Building a hovercraft out of aluminum and angle iron

[WeldSan]

I'm soon to be starting my hovercraft experiment. The main frame will be of angle steel and the body aluminum. When welding the aluminum, could I use my 220 on it's lowest setting(Lowest heat setting) of 1, but with a normal wire speed?

This is a Mig Plasma welder, the thing kicks ***. I can weld the heaviest of steel no problem. I welded together a brand new forklift mast and the thing can pull 50,000lbs. easily, no bending, not one break yet in 3 years, so I'm assuming it will never break. I'm currently working on building a 30 foot support beam notched into the wall at one end(welded support underneath) that will support where there used to be 2 16ft. tall beams. So basically, it will run across one beam, over the spaces where there was the two other beams, and into the wall.

For the hovercraft, the angle steel will be light so I'll set my Hobart welder to about 4 or 5 on the heat and wirespeed about 50-60. I've never welded aluminum, understand I'll need a special suit for this, special mask, oh boy, the headache.

[tansit234]

hovercraft?

How big is this experiment going to be? I would hope you already have a powerplant and fan calcs done for a target weight.

I have never welded aluminum, but from what I've heard, crank up the heat and keep moving once you got it.

[Guest]

......
This is a Mig Plasma welder, the thing kicks.........

For the hovercraft, the angle steel will be light so I'll set my Hobart welder to about 4 or 5 on the heat and wirespeed about 50-60. I've never welded aluminum, understand I'll need a special suit for this, special mask, oh boy, the headache.

What is a MIG plasma welder? I understand that MIG welding and Plasma welding are two different processes...as for special suit, mask??? none that I know of...somebody is pulling your leg...

[Zrexxer]

...somebody is pulling your leg...

I suspect somebody's trying to pull ours, as well...

[wrenchbender]

I suspect somebody's trying to pull ours, as well...

"I welded together a brand new forklift mast and the thing can pull 50,000lbs. easily, no bending, not one break yet in 3 years, so I'm assuming it will never break"


"I'm about a month into welding."




Two qoutes within days of each other from WeldSan

[Guest]

I worked with a guy like that...he was the type that always had something to say, anytime the rest of us were in conversation...one day we were talking about our wives getting PAP smears...he walks up and butts in and says" I got mine two years ago" and the guy was dead serious! The same guy told me bold facedly that he saw Hawaii from the Coit Tower in San Francisco. A real classic!

[wrenchbender]

Rocky, I think most of have worked with guys like this at one time or another. Some people grow out of it yet others never do. But there's always hope that these folks can / will mature.

BTW if I climb the Pine tree in my front yard on a clear day and look really hard I can see the Golden Gate Bridge.

[smyrna5]

I have an uncle like that. Thank God he is only related to me by marriage. About every other sentence out of his mouth is some tall tale about how he found gold in the Everglades, knows the ten-thousand islands like the palm of his hand, saw Bigfoot, killed a cougar with a knife, gets 50 mpg with his Ford F-350, etc ( I grew up in South Florida so they are always Everglades tales in some way). He was about 40 when my aunt married him. He is 72 now, and doesn't seem to be growing out of it. The really strange thing is that everyone in the room knows he is lying and laughs at him behind his back, but this never seems to dawn on him. Other than that he is a great guy, and would give you the shirt off his back, which is probably why we tolerate him.

[TexHand]

What is a MIG plasma welder? I understand that MIG welding and Plasma welding are two different processes...as for special suit, mask??? none that I know of...somebody is pulling your leg...

There was actually an article on MIG-Plasma wedling in last months welding magazine. Google SuperMIG and you'll come up with some results.

Excerpt: "Super-MIG™ is a patented hybrid process, combining plasma and MIG into a single welding torch, where plasma operates in “keyhole” welding mode for deep penetration; MIG operates in “conduction” mode to the fill void created by the plasma, stabilizing plasma keyhole."

http://www.plasma-laser.com/new/products.asp?catID=1&subCatID=8

http://www.weldingsolutionsinc.com/pagemanager/display_press.php?id=11

http://www.weldingmag.com/323/Issue/Article/False/73374/Issue

[usmcpop]

I think I know a guy like that. When my son was in MOS school in the Marines, he didn't have a phone, so he gave me his roommate's number, who had agreed to let him share the phone. When I called, he had no idea who my son was, despite the pleasantries. I finally had to say "Let me talk with ****ing Lance Corporal ____, Now!" Then he got it.

[Guest]

Thanks for clarification, Pete...I still don't understand the 'why' of it...true plasma key holing doesn't need wire added...I used to do it...you get a weld bead similar to that of an EB weld.

[TexHand]

Glad YOU got clarification Rocky I read the whole article and was still going huh? wha? ... the whole thing went schwoop right over my head.

What caught my eye was the MIG-Plasma wording, and I recalled this thread.

[out in the shop]

i think this guy may be referring to a harbor freight...combo tool

mig,tig, plasma,stick..........all those tools in one compact box, for the special low, low price of $149.

he welded on "brand new" fork truck, that will pull 50k.
who welds on a brand new truck,possibly voiding all warranty, and introducing alot of liabilty to yourself and the company you welded it for

"with my 220" whats a"220" ,a 220v welder?
this guys got me scratching my head????
todd

[scotte]

[email protected] just when you think you have it covered they go and invent something new

i wonder if they will take my 400amp tig and my 250 amp mig on trade


j/k

[stevinator]

He musta welded on a forkpull truck.We have a forklift at work. It lifts.