Simple Tig Cooler

[Richard.]

Well done Daz.
You may be critical of it but you didn't burn through, you followed advice and BAM!! 'Tis done!
Brighten em up with a bit of scotch brite and your on.
Yes a gaskit is a nicer way to do it if you can make it seal.
It would be nicer to be able to open it up and wipe the crud out every year.
The one weld on the out take needs to be absalutely water tight. The others don't matter so much. Leave that till last and by then you'll be a pro. Nice job mate this is turning out to be a smart project.

 

[dazza]

Well done Daz.
You may be critical of it but you didn't burn through, you followed advice and BAM!! 'Tis done!
Brighten em up with a bit of scotch brite and your on.
Yes a gaskit is a nicer way to do it if you can make it seal.
It would be nicer to be able to open it up and wipe the crud out every year.
The one weld on the out take needs to be absalutely water tight. The others don't matter so much. Leave that till last and by then you'll be a pro. Nice job mate this is turning out to be a smart project.

Thanks Richard, its distorted a little here and there but it should be fine if i can get the gasket to seal. The pedal, torch and cooler seem to be working perfectly just need a bit more practice. Any tips for welding something round?

 

[Richard.]

Thanks Richard, its distorted a little here and there but it should be fine if i can get the gasket to seal. The pedal, torch and cooler seem to be working perfectly just need a bit more practice. Any tips for welding something round?

Yeah. Angle of attack.
Biggest thing that catches newcomers out is they start off well do 10mm but then it's goes pear shaped because they are not adjusting there position on the torch as they go round. The angle going in then changes which means the arc length gets longer and the rest is pretty obvious. Do some dry runs keeping your angle and arc length the same. Do it in 8 small stitches if you like Daz it's better to get that weld put in with a tight arc over a number of small passes than it is to try and do it in 2 or 3 and have the arc right up the side wall.
Just remember to run over your starts/stops properly with the next bead to ensure no water leaks.

 

[dazza]

Thanks again for all your help guys, gave it a quick rub down with some scotch brite need to do a bot more on the inside and the filler neck.

Bit of a mess on the inside and i did not line the filer neck perfectly .

After welding stainless and aluminium i don't think i will weld any mild steel again its so nice not having to prep and grind off all the mill scale.

 

[Richard.]

Thanks again for all your help guys, gave it a quick rub down with some scotch brite need to do a bot more on the inside and the filler neck.

Bit of a mess on the inside and i did not line the filer neck perfectly .

After welding stainless and aluminium i don't think i will weld any mild steel again its so nice not having to prep and grind off all the mill scale.

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You need to do a bit more what on the inside? You don't wanna be doing any more welding on that filler neck do you.

 

[dazza]

You need to do a bit more what on the inside? You don't wanna be doing any more welding on that filler neck do you.

No a bit more with the scotch brite.

 

[Hood]

Well all I can say is you have done an amazing job for someone new to tig. When you said you were going to be using these stainless pans for making the cooler I said to myself it will end in tears with such thin material and little experience. You have done it without blasting holes through, top job

 

[dazza]

Well all I can say is you have done an amazing job for someone new to tig. When you said you were going to be using these stainless pans for making the cooler I said to myself it will end in tears with such thin material and little experience. You have done it without blasting holes through, top job

Thanks mate, still not finished yet need to weld the inlet and outlet.

Started thinking about the gasket. Need to find some bolts small enough. I have a bolt with a 4mm thread and 7mm head. But its too big as the groove in rim of the pan is a little less than 7mm.

 

[Richard.]

Thanks mate, still not finished yet need to weld the inlet and outlet.

Started thinking about the gasket. Need to find some bolts small enough. I have a bolt with a 4mm thread and 7mm head. But its too big as the groove in rim of the pan is a little less than 7mm.

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View attachment 98271

Have you got a little lathe? You'll soon turn 1mm off the head diameter. Or go m3?

 

[Hood]

M3 socket capscrew should be 5.5mm max head size so should work fine.

 

[Richard.]

Take the lip off the outside perhaps?

 

[dazza]

Have you got a little lathe? You'll soon turn 1mm off the head diameter. Or go m3?

No lathe, i will get some M3 bolts. Maybe i don't need so many bolts? Wasn't sure.

 

[dazza]

Take the lip off the outside perhaps?

I've got no chance of doing that to an acceptable standard.

 

[dazza]

I'm more worried about messing up the drilling of the bolt holes than the welding.

 

[dazza]

I'm about ready to have a go at the inlet. Do i need to clean the grey off so its nice and shiny?

 

[dazza]

Got the inlet on. No improvement probably worse.

Currently leak testing.

Will go back to the garage later and my bench will be soaked.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Will go back to the garage later and my bench will be soaked.

Oh, ye of little faith. Odds are it'll be fine......

 

[Richard.]

Ummmmmm I'm not so sure and I'd be inclined to go back over that autogenously to get the toes blended in and fill in those gaps. It might not leak now but some serous lack of fusion going on.
Looks a cold weld too. What was your current there.

 

[dazza]

Ummmmmm I'm not so sure and I'd be inclined to go back over that autogenously to get the toes blended in and fill in those gaps. It might not leak now but some serous lack of fusion going on.
Looks a cold weld too. What was your current there.

70 amps when tacking up then 50 amps.

 

[Richard.]

70 amps when tacking up then 50 amps.

Too cold.
You said they were 3mm.
I said up it to 90 for the tack and 75-80 for the run.
Go over it again without filler and blend it all in. Use a dab of the filler if you need to. Keep the current up and travel quick so you don't distort it any more.
If it goes badly it's not my fault. I'm just passing advice based on the pic. It looks like it's not gonna be water tight.