Lidl DIY tools 6th June

[sploo]

If those are your first attempts at welding with the cheapest machine on the planet it shows how much understanding you have of what you are doing and how good the machine is. Give it a bit more practice and you will be well sorted.

Many thanks. I've watched quite a few videos, so whilst I have no prior experience I guess that counts as a little bit of training. The tips on this thread have been very useful too.

Would be good to do a course at some point, as and when things open up again.

 

[Fergie 307]

I have a username

sorry I couldn't remember who had started it off. Should have made the time to go back and check. Very rude of me, please accept my apologies.

 

[Fergie 307]

If those are your first attempts at welding with the cheapest machine on the planet it shows how much understanding you have of what you are doing and how good the machine is. Give it a bit more practice and you will be well sorted.

Couldn't agree more, that's very good indeed for so little practice, you are obviously a natural !

 

[Fergie 307]

sorry I couldn't remember who had started it off. Should have made the time to go back and check. Very rude of me, please accept my apologies.

And while I am eating the humble pie please also accept my apologies for what was clearly a bum steer to avoid gasless. This machine is clearly a massive improvement on the ones I tried. Things have obviously moved on a lot since the days when to get a decent flux core machine you had to spend a few hundred quid.

 

[sploo]

And while I am eating the humble pie please also accept my apologies for what was clearly a bum steer to avoid gasless. This machine is clearly a massive improvement on the ones I tried. Things have obviously moved on a lot since the days when to get a decent flux core machine you had to spend a few hundred quid.

It might be worth noting that in the most recent photos I posted I'd wiped the (non-weld) area with a bit of wax first; otherwise there is tons of pigeon poo splatter that sticks near the weld! I understand that's much less of an issue with MIG.

 

[novocaine]

You still get spatter even with MIG, although not as much. Not much you can do about it short of antispatter spray. It should be little round balls rather than pidgeon poop. They aren't fully bonded so you can use a scraper to pop them off.
The wax is possibly where your porosity has come from although other things might have caused it to (especially pulling slag in to the pool).

Looking good sploo. When i was taught i had a few welds cut, polished and dipped to show the penertration. Your torch angle changed after about an inch then again amd again all the way down the weld. You know about the wander of the root already. For now, ypu may fond it easier to do short sections then stop and readjust. Its also a good idea to do a test run, no weld, Just plan the body movement ypu need to get yhe weld path. Now work you're ay down to thinner stuff, which is where you'll really master the technique.

 

[Cozzer]

Forgive the intrusion here, but I've just scored a Parkside welder from Lidl as well, so was watching/reading your observations/comments about Sploo's ongoing story. (Well done, that man! Mine's still in the box!)
I'm in the same boat - absolutely no experience, plus a better half who has raised an eyebrow about the purchase.
I splashed out on one of the auto helmets as well, but gave little - no - thought to what else would be needed.
Gloves.
Turned to a well-known auction site, but wasn't ready for the 7 million choices that faced me!
Nothing better than getting advice from the experts, please, so...?!
Thanks in advance...

 

[novocaine]

For mig i use gauntlets. Normally only on one hand, but that isnt really advised.

These will do.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/keep-saf...DkXcKXsM2OWrx61yJxoaAqnpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Then long cotton sleeves and a leather apron.

For prolonged welding ill wear a denim jacket.

Others will say tig gloves are better. I've never need more dexterity for mig work but maybe thats just me (and the millions of others in the world that use gauntlets still).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I ordered these earlier -
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JQZGHJ9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
good if you have Prime.

 

[Jester129]

@Phil Pascoe - did you read the reviews? You have bought ONE glove, sorry.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Odd. The reviews were mixed, some got two some got one. I'll find out later. It would seem to me that if it were only one they would ask which hand you wanted?

 

[paulrbarnard]

@Phil Pascoe - did you read the reviews? You have bought ONE glove, sorry.

Those are older reviews. Also the description lists two items so it should be a pair.

 

[John Brown]

Bit the bullet - Evolution saw and 2 x 1400mm tracks, clamps etc. - £143.90 from Power Tool World.

What was the outcome on the saw, Phil? Was it track compatible?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. I did post that it was. I emailed and they answered within the hour. Excellent. It's not so good as a dedicated saw, but as I bought it with other uses in mind I'm quite happy with it. It looks to be a nice saw for £60, I've already put an 80t blade on it (Saxton, about £20).

If you do go down this route and go for the longer tracks if you fancy a 700mm track we could split a pair - I could do with one, but don't really need two.

 

[John Brown]

Yes. I did post that it was. I emailed and they answered within the hour. Excellent. It's not so good as a dedicated saw, but as I bought it with other uses in mind I'm quite happy with it. It looks to be a nice saw for £60, I've already put an 80t blade on it (Saxton, about £20).

If you do go down this route and go for the longer tracks if you fancy a 700mm track we could split a pair - I could do with one, but don't really need two.

I bought the Macalister. If I like it, I may buy a pair of the Evo 1400 rails, but I can't see any need for another 700 right now, sorry.

 

[Gary_S]

Not fixable?

Unfortunately not. I saved up and bought another one though.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

@Phil Pascoe - did you read the reviews? You have bought ONE glove, sorry.

No, it's definitely a pair. Very good, and very good value they are too. I ordered two pairs and may well order a couple more - my loved one will nick them for gardening.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For £6.70 I've just ordered another two pairs.

 

[Rorschach]

@Phil Pascoe How big are they? I have small hands, size 7-8, are these going to just be so big I can't do anything in them?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

10.5 - you'd struggle. I didn't look for other sizes, there might be some there.