996Outpost.com

Despite deciding NOT to buy one...I bought one. I've been on the edge between this and a used oxy cart; ultimately, this was the cheaper way to go and does not require storing explosive gas in my garage.

Dammit. No self-control.

Is that a welder of sorts?

CHEAP plasma cutter.

Damn, what you going to use it for? Car repairs or some sort of metal work? I see ads for the hobby grade plasma cutters for making patterned metal doodles in Popular Mechanics and Discover all the time.

One does not plan what to do with a plasma cutter. One just does with a plasma cutter.

Trim toenails.
Quick leveling of the bangs.
Pesky nose hair removal.
Lighting smoking materials of choice.
Opening packages.
...


The list is really endless

gnat wrote: ↑Tue Oct 08, 2019 12:35 pm One does not plan what to do with a plasma cutter. One just does with a plasma cutter.

Trim toenails.
Quick leveling of the bangs.
Pesky nose hair removal.
Lighting smoking materials of choice.
Opening packages.
...


The list is really endless

It's not about the use. It's all about the having, just in case!

I don't weld very much, but enough that cutting raw materials is becoming a problem. I don't have a band saw or a chop saw, so grinders have pretty much been the ticket. I killed my only decent (Bosch) grinder cutting some steel up to weld, so I can either:

Buy more grinders. And grinding wheels. And hearing aids, eventually.
Get a cheapo plasma cutter.
Get a cheapo oxy/acetylene rig
Stop dicking around with the welder

I was really inclined to go the oxy/acetylene route, but I don't have a secure/fireproof place to store filled cylinders, and the welding gas situation for non-professionals doesn't seem great in my immediate area. Most of the bottles for sale in my price range appear to be for sale because they're no longer certified and nobody will fill 'em...

I'm also in the process of switching back from my shitty MIG gun to my shitty stick welder - I'd like to learn TIG eventually, so getting more practice with 1/16" rods in 110v mode can't hurt.

You all have to own your own bottles out there? That sucks.

Over here I just call the gas supplier, tell them what I need, then a truck shows up and drops off the tanks. When I need a re-fill they pick up the empty while dropping off a new one. Doesn't matter if it takes me a day or a year to use the gas.

There appears to be some dickery about who will fill whose bottles; there is a LOT of moaning from people who bought "bargain" bottles only to learn that the ASME stamp had just expired and they have to pay to get them re-certified.

Yeah. If you don't own your own bottles, then you can't mix and match who you get your refills from. Last time I was in the market for gas most wouldn't even fill "random" bottles unless you were a company with a contract.

Heh. Yeah always check the stamps when buying used SCUBA tanks. People love to ditch them when pressure tests are due (or worse if they've failed!).