A welding helmet lens has a clear outer cover to help protect it from damage. This cover can become dirty from smoke and spatter, making it difficult to see the weld. They are available from a welding supplier as replacement parts, but cleaning them can extend their life.
Toothpaste is a mild abrasive that works great for cleaning this outer cover. Remove the cover from the helmet. Wet a soft cloth, apply a little toothpaste, and rub it in a circular motion. Rinse with clean water.
My wife wants to learn how to weld and I needed a second helmet so I could teach her. I purchased a Speedglas 100V from amazon.com…
3M Speedglas 100V with Variable Shade Filter
The headband assembly is comfortable,and I like the sliding adjustment mechanism.
The auto-darkening lens is a shade 3 in clear mode. It is adjustable from shade 8 through 12, with three sensitivity settings. Two sensors on the front of the lens are used to detect the arc. 1,500 hours of power is provided by two CR-2032 batteries. The visual clarity through this lens is amazing compared to my old Hobart helmet. A magnifying lens is also available as an option. Made in Sweden.
I decided to make some improvements to my Harbor Freight welding cart.
The wheels and casters that came with the cart were really poor quality. I picked up some better wheels at Harbor Freight. The tread was not very flat on the new solid rubber tires, so I sanded them on my disc sander.
The cart came with a tube welded to the bottom. A 1/2″ axle was passed through the tube and was used to mount the original wheels. I cut off the tube and replaced it with a 5/8″ axle, welded directly to the bottom of the cart.
For the front, I drilled new holes and installed heavy cast iron casters. These casters have a rubber coating.
I replaced the original hardware with 1/4″ grade 5 bolts. I cut pieces from rubber floor runner to line all of the shelves. Here is a picture of the assembled cart with my welder and plasma cutter in place.
To finish the project, I mounted the air regulator for the plasma cutter on the back near the gas bottle.
Proudly made in the USA…
I would guess that most home shop enthusiasts work out of their garage. In my two car ShopNGarage, space is very limited. I do not have room for a permanent welding table. Welding on the floor isn’t much fun either.
I decided that it was time to build a folding portable welding table.
The top is made from 1/4″ steel plate that is 24″ wide and 20″ deep. The slots in the top are 3/4″ wide and are for clamps and fixtures. The legs are 1″ square, with a 3/16″ wall thickness. The table stands 34″ tall.
There is a removable MIG gun holder.
Here is a picture of the underside of the top. I used angle iron and bar stock for the structure. I kept the welds short to minimize warping the top. I also pressed the top in a few places with my hydraulic press to bring it back to a reasonably flat condition.
A series of complex geometric calculations, and I arrived at the lengths, angles, and hole positions for the braces. These lock the legs into position when the table is set up for use.
Here is the table folded for storage.
Update…
Here is what I consider a partial set of plans. I am not an engineer and offer this information “as is”. I have not calculated any load capacity, stability, or suitability of this design for any particular use. I think there is enough information provided for you to develop your own design.
The legs are 34″ long and the measurements given are between bolt hole centers.
Most hardware stores have a rack of assorted steel pieces. I’ve purchased from these assortments in a pinch, but it comes at a premium price.
Nearly every decent sized town has a steel supplier. It is much less expensive to buy steel from a supplier. They may also have scrap steel for sale at a large discount. Consider the additional labor needed to clean rust and paint from scrap if choosing it as a supply source. If there is no steel supplier in your town, you may still be able to get a good price buying from a welding and fabrication shop.
Steel is usually sold in 10 or 20 foot lengths. If you don’t have the means to haul pieces this long, they will cut them down for you. They usually charge a dollar or two per cut. Consider investing in a battery powered reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade. You can cut the pieces down to size yourself in the parking lot.
Cleaning pads are available that clip over the wire in your GMAW welding machine. These pads clean the wire as it is fed off the roll and into the gun liner. The purpose is to promote smoother wire feeding and prolong the life of the gun liner.
They are inexpensive and available at your local welding shop.
