Monday, August 6, 2012

Tour of Ben's shop 2012



Some people were curious about what my shop looks like, so here is a video tour. It seems that I was really rambling, since this video turned out much longer than expected.

11 comments:

  1. Such a nice shop -- I'm jealous!

    What made you give up your MRI-related business?

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  2. Rob, I am part of the new hardware team at Valve Corporation. Valve is an amazing place, and I couldn't miss the opportunity to work there.

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  3. Very nice. I worry (perhaps too much) about mixing activities in the same room - welding sparks finding sawdust, swarf and metal grinding dust finding oscilloscopes, etc.

    I'm curious what you do use to cut plastic since you expressed disappointment with the miter saw.

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  4. Anonymous, I use a table saw with a high-end carbide-tipped blade, and a sled for most acrylic cutting. The blade is fairly thick and also has wide carbide tips to provide clearance with the blade body. The action of using a sled also is much less prone to binding than using a compound miter saw.

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  5. Nice shop Ben! I like how you share it with people who are interested in. Thank you

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  6. In your video you mention having to repair your Tig welder. I remember seeing them as well. Searching yielded nothing.

    I let my miller dynasty 300dx go when I sold my business, and I can't stomach the cost of a 350dx. I'd like to get one of these 'cheap' plasma/tig machines, but I really want to refresh my memory about your troubles. I have an old miller aircrafter 330st, but I don't relish the task of going back to a sine wave machine when welding aluminum.



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  7. scienkoptic, the video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJksVs2QT5Q

    Good luck! -Ben

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  8. thanks for the link.

    I must ask though: what is the heaviest gauge aluminum you have welded with this machine, and did/do you continue to hold the torch by the ceramic cup?



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  9. scienkoptic, a good rule-of-thumb is 1 amp per .001" material thickness. However, aluminum conducts heat so well, you need more current for aluminum. I'd say 1/8" aluminum can be welded comfortably, and 3/16" might be possible with some struggling. It depends on the size of the piece. For high current, I use a traditional gas cup, and hold the torch farther away if it gets too hot.

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  10. Hi Ben: Nice shop! If you had it to do over, would you still buy the Everlast welder? I'm in the process of buying a welder now and am wondering about the robustness of these machines. You have done some very pretty welding with it, but I gather you've had some problems too. Any second thoughts you can share?
    Thanks, G.T.

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  11. Anonymous, I'd probably buy the Everlast again. It's true that it needed repairs and is generally a quirky machine, but a Miller Dynasty costs 3-4 times as much money. If I were working professionally, and using the welder to make money, I would probably choose the Miller, and also get a water-cooled torch. For hobby and occasional odd-jobs, this machine is fine.

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