A Story of Indecision and Frivolous Spending

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Pretty much, you don't need a $2k welder for Jeep work either, 500-$1k if you want something nice will be able to weld anything Jeep wise.

Only thing I would recommend is pay attention to duty cycles and avoid the 110v and flux core only welders if you can. Other people are pretty spot on with their welder recommendations.

Also for learning auto darkening helmets are a blessing so spend a little for that if you want, I still use a $110 Lincoln that I started with
 
Sait .045 cut-off discs, flat and depressed center. Pearl Abrasives, same thickness. If you get a die grinder, find someone who has one and try it. You'll be disgusted with three things in short order. How shitty they cut welds, how much air they use, and how much a good one costs. My air die grinder costs almost 500 dollars and it's barely adequate.
If you still insist, use only Jimmy Shine Death cut off wheels. They are the only ones that will cut worth a crap and I've tried everyone I can get my hands on.
If you want to use a corded grinder, get the Milwaukee 4.5-5". You will never wish for more power, or durability.
WARNING- DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS, AGAIN, DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS

If the sparks are not trying to catch you on fire, you are doing a push cut, do not do that.
I'll get an exact model of welding hood to get. #1 rule, buy the lens covers, buy a lot of them and keep your field of vision clear. That is the only way you can see what you are doing. I change mine at least once a week. Welders like to stick their face in the smoke and it clouds the lens that is covered in metal grit so when you wipe it off, now not only is it cloudy, it's also scratched to shit.

Grinding wheels and flap discs. Get Pearl Green Back in 40 grit. Get the 3M Cubitron hard disc with the attached 5/8-11 mount. They rule. They cut faster and longer than anything else. They make a Cubitron flap disc, sometimes they work a little better than the Green Back, sometimes they don't. You want the flap discs that are threaded, not the ones you hold on with the nut.

I'll get more later.
 
That's all I have, it's a Miller 211.

Most companies make a model that will run on 110v or 220v - 220V means you can work on thicker material, but you have to have a 220v outlet. 110v means you can use it anywhere, but are limited to how thick of material you can weld. I had 220v in my garage already, but it's nice having the 110v option also.

Harbor Freight sells one for $950, but the Miller or Lincoln is only $1,200 and much better quality.

I don't have a 220V outlet in my garage, but from my understanding, it's not terribly difficult to convert a 120V outlet to 220V.

My brother-in-law who is a union plumber helped me convert a 220V outlet in my kitchen to 120V, so I'm sure he could help me do this in my garage.

With something as big a welder, I'd be hesitant to buy from Harbor Freight. I don't mind going there for smaller things, but a welder is something I'd like to last me a long time.
 
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Yes, I'm very interested in that list. I'd follow it to a T. I'd rather do that than going out and wasting my money, only to find out that certain things aren't working well enough.

If you have a recommendation as well on a specific Miller welder that would be good for this project (and someone who is just starting), I would appreciate that as well. Also... a good mask. I don't want to go blind, so I'm not sure what to look for in terms of a quality welding mask versus a crappy one.



I get what you're saying. Right now there is around 5" showing at ride height, which isn't enough. I didn't measure that, I just eye-balled it. When I get it home tomorrow I'll measure it so I have an exact number.

This would also explain why the brackets look so low... because they are too low.
I don’t mean to say that your eyeballing is off, but before you go out and start purchasing a bunch of items to re-weld things, I would get your jeep home and do some accurate measuring. Maybe you aren’t going to need to redo it. I would take photos of how you are measuring so everyone is understanding what is beIng measured .
 
Sait .045 cut-off discs, flat and depressed center. Pearl Abrasives, same thickness. If you get a die grinder, find someone who has one and try it. You'll be disgusted with three things in short order. How shitty they cut welds, how much air they use, and how much a good one costs. My air die grinder costs almost 500 dollars and it's barely adequate.
If you still insist, use only Jimmy Shine Death cut off wheels. They are the only ones that will cut worth a crap and I've tried everyone I can get my hands on.
If you want to use a corded grinder, get the Milwaukee 4.5-5". You will never wish for more power, or durability.
WARNING- DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS, AGAIN, DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS

If the sparks are not trying to catch you on fire, you are doing a push cut, do not do that.
I'll get an exact model of welding hood to get. #1 rule, buy the lens covers, buy a lot of them and keep your field of vision clear. That is the only way you can see what you are doing. I change mine at least once a week. Welders like to stick their face in the smoke and it clouds the lens that is covered in metal grit so when you wipe it off, now not only is it cloudy, it's also scratched to shit.

Grinding wheels and flap discs. Get Pearl Green Back in 40 grit. Get the 3M Cubitron hard disc with the attached 5/8-11 mount. They rule. They cut faster and longer than anything else. They make a Cubitron flap disc, sometimes they work a little better than the Green Back, sometimes they don't. You want the flap discs that are threaded, not the ones you hold on with the nut.

I'll get more later.

Okay, so this is what I've got so far:

Milwaukee 4.5-5" Angle Grinder
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...le-Grinder-with-Dial-Speed-6117-33D/203405166

Pearl Greenback 40 Grit Grinding Discs (is this the threaded one?)
http://www.pantherindustrial.com/pe...mmable-zirconia-flap-disc-40-grit-pack-of-10/

3M Cubitron Hard Disc w/ Attached 5/8-11 Mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9JN6S6/?tag=wranglerorg-20


I'll wait for your recommendations on a welding hood and lens covers.

Two other questions:
  1. What's the deal with the push cuts? Why are those bad? I'm not doubting they are, I'm just curious as to what the reason is.
  2. Where do you get most of this stuff? For instance, are these grinding / cutting discs commonly sold at a place like Home Depot, or are the an online item?
  3. Since you suggested two discs, I assume the 3M Cubitron is used for the actual cuts themselves, whereas the Greenback flap discs are used for finishing the cuts and making them look cleaner?
Thanks for your advice! This should make it a lot easier. I could probably figure a lot of it out on my own, but it would be lots of trial and error, whereas with this, I will at least know what works well from the get go.
 
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I don’t mean to say that your eyeballing is off, but before you go out and start purchasing a bunch of items to re-weld things, I would get your jeep home and do some accurate measuring. Maybe you aren’t going to need to redo it. I would take photos of how you are measuring so everyone is understanding what is beIng measured .

Oh yeah, I'm not buying any of this stuff right now. Once it's home, I'll do all the measuring first to see where I'm at. I'm just preparing for the worst.

I'll be sure to take photos as well, you can count on that.

How much bumpstop did they put in the rear?

I'll find out tomorrow when I measure!
 
Sait .045 cut-off discs, flat and depressed center. Pearl Abrasives, same thickness. If you get a die grinder, find someone who has one and try it. You'll be disgusted with three things in short order. How shitty they cut welds, how much air they use, and how much a good one costs. My air die grinder costs almost 500 dollars and it's barely adequate.
If you still insist, use only Jimmy Shine Death cut off wheels. They are the only ones that will cut worth a crap and I've tried everyone I can get my hands on.
If you want to use a corded grinder, get the Milwaukee 4.5-5". You will never wish for more power, or durability.
WARNING- DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS, AGAIN, DO NOT DO PUSH CUTS

If the sparks are not trying to catch you on fire, you are doing a push cut, do not do that.
I'll get an exact model of welding hood to get. #1 rule, buy the lens covers, buy a lot of them and keep your field of vision clear. That is the only way you can see what you are doing. I change mine at least once a week. Welders like to stick their face in the smoke and it clouds the lens that is covered in metal grit so when you wipe it off, now not only is it cloudy, it's also scratched to shit.

Grinding wheels and flap discs. Get Pearl Green Back in 40 grit. Get the 3M Cubitron hard disc with the attached 5/8-11 mount. They rule. They cut faster and longer than anything else. They make a Cubitron flap disc, sometimes they work a little better than the Green Back, sometimes they don't. You want the flap discs that are threaded, not the ones you hold on with the nut.

I'll get more later.

I have been meaning to try the Cubitron stuff. I'm also going to try the Sait discs when I need more.

For the Milwaukee, are you suggesting it because you've tried Metabo, or because it works well for you and it's about half the price? I'm always curious how things compare.
 
Chris,
I like the look of this outfit’s prices for the cut off wheels that
@mrblaine recomended.
https://www.lehighvalleyabrasives.c...MIjqCZ9fKJ3wIVDyCtBh2w3AW_EAQYAyABEgL2v_D_BwE

I’ve been unhappy with the wheels I’ve been using and will give these a try.

Let us know if you find a better price on these, or his recommendations for flap wheels.

Edit: May have to research this farther. For 6 cutoff wheels shipped to AZ. they want almost $20!

Let us know
 
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Okay, so this is what I've got so far:

Milwaukee 4.5-5" Angle Grinder
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...le-Grinder-with-Dial-Speed-6117-33D/203405166

33, not the 33D. You have no use for a speed control.

Pearl Greenback 40 Grit Grinding Discs

Right disc, wrong size. Get 5" everything.

3M Cubitron Hard Disc w/ Attached 5/8-11 Mount
That is a flap disk. You need something that mows down material until you get it close enough to make it pretty with a flap disc.

This is a hard disc. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZTAJ7G/?tag=wranglerorg-20

For some reason they are out of stock. Use the specs to find them.


I'll wait for your recommendations on a welding hood and lens covers.

Two other questions:
  1. What's the deal with the push cuts? Why are those bad? I'm not doubting they are, I'm just curious as to what the reason is.
A push cut is forcing the grinder back into your hands. The blade can bind very easily and kick back. It sends high speed cutting stuff into soft tender flesh with a quickness. It also really screws up your tools. I was doing one knowing better so I had a death grip on the grinder. When it kicked back, it locked the disc on hard enough that I blew up the housing using the lock and a wrench on the retaining nut trying to get it off. My helper has had to get stitches from doing them. A pull cut is trying to pull the grinder away from you thus the sparks going toward you. Infinitely safer.
  1. Where do you get most of this stuff? For instance, are these grinding / cutting discs commonly sold at a place like Home Depot, or are the an online item?
I get it wherever I find it at tolerable prices. Mostly online and some stuff at the local welding store. They carry Pearl.
  1. Since you suggested two discs, at which point is each one used? For instance, is one used for cutting, and the other used for grinding or cleaning things up?
Sometimes one disc works better cutting some types of steel. If I have a problem, I try the other disc. You have to understand, I am not in the mood to dick around when I have a grinder in my hands. I'm not doing it for fun, I don't care how the sparks are cute to look at when they fly through the air and I need to get done without being irritated or frustrated. I have a bucket full of crap that hasn't worked well that I've tried.
Thanks for your advice! This should make it a lot easier. I could probably figure a lot of it out on my own, but it would be lots of trial and error, whereas with this, I will at least know what works well from the get go.

Probably not. There are tons of selections out there and for the most part, little of it works better than the crap from Harbor Freight. Very few folks try more than one tool once they find something that works so they never know if something else works better. Same with abrasives and I see it in every discussion about which ones to get. "Oh, I just get the cheap shit from HF and I don't mind swapping more often. The problem is 1 good cut off disc will cut 10 times faster and 10 times longer than anything HF makes. So not only do I get done faster, I'm using the same disc and I'm not pissed off. Go back to what you said a few days ago about why you had issues with your grinder use.
 
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I have been meaning to try the Cubitron stuff. I'm also going to try the Sait discs when I need more.

For the Milwaukee, are you suggesting it because you've tried Metabo, or because it works well for you and it's about half the price? I'm always curious how things compare.
We had a Metabo, I wasn't impressed. I'm glad to be wrong since it was a few years ago and they may have improved since.
 
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I have never used one of those so I can't speak much of them. But I would not work under the Jeep (or very close like you would outboarding) if it doesn't have locking pins like a 2-post does.
It does have a positive lock, very much like a 2-post. On the back are welded steel squares every 2" or so, with a spring-loaded piece of steel that catches on them automatically. To lower the jack, you have to hold a lever that pivots the steel out so it doesn't catch. If the jack cylinder fails, it won't fall more than 2". The jack in the video is similar, but doesn't have the spring load on the safety catch. Due to the wide base of the jack, it is surprisingly stable.

Click the link below, then to to the video half-way down the page. It shows how the jack operates.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200641742_200641742
 
I'll against the grain and say pick up 3 or so of the "stronger" HF grinders. Put a cut off wheel on one and a flap disk on the other. They aren't as strong as some of the other name brands, but the most power isn't exactly something you want if you don't have experience with one. You can buy 4 of them for the price of a good one, and for the little you may use one they work fine.

If you insist on spending more money, I like the Dewalt grinder with the flap trigger and soft start.

Grinders (especially with cut off wheels) can be seriously dangerous. I would recommend a good face shield and some heavy leather gloves until you get good at it.

For welders, Miller is great but for a home /hobby welder I would recommend Hobart 190 ($677 at Amazon). I'm personally looking at the new line HF has.

Put the money into a good hood. You can't weld what you can't see. And buy a bunch of scrap to practice on. Vertical welding (for shock towers) can be a little tricky for a beginner welder.

Also, pick up a flame retardant shirt. Cotton likes to catch on fire.
 
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I've used my Harbor Freight grinding wheel a number of times, so I'm familiar with how it can kick back. I've actually used it to cut some very thick metal (the Exogate tire carrier), as well as a variety of other things. Still, I think the leather gloves are a good idea. That's something I hadn't actually thought of, but it beats getting stitches or something!

I assume welding gloves could serve a dual purpose... welding and cutting / grinding?

Also, any recommendation as to a good hood? Or better yet... what makes a good hood versus a bad hood?

In regards to grinding wheels, some of them have threaded attachments like this:

View attachment 66571

While others have a hollow center like this:

View attachment 66570

Blaine had recommended the threaded attachment, but I'm curious what the advantage to one is versus the other?

I usually use tig gloves for welding since they are thinner than mig gloves for better feel. You can use them for grinding, but it wouldn't take long to cut through them to your skin especially if you take the guard off.

For a hood you want something with a large enough screen, adjustable shade, and enough sensors so you don't get flashed. I would go to a welding store and pick their brains. I had a Miller pro helmet - it seemed fine.
 
I usually use tig gloves for welding since they are thinner than mig gloves for better feel. You can use them for grinding, but it wouldn't take long to cut through them to your skin especially if you take the guard off.

For a hood you want something with a large enough screen, adjustable shade, and enough sensors so you don't get flashed. I would go to a welding store and pick their brains. I had a Miller pro helmet - it seemed fine.


So what would the search term or "technical term" be for some nice leather grinding gloves that would protect the forearm as well? All I see is "leather welding gloves".

As for the hoods, I'll do that. Last thing I want is to end up with flash burn. Hence the reason I want good eye protection.
 
Put the money into a good hood. You can't weld what you can't see. And buy a bunch of scrap to practice on. Vertical welding (for shock towers) can be a little tricky for a beginner welder.

I've used my Harbor Freight grinding wheel a number of times, so I'm familiar with how it can kick back. I've actually used it to cut some very thick metal (the Exogate tire carrier), as well as a variety of other things. Still, I think the leather gloves are a good idea. That's something I hadn't actually thought of, but it beats getting stitches or something!

I assume welding gloves could serve a dual purpose... welding and cutting / grinding?

Also, any recommendation as to a good hood? Or better yet... what makes a good hood versus a bad hood?

In regards to grinding wheels, some of them have threaded attachments like this:

CubitronIICutGrind5_28763_F.jpg


While others have a hollow center like this:

3m-cubitron-ii-grinding-wheel-78466-q-front-back.jpg


Blaine had recommended the threaded attachment, but I'm curious what the advantage to one is versus the other?
 
So what would the search term or "technical term" be for some nice leather grinding gloves that would protect the forearm as well? All I see is "leather welding gloves".

As for the hoods, I'll do that. Last thing I want is to end up with flash burn. Hence the reason I want good eye protection.

Usually in the welding stores they have mig and tig welding gloves. I wouldn't buy them online, I would go to a good welding store and try some on. The mig gloves will be thicker. It all depends on how comfortable you feel with a grinder and how much safety you want. I typically just use some non-flammable mechanic's gloves for grinding.

If you start welding and don't feel comfortable enough to start throwing sparks on your rig, I can come down and help out. You're not that far from me.
 
Man...that sucks that they didn't get the shock towers right. Glad they are working with you on price though. You don't want them to try again?

Anyway, the advice about getting "more" welder than you need is spot on. You don't want to try to learn to weld, while pushing your welder to its max. It is an easy thing to do, but its not. I know that sounds weird, but you'll fight it, and fight it, and then it will just make sense. Once you get the frying bacon sound, you'll be able to weld a lot of things, pretty passably.

Practice on scrap. When I did my sheetmetal work last winter, I probably used up 2-3 lbs of wire and a 24 x 24 inch sheets of 16 gage just practicing. I'd cut chunks of metal out and stick them back together...and I STILL put too much heat in the tub and warped my patch panel. I actually thing the welding was ok...Grinding back is what warped it, but its warped...good thing the sliders cover it! :)

You got this, Man!
 
I've used my Harbor Freight grinding wheel a number of times, so I'm familiar with how it can kick back. I've actually used it to cut some very thick metal (the Exogate tire carrier), as well as a variety of other things. Still, I think the leather gloves are a good idea. That's something I hadn't actually thought of, but it beats getting stitches or something!

I assume welding gloves could serve a dual purpose... welding and cutting / grinding?

Also, any recommendation as to a good hood? Or better yet... what makes a good hood versus a bad hood?

The new Miller Digital or the Lincoln Viking.

In regards to grinding wheels, some of them have threaded attachments like this:

View attachment 66571

While others have a hollow center like this:

View attachment 66570

Blaine had recommended the threaded attachment, but I'm curious what the advantage to one is versus the other?
Easier to change. We don't use the wrench. Push the lock, grab the disc and spin it off. Faster and easier with your gloves on and you don't have to keep track of the nut and wrench. When we are grinding, we have a grinder set up with a cut off disc, hard disc, and a flap disc. That and the extended depth of the one with the attached nut will get into places that the other one won't.
 
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