidied up.

New decal bought from Australia.

Fully restored looking a lot better.

Another restored picture.

A bit better than when I bought it.

As bought.

Not a pretty sight but much better after a decoke and the exhaust valve freed off then the valves ground in. New head gasket installed.

Worst valves I've ever come across and I've seen lots. Cleaned up in the lathe and now working as they should.

 

[Retired]

Hi,
I forgot the grass box.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Munkul]

That is a quality restoration!

You tank looks really good at least the petrol tap area is on the underside. I wonder if that piece of alloy had Zinc in it...

I assume you've tested for leak tightness.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks Munkul; you were one of those who kindly gave me so much useful advice and encouragement.

I've not yet tested for leaks but I will by filling it with hot water; the welds look clean and good so I'm confident it will be fine if not I'm now able to sort it out; it's a shame to fit it to the mower and do I leave it as polished aluminium or do I spray with black cellulose; tough choice.

There could have been zinc or indeed anything else in the failed tap aluminium mounting; it just melted away without accepting filler rod; pretty annoying considering the time and trouble I'd gone to but as you say the tap is located at the tank bottom otherwise I'd have made it look neater although time in the workshop isn't as pleasant as it should be due to the weather being so bad; this story just ran and ran so I wanted to get the tank finished; if the weather warms up then I'll be full on in the gardens and doing exterior jobs on the bungalow robbing me of workshop time.

I've spent a bit of time looking at garage heaters but come to the conclusion my old and trusty 2kw floor standing fan heater is as good as any of them; ideally I'd like a big central heating radiator but simply don't have wall space for it; given my luck if we moved into the middle of the Sahara Desert it would pour with rain.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Just out of interest. I've got five good quality paint spray guns of assorted types to use with a compressor but I've not used them for many years.

My favourites are these two spray outfits;

The paint used thinned for spraying the mower.

My Burgess Sprayit SR122 spray outfit which is very old but does a brilliant job; over 40 years ago I used to spray cars with one of these including my classic split screen VW camper; in those days I only used cellulose; I used to borrow the Sprayit from my chum who obtained it by saving something like 12,000 green shield stamps; it did lots of work for the two of us and I've fancied my own for many years.

A few years ago this Sprayit popped up on eBay with a starting bid of £20 it being new but unused. Because I wanted one and funds aren't a problem I emailed the seller offer £100 cash on collection; this was refused; the seller stated there was a great deal of interest in the sprayer so I let it go. I then bought a much more expensive Apollo sprayer; having bought the Apollo the seller of the Sprayit emailed saying I could have the Sprayit for £100 plus postage; it hadn't sold on eBay after all? Now it was my turn to decline. Shortly after the Sprayit once again was posted up for auction on eBay again with a £20 starting price; out of interest I watched this run almost to the auction end and it hadn't attracted a single bid; in the last few seconds I bid £35; wow it was mine for £20 I was the only bidder; Bron and I drove over to collect the Sprayit from the seller located in Cheshire it being a beautiful sunny day for a trip out; the seller wasn't amused as I handed over the £20; serves him right for being so greedy. I'll never sell this Sprayit.

Engine cover in undercoat; these little sprayers do a lovely job and are pretty quiet.

I bought this spray unit just to see how poor it would be through eBay; it was dirt cheap but what a revelation it turned out to be; it's so light it can be worn on a belt and the finish I obtained matched the Sprayit; I am very impressed by it but don't know its lifespan; it was definitely cheap enough to buy just for a one off job but I'm sure it will do lots more spraying for me. Both the Sprayit and this sprayer are self contained; very portable; warm dry air is produced unlike my compressors I've owned which could be heard miles away and needing lots of air/water filtering. I like using both these spray outfits. This single petrol tank project has involved all kinds of skills; metal spinning; TIG welding and paint spraying plus of course the mower restoration including decoking and valve grinding; I love pottering around.

 

[Munkul]

what's the cheap ebay sprayer like with producing overspray? Will it handle heavy gloss paints?

I've always used air gravity feed guns, they're great for a quality finish but overspray EVERYWHERE even with a good quality HVLP... and for painting large areas like trailers etc I'd love to get an airless that could hold more than half a litre.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for asking Munkul. I'll send you a PM because I think this thread has run its course now the welder is working and I'm well on my way to TIG welding aluminium. This Parweld is a joy to use and I can now recommend it.

I'd like to thank the moderators for their patience allowing me to ramble on whilst often drifting off topic but it's been another of my epic adventures. This is the place to be though for all things welding and I'm delighted I joined the forum receiving so much help and guidance. Many thanks once again to everyone.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

An update not having been on the forum much for many months. Due to assorted projects my tig welder has been idle and I no longer really needed it; my lovely wife bought it for me as a prezzie and with a huge amount of help and guidance from forum members especially Hood I finally could weld aluminum so in this respect I'd achieved what I set out to do and can now weld aluminium.

I'm shortly adopting a totally new hobby once again leaving my comfort zone; I've just turned 74 and my wife once again generously offered to buy me anything at all I fancied for my birthday; at first couldn't think of anything at all having everything I need or even want. I then remembered many years ago being extremely short of funds visiting a second hand furniture store; this store on two levels as we went up the stairs I noticed attached to the wall on display a violin; no way could I even think of buying it but ever since I've wanted a violin; my wife has just bought me a truly beautiful brand new Hidersine full sized violin. Being a raw novice I'm researching first how to set up a new violin and I'm pleased I didn't just jump in and start messing with it; it needs setting up and tuning also the bow needs work before it can be used with adjustment and applying rosin. At the moment this violin is just a joy to own and look at remaining unplayed.

I've successfully completed the brazing machine I set out to design and make for brazing TC tips on to tooling;

New brazing machine on test and I'm delighted with it as was my friend when I handed it over with my compliments completing a long project.

Here's my latest project very near completion and successful it fully working at 2.,500W.

I'm going to add water cooling and finish it off then I can clear the benches; both the brazing and induction heater projects I started from scratch keeping me fully occupied the bit of time I could actually get into the workshop.

My wife has a cozy art studio which I'll now double up for my violin hobby; my ambition now is to make a new full sized violin from scratch so I'm gearing up for it and what a wonderful hobby for winter; the week after next a violin will be delivered needing lots of work including a full set of new strings which I've bought online today; this will be a practice violin allowing me to do a restoration; I've already bought the electronic tuner. Who would know the best spruce for just the face of a violin as raw blank can cost up to £100; good job I was sitting down being a Yorkshireman. During the last 24 hours through Gumtree I've successfully sold the welder; a very heavy concrete breaker and my Hyundai petrol rotavator; I'm having a clear out and easing back on the endless heavy grafting; 20 years into retirement both my wife and I deserve to start relaxing a bit.

I'd like to thank everyone on the forum for help and guidance during my ballistic learning curve into tig welding aluminium; the help hasn't been lost on me because in spite of all the hardships encountered I broke through and succeeded in the end.

Kind regards, Colin.