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I'll also throw in Asimeto - they're available on Amazon too (or at least that's where I bought mine last year). When I lost my beloved Mitutoyo I've used for work I took a chance and bought a set of their verniers - very happy with them. No issues in accuracy, readability or durability. I would say compare very favorably to the Mitus I've owned/used but a fraction of the price.
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May 24, 2020 15:49
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Is there a favorite “smart” battery charger? All I’ve got is an old cart-style dumb charger but it’s pretty bulky, and the egg-timer tends to get stuck, boiling batteries. Are any of the fancy desulfating features legit? Is Noco really a solid brand, or are they just heavily advertised? I’d never heard of the company until recently, but now they’re everywhere.
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May 26, 2020 00:07
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I'm partial to Schumacher. I've got a bunch from different vintages and none of them have ever given me any problems. Not only did I not plan that, I didn't even notice until recently that all the chargers I'd collected from various sources that actually worked were made by the same company. Cat Hatter fucked around with this message at 00:14 on May 26, 2020 |
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May 26, 2020 00:12
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The few emergencies I've used my Noco stuff they worked. I'd do more research if I were going to get a charger for a motorcycle or summer car, for example.
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May 26, 2020 00:14
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My big cart charger is a Shumacher, but I have a hard time trusting it after it’s ticky-timer stuck a few times. At minimum, I’d just like something capable of automatically switching from charging to maintaining when full, rather than spinning an egg time and hoping. Some of the expensive units claim to be able to revive some battery faults, but I’m skeptical. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 00:19 on May 26, 2020 |
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May 26, 2020 00:16
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eddiewalker posted:Is there a favorite “smart” battery charger? All I’ve got is an old cart-style dumb charger but it’s pretty bulky, and the egg-timer tends to get stuck, boiling batteries.
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May 26, 2020 01:28
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eddiewalker posted:Is there a favorite “smart” battery charger? All I’ve got is an old cart-style dumb charger but it’s pretty bulky, and the egg-timer tends to get stuck, boiling batteries. I've been really happy with the Ctek 4.3. It's already rescued three basically dead batteries so it's well more than paid for itself. It's no cart charger. You're not gonna jump something off of it. But it floats great (so far) and it's "recovery mode" seems really good based on those three batteries. It's a maintenance charger, treat is as such and you'll likely be happy. I also bought the cheaper/lower cap (no recovery mode) 0.8 version to wire into my tractor along with the block heater for winter storage/ready to plow. Made it through the winter fine. Motronic fucked around with this message at 02:59 on May 26, 2020 |
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May 26, 2020 02:57
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Late to the glove chat, but how could no one have mentioned Watson's best gloves: https://www.watsongloves.com/products/5827-hand-job/ Product description Looking for a Hand Job? We got you covered. Equipped with foam lining, split cowhide leather, cotton drill back, shirred elastic wrist, slip-on style safety cuff. When you need to get the job done, the Hand Job is your answer - Better Than Nothin'! One size fits all.  They also have the best ads... I've seen this poster in a store before. 
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May 26, 2020 03:15
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eddiewalker posted:Is there a favorite “smart” battery charger? All I’ve got is an old cart-style dumb charger but it’s pretty bulky, and the egg-timer tends to get stuck, boiling batteries. I also have a CTEK (specifically CTEK MULTI US 7002) and I'm happy with it. CTEK was popular with the BMW motorcycle club I was part of so the chargers got a lot of use on gel and AGM batteries. Harry Metcalfe seems to be a fan of them as well and he has lots of batteries to maintain.
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May 26, 2020 04:12
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Can anyone recommend a good screw extractor set?
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May 26, 2020 06:35
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Project Farm had a video on it last month. https://youtu.be/XVTn6wI4g6s I can't remember the result or I'd just tell you.
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May 26, 2020 12:05
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Looks like Irwin did alright, but I have never had any luck with mine. I know I snapped one extractor on a rusty distributor cap bolt, and I think the other times it’s just been too awkward to be practical. Luckily I’ve been able to disassemble more to replace the broken bits. I’m curious if more skilled people have had better luck though.
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May 26, 2020 14:54
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I've only had luck with them when the bolt broke due to shear forces, not corrosion/seizing. If the threads are seized, the best bet is heat and penetrating fluid, or welding a nut onto the stub. I've used them extensively to remove broken pipe stubs, and found these amazing for that use: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00004T82B/
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May 26, 2020 15:07
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This isn't really an automotive tool per se, but do you guys have any recommendations for a cheap electric power washer? I borrowed a friend's and while it was relatively weak (1700psi 1.2gpm greenworks brand) it got the job done. Something a bit more powerful but still less than 150 would be great but they're all kinds of weird brands on Amazon.
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May 26, 2020 15:31
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Wrar posted:Project Farm had a video on it last month. I don't remember being too blown away by any of them. I think the Dewalt and Irwin did fine for the money. I definitely don't remember the highest priced ones doing that much better to justify the cost.
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May 26, 2020 15:34
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CornHolio posted:This isn't really an automotive tool per se, but do you guys have any recommendations for a cheap electric power washer? I have 2 SunJoe electric pressure washers. The first one I got is very strong, fully 75% as strong as my gas. The second one is smaller and maybe 40% as strong as my gas. Weird thing is that they have mostly the same specs for GPM/Pressure. The "good" one is physically larger/heavier, which makes sense. Project Farm needs to do a comparison on pressure washers, because they seem to be unreliable in they way they are rated.
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May 26, 2020 15:42
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I have bought a few different Karchers over the years, they are all still chooching.
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May 26, 2020 16:51
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Minto Took posted:Can anyone recommend a good screw extractor set? I don't trust the methodology of that Project Farm video, too much wobble and slop in his setups. If you don't want to gently caress around: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WQYJIG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_U2xZEbPBS6HZN
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May 26, 2020 21:46
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Obsessed Garage did a super thourough test of pressure washers, but they tested it for car washing use.
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May 27, 2020 11:44
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I just got the CTEK Test and Charge, which seems to supersede the “Multi US 1007” and it feel extremely solid so far. I also picked up a couple of the “Comfort indicator” pigtails with the LEDs as mentioned in that car-hoarder vid. Nice to be able to quickly charge my vehicles that already have “Tender Jr” style SAE plugs without adding new wires. Thanks thread.
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May 27, 2020 16:32
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A couple of charger things I forgot about, my CTEK gets hot when it's doing its thing. I can't remember if my other chargers did that too but regardless I make sure it's on concrete or a chunk of metal to act as a heat sink. I also try to keep chargers away from everything so that if they fail catastrophically there's nothing nearby to set on fire. The charger plug hanging off my bike is also fused which I think is normal. I don't think I would be comfortable using alligator clips for long-term maintenance charging. Too easy to bump a cord and pull a clip off and either stop charging or possibly send current somewhere it shouldn't go.
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May 27, 2020 19:01
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Galler posted:A couple of charger things I forgot about, my CTEK gets hot when it's doing its thing. I can't remember if my other chargers did that too but regardless I make sure it's on concrete or a chunk of metal to act as a heat sink. I also try to keep chargers away from everything so that if they fail catastrophically there's nothing nearby to set on fire. The charger plug hanging off my bike is also fused which I think is normal. I don't think I would be comfortable using alligator clips for long-term maintenance charging. Too easy to bump a cord and pull a clip off and either stop charging or possibly send current somewhere it shouldn't go. I've had it running for at least 4 hours charging a battery that I killed cranking my MG, and it feels about as warm as a Tender Junior. I'll keep an eye on it though. Having never heard of the brand, I was expecting an Intertek sticker, a fake CE mark and a Harbor Freight plastic smell, but this thing has a UL listing and quality-feeling silicone wires. So far I'm satisfied for $100.
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May 27, 2020 20:19
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Intertek is a real NRTL and CE is self certifying (normally with reports from an NRTL to back up the claims made in your DoC and technical construction file) but yeah, it's always nice to be surprised by the quality on something.
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May 27, 2020 20:35
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I was referring to this nonsense 
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May 27, 2020 21:01
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Oh that. Yeah gently caress that, I don't trust that at all.
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May 28, 2020 01:16
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I just found this out a couple weeks ago, but even the real CE mark is entirely self-monitored. There isn't a central agency/testing facilities like UL that you pay for testing. ( the other direction) You might get hosed in a lawsuit if you are wrong or lie, but you can put the mark on legally by only deciding your stuff is fine with no testing and documenting that you did so.e: kastein posted:Intertek is a real NRTL and CE is self certifying (normally with reports from an NRTL to back up the claims made in your DoC and technical construction file) but yeah, it's always nice to be surprised by the quality on something. yeah this
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May 28, 2020 02:36
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Looks like I'm going to get some welding related accessories for Father's Day, and I've been tasked with picking them. I have a bunch of related questions. My list so far:
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May 28, 2020 22:10
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Cart, I got the open one from HF and it's fine, I think the one you have listed with drawers is a better choice. The lower chains that hold the gas cylinder are too low on mine, but kind of unnecessary anyway. Mask, the HF one only has one sensor, and it finally pissed me off enough when it wouldn't darken that I bought the true color one from Eastwood. https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-large-view-auto-darkening-welding-helmet-l6700.html and I love it. The true color thing is nice, and makes it comfortable to look through. The harness is comfortable as well. Gloves, those soft tough gloves are a great choice. Edit: Wire, buy the 10lb rolls of the good stuff. Don't short yourself on it. Welding already has a learning curve so why make it harder with substandard filler? If be suspect of the material and the thickness, which cause issues with feeding and voltage and heat. Just buy name brand wire it's not that expensive. And again, the big rolls. You WILL run out when you need it. StormDrain fucked around with this message at 22:35 on May 28, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 22:32
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Don't skimp on PPE. Especially when it's your eyes. I've got a Miller digital infinity and I'm not a fan. The helmet is good but it's too heavy for the headgear. If the headgear is tight enough to keep the helmet up and out of the way then it requires both hands to lower it. The slightest bit looser and it slowly ratchets itself back down. I end up just having to take the whole helmet off whenever I'm not actively welding which is really obnoxious. I haven't decided what I'm going to replace it with but I'm very slightly leaning towards 3m. Galler fucked around with this message at 22:46 on May 28, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 22:43
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The older/cheaper HF helmets had crappier sensor setups (I think they've all had two, I don't know if I've ever encountered a single sensor lid), that newer one is actually quite good and has 4. If you want a step up, check out something like the Lincoln Viking line and just pick the most expensive one you can stomach buying. I wouldn't have any problem getting that HF helmet, it's the same quality as any of the low-spec lids from name brands in terms of optics. Also, don't buy helmets that require weird curved shields, because they're a wear item and you'll need more (particularly while learning, since you'll end up sticking your face way too close to the arc all the time). Get fancy helmets when you've got a company buying consumables for you (or if it's just TIG or something). For wire, I'd recommend getting Lincoln ER70S-6. It's available cheapest through Home Depot, weirdly enough. The HF wire is actually somewhat okay, but if you're learning it's better to keep everything in your favor equipment-wise. Gloves, get the Vulcan TIG gloves from HF. Sounds weird and insane, but they're comically inexpensive and again, you'll kill gloves fairly quickly while learning (and then quickly again if you start welding a lot). It's worth buying the MIG gloves as well just so you've got a heavier option. They're also great and cheap. I've dicked around with that HF cart a little and it seems fine, just keep an eye on how long your machine is vs the room on the top. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 22:54 on May 28, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 22:52
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Hypnolobster posted:I've dicked around with that HF cart a little and it seems fine, just keep an eye on how long your machine is vs the room on the top. I got the non-drawer HF cart and quickly realized the top was too small for a my Miller 211mvp. My first or second welding project was modifying the cart to accept the welder. It was fun and good practice.
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May 28, 2020 23:06
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Galler posted:Don't skimp on PPE. Especially when it's your eyes.  You mentioned you're leaning toward 3M - which one? That can't be the only one they make, surely.I like Hypno's recommendation about the Viking line, but I combined it with StormDrain's Eastwood, since that Viking line starts where I'm comfortable, but Eastwood seems to have a sale tonight. How's this one? It's as far up that line as you can go without getting into the curved nonsense, which I 100% see your point on. I'm good with the HF gloves, and agree that practicing with good wire is probably a better starting point than HF. I know people who use HF wire extensively, but it'd be better to start with something good and go back to that (maybe) to be better able to identify where it goes wrong. StormDrain posted:Cart, I got the open one from HF and it's fine, I think the one you have listed with drawers is a better choice. The lower chains that hold the gas cylinder are too low on mine, but kind of unnecessary anyway. Hypnolobster posted:I've dicked around with that HF cart a little and it seems fine, just keep an eye on how long your machine is vs the room on the top. Galler posted:I got the non-drawer HF cart and quickly realized the top was too small for a my Miller 211mvp. My first or second welding project was modifying the cart to accept the welder. It was fun and good practice.
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May 28, 2020 23:34
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Krakkles posted:Couldn't agree more, but I'm hoping for a middle ground below that 3M mask I've literally only gotten as far as 'I've never had a bad experience with a 3m product so I might trust them with my eyes'. I'm planning on getting into TIG so I'll probably go all in on my next helmet since, as far as I understand, not all sensors can handle low amperage TIG and having a bigger and clearer viewing window is more significant with TIG. That's a problem for next year though.
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May 28, 2020 23:56
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Krakkles posted:How's this one? Totally fine! I'd personally go for the HF you linked because I don't like helmets that have a bunch of controls on the outside but that's personal preference. Autodark lenses are all very good these days because the tech has gotten to the point where cheap overseas manufacturing can make it very good quality without much of an issue. Just about all the inexpensive helmets are just variations on a theme as long as you do the minimum-diligence on checking that it has some good (believable) reviews, etc. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 00:01 on May 29, 2020 |
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May 28, 2020 23:57
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My first rule at HF is avoid items that can hurt you when they fail. Somehow I bought a welding mask and jackstands, the mask I mentioned earlier would fail to darken at funny angles, and the jackstands we all know. I didn't like the harness as well as this new one either. Inside vs outside controls is totally preference, I went with inside on the cheaper Eastwood helmet and it's good, since the helmet does get beat a little, and I don't adjust the tint often. I actually came back to mention leathers. Dont forget an apron or shoulders. I went with a full jacket which is both too hot and a lifesaver from burns when I'm welding upside down.
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May 29, 2020 00:26
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Krakkles posted:[*]Mask - is this HF decent? Do I need this 3M Storm Trooper mask? ESAB biker mask? Ugly but pretty inexpensive no-name top rated on amazon? (Real talk, I'm not going to get a $500 mask, and $300 is pretty out too. So is the HF or the YESWELDER better than the other, or is there something else in the <$150 range I should be considering?) I've been using the HF vulcan mask for a while and I think it's pretty drat good especially for the price. I can comfortably fit a big 3m mask under there while welding too, which you will want. What's fun is that it's a clone of the lincoln 3350 viking mask, down to the point where the sensors are directly interchangeable. The 3350 auto dimmer pack is obviously bigger. Masks are cool though, so if you want to spend extra money on one I don't blame you. Another brand not mentioned is Optrel, fine swiss maskmakers. Their panoramaxx and crystal 2.0 are pretty awesome (and expensive). Krakkles posted:[*]Gloves - Lincoln? Krakkles posted:[*]Wire brush - Hazet, just so that I can say I have two Hazet tools You can get the cheapest for this sort of stuff. HF actually sells a big pack of wire wheels and wire brushes for like $9 which will work fine. Krakkles posted:[*]Welding wire - any reason not to use the HF stuff, especially for initial practice? One more thing you might want to consider is a welding jacket or apron like StormDrain mentioned. I have a lightweight lincoln electric jacket that is not too hot for this socal weather. Sometimes you'll be under a car welding overhead and you need all the protection you can get. One of those welding caps too - I don't have one and I always end up getting tiny bits of splatter on top of my head somehow (and while grinding). Which also brings me to the grinding section. You'll be doing a lot more of that in order to clean and prep surfaces and then afterwards to hide welds  I go through a lot of flapdiscs, cutoffs and wire wheels, so bulk buy those. And clamps. And squares. And more flapdiscs.
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May 29, 2020 00:46
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taqueso posted:I just found this out a couple weeks ago, but even the real CE mark is entirely self-monitored. There isn't a central agency/testing facilities like UL that you pay for testing. ( Yeah nothing is stopping you from doing that except the fact that if someone dies or is injured as a result, the person who signed the DoC and/or the VP and C-levels of your company can get dragged into court criminally for it IIRC. We took it pretty seriously at my last job as a result. We did risk analysis and FMEA, and used NRTL reports to back up our claims basically so we could point at them and say don't arrest us please. I even got to do a destructive test of all single-mode failures we could find in one of the control boards to prove it was designed well enough to remain within safe limits. Krakkles posted:This is all groundwork for the actual welder I'm going to buy, which is the Hobart 210MVP. I know that I'll need gas as well, but I'm planning to sort that after the welder gets here, just to figure out if there's a particular fitting or size I need or whatever. Echoing the others, buy good wire and keep an extra spool on the shelf of anything you use often. It will run out 30 minutes after the last store closes on a Friday before a 3 day weekend. If you have the space and money, get a spare shielding gas tank as well, even if it's a small one, just to keep you from getting stymied on a weekend project because airgas doesn't open till Tuesday at 7am. I'm running a Hobart 70 dollar mask from tractor supply Co. It's alright. Worth noting, the safety part of the mask is always on, it's the visible light shield that turns on and off. The 210mvp is a decent welder from the feedback I've gotten. Another thing I didn't see mentioned so far: wear a respirator when welding and grinding. You don't want heavy metal poisoning, you don't want cancer and you don't want manganism. Wearing it when grinding will keep you from having black, structurally sound boogers for a day or two. Wearing it when welding will keep you from getting cancer or manganism or heavy metal poisoning. A 3m half mask with 2097 pancake filters is pretty alright. If you're doing this outside it's semi unnecessary but if you're working indoors or in tight quarters you'll want it. Wear earplugs when grinding AND welding overhead. Grinding is obvious, welding overhead is... Well... Ever have a white-hot lump of slag drop into your ear and land on your eardrum, then sizzle and burn? I have. Luckily it was a lot smaller than it sounded like, which basically was like someone frying bacon on my eardrum, and rather than the China Syndrome I pictured as I thrashed around trying to get it out of my ear under a truck, it only resulted in some minor soreness that went away in a few hours. But it could have been a lot worse.
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May 29, 2020 01:27
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tuna posted:
HF wire suuuucks.
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May 29, 2020 01:52
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I just keep thinking of more tools you need, sorry! MIG pliers, for taking off parts and clipping wire and cleaning the tip of welding smegma. Welders hat, which my wife HATES and I feel equally strong that it's the best hat ever. Keeps my hair clean, up, and doesn't interfere when I'm under car or under a helmet. Maybe part of it is the pattern but tbh the ugly patterns are part of the style. Especially sexy lady caps. And then be ready to buy a mountain of clamps, clips, magnets... Edit: I actually stepped up from earplugs to ear muffs when grinding, the plugs got too dirty for my comfort.
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May 29, 2020 02:01
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Welding is cool and good. I'm surprised there's no dedicated welding thread here or in DIY.
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May 29, 2020 02:15
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