Builds Fly By Night (2 Viewers)

[RUSH55]

Didn't you buy an Everlast tig machine?
Why not tig weld the stainless tubing?
I apologize if you've already covered this.

Just a brainstorm I’ve had to get all the funky elbows and sections clamped in place and then tack everything together with a MIG welder, pull it out, set it up in a jig and then finish it off with the TIG. TIGing from my back under the rig is a no-go.
Stainless has been the most finicky material I’ve ever had to deal with from the cleaning to the zero-gap joints to the back purging. What a PITA! Determined to make it happen though.

 

[J Mack]

Oh, and I Migged mine with straight Argon. Yes sir re bob

Yeah me too a long time ago but I cant remember why I was using a MIG at that time, I used to TIG weld copper armatures with bi mix Helium/Argon but that was also a long time ago.
Now just use straight Argon on the TIG, I read up a bit and see Rush didn't like tacking the curved tubing with the TIG. Like you @bobm I make several trips back and forth cutting and sharpie marks then tacking on the bench and test fit before final weld, probably not the most efficient method but I don't do more than one system a year .....

 

[J Mack]

Stainless has been the most finicky material I’ve ever had to deal with from the cleaning to the zero-gap joints to the back purging. What a PITA! Determined to make it happen though.

You can do it!!!

I don't bother with the back purge unless I'm going to post Instagram photos, for what we are doing that little bit of sugar on the inside isn't ever going to be seen or effect us.
Play with your settings on some scrap and get the spot/tack setting you like so you just hold the tubing together and mat the gas for that perfect spot without burning through before you move to the expensive stuff..

 

[J Mack]

I've tried all those fancy clamps and I always spend more time Dicking around with them then they save and go back to the test fit, mark with sharpie and tack on the bench, repeat method.
Let us know how you like them, could be I'm just hardwired to make things difficult on my self or I'm not happy.

 

[bobm]

If you are doing a Sema rig I would back purge . Other than that it's not gonna give much benefit to exhaust flow! Crawl under, Crawl out wit ya Charpie! Pain in da but you be HAPPY,HAPPY. Trust me an @J Mack . sweet

 

[J Mack]

Trust me an @J Mack . sweet

You wouldn't know it by his obvious grasp of the English language but the @bobm is one of the very few here that will give you 100% accurate information 100% of the time, my only regret is the Bob the @scrapdaddy and I don't live closer so we could collaborate on a pig.

 

[bobm]

Love my Bud's @scrapdaddy @J Mack and @RUSH55 when you tig weld the stainless ( do test pieces.) Tight seams and no filler it melts like . When I first started welding my teacher said Tig, if you master dat Sensi you can easily masterbat OOPS master da rest

 

[scrapdaddy]

I'll bring the beer !

 

[bobm]

You wouldn't know it by his obvious grasp of the English language but the @bobm is one of the very few here that will give you 100% accurate information 100% of the time, my only regret is the Bob the @scrapdaddy and I don't live closer so we could collaborate on a pig.

I speaky no englay! Is dis da Twick Twock Chinee web

 

[bobm]

Just a brainstorm I’ve had to get all the funky elbows and sections clamped in place and then tack everything together with a MIG welder, pull it out, set it up in a jig and then finish it off with the TIG. TIGing from my back under the rig is a no-go.
Stainless has been the most finicky material I’ve ever had to deal with from the cleaning to the zero-gap joints to the back purging. What a PITA! Determined to make it happen though.

Stainless is ❤ especially without filler rod! When you have tight seams and can fuse it , you'll get a y . I'll find some pics

 

[RHINO]

but there is nobody in a 50 mile radius doing exhaust work in my area.
Business opportunity?

nobody doing exhaust or nobody doing mandrel exhaust?

 

[bobm]

Another option with Tig welding is a Lift Arc like the Miller passport it's the size of a Pocketbook and runs off 110 and you need to scratch the tungsten on the material before you start welding! (Sounds hard but not really!) If you really are content on welding exhaust under . Most important thing about Tig, Mig, or Stick welding is the comfort of you're position! If you are not comfortable your welds will reflect that

 

[RUSH55]

nobody doing exhaust or nobody doing mandrel exhaust?

Nobody in the Verde Valley. Crazy huh? Used to be a couple shops back in the 90’s and 2000’s that I used for driveshafts, but those guys are gone. There was one shop afterwards that was affiliated with one of the body shops (never heard anything good about them) and now they’re gone too. Closest I’ve heard of is one or two in Prescott/Prescott Valley and Flagstaff.

 

[RUSH55]

Crawl under, Crawl out wit ya Charpie! Pain in da

That s*** gets old in a hurry. Did that for a couple of small sections coming off the headers and almost had the two ends tied together until there needed to be changes made to compensate for the oil cooler lines. Now almost everything needs to be redone, even the ‘Y’ pipe I got from @Sheck44 was chopped up and reformed to something more of what I was going for, would now require welding on another piece, making it look like Frankenstein’s forehead. Think I might use the 3” collector from it and make another version with less welds on it.
I think my biggest problem is not taking the time to meticulously clean every joint before welding. Sometimes can fit two pieces together and make one tack without any filler no problem. Turn it around to tack the other side and blow a hole through it! Most video tutorials I’ve seen these guys are spending two hours sanding and buffing joints inside and out with Scotchbrite pads, and getting every angle perfect on a vertical bandsaw then making the cuts perfectly flat on a belt sander.
I roll my eyes and say to myself, “You gotta be kidding me with this s***!” The stuff I’ve welded so far was cut with a cut-off wheel, lucky to be buffed with a pad and really lucky to not have some gap to it. Just too impatient for all that, but need to step up and get more sophisticated with the process.

 

[J Mack]

I'll bring the beer !

Cant wait..


just so we're clear....
Beer..

Not beer

 

[scrapdaddy]

I have to agree with that one.

 

[RHINO]

Nobody in the Verde Valley. Crazy huh? Closest I’ve heard of is one or two in Prescott/Prescott Valley and Flagstaff.

that IS crazy,,, i think Payson and Cottonwood are similar size. theres a shop in Payson, havent had them do anything for me but i hear they do decent work. and even my teeny unincorated community has a small single bay auto repair shop that can do exhaust, they dont have a bender they just order pieces and weld/repair, but still.

 

[bobm]

That s*** gets old in a hurry. Did that for a couple of small sections coming off the headers and almost had the two ends tied together until there needed to be changes made to compensate for the oil cooler lines. Now almost everything needs to be redone, even the ‘Y’ pipe I got from @Sheck44 was chopped up and reformed to something more of what I was going for, would now require welding on another piece, making it look like Frankenstein’s forehead. Think I might use the 3” collector from it and make another version with less welds on it.
I think my biggest problem is not taking the time to meticulously clean every joint before welding. Sometimes can fit two pieces together and make one tack without any filler no problem. Turn it around to tack the other side and blow a hole through it! Most video tutorials I’ve seen these guys are spending two hours sanding and buffing joints inside and out with Scotchbrite pads, and getting every angle perfect on a vertical bandsaw then making the cuts perfectly flat on a belt sander.
I roll my eyes and say to myself, “You gotta be kidding me with this s***!” The stuff I’ve welded so far was cut with a cut-off wheel, lucky to be buffed with a pad and really lucky to not have some gap to it. Just too impatient for all that, but need to step up and get more sophisticated with the process.

Torch angle makes a big difference also.

 

[J Mack]

Torch angle makes a big difference also.

I also switched nozzles and stainless got easier that day.

Weldtec 45V44NQ Gas Lens, 3/32" (2, 4) with O-Ring, for Quartz Nozzles, 2 pack

Weldtec 45V44NQ Gas Lens, 3/32" (2, 4) with O-Ring, for Quartz Nozzles, 2 pack. Got questions on TEC Welding TIG welding gas lens and welding supplies, call us at Weldfabulous.

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Weldtec #9 9/16" Water-Cooled Quartz Nozzle (13NQ-9) - Welding supplies tools

Weldtec/TEC introduced the glass nozzle to TIG torches back in 1955.The original nozzles were made from Pyrex grade glass.These new modern fused quartz nozzles offer superior temperature and thermal shock resistance, surpassing Pyrex, lava, and the pink ceramic nozzles for performance.Now you...

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Weldtec MF13NK MegaFlo Nozzle Kit

Weldtec MF13NK MegaFlo Nozzle Kit. Better weld visibility. Got questions on TEC Welding TIG welding nozzles and welding supplies, call us at Weldfabulous.

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[bobm]

Most use to much heat also. . You'll get it.