- Joined
- Nov 16, 2012
- Messages
- 5,596
So, here's a typical kind of job I get. I've never done this particular modification before but this was a fun little knock-out that took a very short time to do. This is a boat component. The top one is a finished piece and the bottom unit is typical of what I was starting from. The original piece does not have enough lip or flange protrusion and it damages the hulls of the vessel over time. This is all 316 stainless so what I did was make rings of the customer-specified diameter and TIG them to the originals. The customer wanted a "sleek" profile so this is what I gave him.
Here's the TIG work. It has to be done in an argon flood tank and when doing the torch work, I made custom aluminum blocks to suck-up the heat. The plasma was hot and super-tiny pin-point and I move the rod in as fast as I can go. I keep a thermal gun and measure temperature and never let the part get above 250 F. I'm also using 316 filler rod. This way, the stainless does not transform and it will stay stable when immersed in sea water. If these things fail someone's $1,000,000.00 (not kidding, ONE MILLION) yacht will sink. -And this is why you carry insurance.
A close-up of the finished work. Although not shown, the weld cap is cleaned-up off the back side. This was one of 5 pieces and I also made custom backing washers for the ring nut. The little screw on the ring nut is a grounding terminal to prevent corrosion and also aid in providing an "Earth Ground" for the vessel's electrical system.
Ray
Here's the TIG work. It has to be done in an argon flood tank and when doing the torch work, I made custom aluminum blocks to suck-up the heat. The plasma was hot and super-tiny pin-point and I move the rod in as fast as I can go. I keep a thermal gun and measure temperature and never let the part get above 250 F. I'm also using 316 filler rod. This way, the stainless does not transform and it will stay stable when immersed in sea water. If these things fail someone's $1,000,000.00 (not kidding, ONE MILLION) yacht will sink. -And this is why you carry insurance.
A close-up of the finished work. Although not shown, the weld cap is cleaned-up off the back side. This was one of 5 pieces and I also made custom backing washers for the ring nut. The little screw on the ring nut is a grounding terminal to prevent corrosion and also aid in providing an "Earth Ground" for the vessel's electrical system.
Ray