welding competition at work

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 10-05-2007 19:09

Rats

When I click on your link it says "contents removed by user"

Rats rats rats

By aevald

Date 10-05-2007 19:51

Hey Tommy, congrats on the conquest and victory. Be careful how you "Gloat" though (he he), one of my compadres at the school here told me of a story of a little competition between some American machinists and some of their German counterparts. The story goes something like this: somehow a group of individuals from the two countries got into a little bit of a competition to see who could come up with the smallest drill bit, they bantered back and forth, each group machining a drill bit and mailing it to the other group for inspection and proof of their accomplishment. It continues to go on to the point where the Americans have traded bits back and forth with the Germans a number of times. Finally, on one of the times that the Germans sent back a bit, it turned out to be the same bit that the Americans had sent over to the Germans, they were preparing to have a victory celebration until they looked at the bit under a microscope, upon closer inspection the Americans noticed that the drill bit had a hole drilled through the center of it, end of competition. Thought you might get a chuckle out of this. Again congratulations on your "victory"! Best regards, Allan

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 10-06-2007 07:20

Thank you Allan!! It sure felt good because the older hand on day shift is something of a legend in this state for his skills and knowledge...I am actually privileged to be working with him...but dang it sure felt good to get his goat ROFLMAO!!! I have also heard the story of the drill bit...the version I heard was between the UAW and the Japanese auto industry. I know welders can get bad with this competition stuff but machinists really take it seriously.

Best Regards
Tommy

By XPERTFAB (**)

Date 10-06-2007 04:55

Please review for us the succesful technique used to accomplish this feat
Thanks!
XPERTFAB

By Tommyjoking (****)

Date 10-06-2007 06:53 Edited 10-06-2007 09:37

Sorry I did not know the link had been taken down...I figured everyone here had seen it already.   Its very much verboten to take cameras into my workplace but I might give it a shot and make a demo video of it....or maybe one of you guys could without taking the risk I would take.   EDIT: ahh screw it Ill make a video expect it by late Monday night. Its easy enough to describe and easy enough to do so here goes.

All you need is two pieces of any aluminum foil or one piece folded over (for tube), a couple of strips of cold rolled flat bar (1" x 1/4 works perfect), a couple of locking clamps and a tig welder (any tig will do AC DC it don't matter). A table vise will be very helpful as well.

Just line up the two edges of the foil and place it between the two pieces of flat bar, leave about 1/8" to 1/4" hanging over on one side, clamp the two pieces of flat bar together so the foil is sandwiched between them. It is important that the two flat bar edges be even and lined up with each other. Then clamp the flat bar in a vise with it horizontal and the two short (1/8"-1/4") edges of foil facing up.   All you have to do is run an arc AC or DC across that flat bar right at the line/joint between the two (use some reason and don't weld so hot you melt the flat bar together   jeez)....the aluminum will disintegrate basically but right at the joint between the flat bars it has no choice but to fuse together and the flat bars will absorb the rest of the heat for you.   Volia!! you just did the impossible legendary foil weld LOL!!!!!   I certainly did not come up with this KUDOS to the fellow who posted that video originally!

I have heard all my life about the legendary "guy" who could weld gum wrappers/Foil but he was always somewhere else and someone who knew him was telling me the story.....Kinda ironic now I am that guy as well LOL!!!!!   Enjoy fellows its a neat trick and I am sure somewhere down the line a bet or two will get placed.

Here is one more NEAT shop trick: I can pick up a quarter with a fork truck on a smooth concrete floor with out using my hands or any walls or objects.

Here is how: Understand you need forks that are in fairly good shape (I.E. fairly new). Have the victim lay a quarter on a smooth section of floor. Pull the tip of the fork over the quarter about 1/2" off the floor then tilt the forks and apply some pressure...then simply back up. It does not work every time but eventually after several tries that coin will end up flipping and landing right on top of the fork leg ...then just raise them up.......dirty mean trick LOL

If I made the foil thing clear as mud just post here and I will try to clear it up.....just try it you will be amazed how easy it really is.

Best regards
Tommy

By raftergwelding (*****)

Date 10-07-2007 04:52

supossedly there is a guy in my neck of the woods whop can split a 1/8 7018 rod long ways with a cutting torch i know him and asked him to show me the trick he said he would for 100.00 i still dont know hopw its done i have talked to people who have seen him do it and they say he splits it right down the middle sounds kinda fishy to me

By SparksnArcs Date 10-07-2007 15:49

"supossedly there is a guy in my neck of the woods whop can split a 1/8 7018 rod long ways with a cutting torch i know him and asked him to show me the trick he said he would for 100.00 i still dont know hopw its done i have talked to people who have seen him do it and they say he splits it right down the middle sounds kinda fishy to me"

i would like to see both of these done... i'll put $5 bucks in...

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 10-08-2007 02:17

I might have to try that with my Dillon/Henrob torch sometime, that has a really narrow oxy jet seperated from the preheat flame. I asume it is OK to remove the flux first? It would be easier if I flattened the rod out first :-)