I took my family to the opening night of the 64^th Annual Del Mar National Horse Show at the world famous Del Mar Fairgrounds, in Del Mar, Calif.  This event signals the start of the horse show season in this historic, beach-side arena.

As we approached the Del Mar Arena, I was surprised to see that a brand new roof had been installed on the open air stadium; the last time I had seen the venue had been at a Vintage Flat Track & TT motorcycle race not too long ago.

This massive project was completed in just 7 months by the Turner Construction Company.  For more information on the project you can check out this video from the San Diego Daily Transcript:  New Roof for Del Mar Arena ->

If you watched the video, you saw that this massive project featured tons of structural steel and miles of welding, cutting, fitting and joining.

The majority of the project was Stick (SMAW) and MIG welded, but a lot of the utility “high-pressure” piping, etc. was TIG welded.  This is yet another example of how the welding and metal fabrication market is involved in nearly everything that we do.  It’s just another reason why I love this industry!

So don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that the industry is in decline — hardly!  In fact, if you look around, you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities to build some really neat stuff — now more than ever before!

There is a new welding process, recently developed in Europe, that is said to not only improve welds but also lower the skill required to make them.  It uses a “manual and automated GTAW wire feed control combined with a hot-wire power source” that improves the wire feed, weld pool, and weld deposition and decreases gas consumption.

Enhancing the GTAW process

By Ed Craig, Contributing Writer
September 15, 2009

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG), a popular process for high-quality manual welding, has its limitations and requires highly skilled operators. A process used in Europe addresses those limitations, enhances productivity and weld quality, and reduces the skill level required to GTAW.

For at least six decades, traditional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG) has been considered the process of choice for attaining high-quality welds in any metal application. However, this process has certain drawbacks, such as the weld energy limitation influenced by the weld pool dynamics and typically slow manual wire feed rates. Manual GTAW requires highly skilled operators who possess the dexterity necessary to feed the wire. Manual GTAW techniques vary, and the weld-wire-to-arc and weld puddle placement are inconsistent.

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We introduced the Sharpie hand-held tungsten electrode grinder in 2000.  We started with the SD or “standard” which is our low-cost model with a fixed grind angle.  Based on customer feedback we added the DX which has an adjustable grind angle range from 5-45 degrees, and more recently the vacuum model which is adjustable with a dust collection bag.

The machines are very popular with hobbyists and fabricators that need to grind tungsten electrodes up to 1/8″ (3.2mm).  They solve the problem of wearing out grinding wheels and belt sander belts, and greatly improve safety in the shop or on the job site.  I have been very pleased with all the positive comments that we get from customers after they receive their Sharpies.  It’s a great product!  Try one and see if you agree — as with all Arc-Zone purchases — its guaranteed!

Three Models to Choose From:

The Sharpie™ DXV “Deluxe Vacuum” model adjusts for a wide range of grind angles and tapers from 15-to-45 degrees (included angle) for virtually any TIG welding application and includes built-in dust collection for dust-free electrode preparation.

Customer Review:

Got this vacuum grinder with the pro kit. Great deal. We have a welder here who is pregnant and the vacuum system really helps with dust collection. Thanks for the candy and the free poster.

Date Added: 05/14/2009 by Roger Wilcox

The Sharpie™ DX “Deluxe” adjusts for a wide range of grind angles and tapers from 15-to-45 degrees (included angle) for virtually any TIG welding application.

Customer Review:

Got this grinder and it worked great even on 1/8 tungsten. Good adjustment angle, used the first side of the wheel then flipped it over and continued to grind. It is a must have for a shop.

Date Added: 03/17/2009 by Hit Hard

The Sharpie™ SD “Standard” has it’s grind angle pre-set at 20 degrees, a good, general-purpose angle for a variety of TIG welding applications, making the Sharpie Standard™ an economical choice.

Customer Review:

I’m a student at the local tech college taking the basic welding course. As you may have guessed, the need to sharpen the tungsten electrode is pretty frequent. The sharpie standard model has been a huge time saver, allowing me more time to learn tig. The price for of the sharpie is fairly steep for a student but well worth the cost in time saved. I would recommend this product to anyone from bigginer to expert. Sincerly, Dave

Date Added: 11/14/2008 by Dave Fasteen

Did you know that Arc-Zone.com carries the industry’s most comprehensive selection of tungsten grinders? In addition to the Sharpie, we’ve got the Turbo Sharp, the Triad, the Neutrix hand held tungsten grinders. We’ve also got the Neutra, the Ultima LTG, the TIG 10/175 and the Turbo 4…. not to mention replacement parts– including diamond grinding wheels for all the industry’s tungsten grinders.!
And if you’re not sure which one is right for you, check out our Tungsten Grinder Selector Guide (pdf).

Everyone has their own needs when it comes to remote amperage controls for TIG welding. Mario, from TSR Fabrication (and expert TIG welding guest on Jesse James’s Monster Garage TV show) stopped by to pick up a Arc-Zone Hot Foot™ remote control and we discussed what he likes in a foot pedal. He uses his pedal for a variety of precision TIG welding applications- from high end custom fabricated header systems and turbo intercoolers each one welded by hand and on a turntable. Depending upon the job, he either uses the fine incremental control of the pedal or sets his power source on “RMT” and uses the pedal to start and stop the machine. Mario chooses the Arc-Zone Hot Foot™ brand high-performance foot control “they are durable, comfortable foot pedals with a nice foot bed and extra long cord”.

This foot pedal has a 1/2″ (12.7mm) high heel stop and a low-profile design for precise small current adjustments. Designed for the pro, these high-performance industrial workhorses feature a slim top traction area, non-slip 3M® traction pad, comfortable at-rest and operating foot positions as well as a 27′ (8.2m) cable and high-quality connectors. They contain a patented design which improves low-current welding, while providing precision arc control. These sleek, all steel pedals are available in classic black.

What Customers Have Been Saying

Plugged right into my machine and works great. I love the design with the heal stop. Thanks for taking my old pedal for trade in credit.
Date Added: 05/14/2009 by Roger Wilcox

This PEDAL ROCKS. The extra long design is great for my size 12 boot. Offers better control. Thanks for the M&Ms!
Date Added: 05/05/2009 by John Crane

Check out Arc-Zone’s store– From foot controls to hand controls for TIG Welding, Arc-Zone.com has the industry’s most complete line of controls for Lincoln®, ESAB®, Hobart®, Airco®, Linde®, Miller® and Thermal Arc®. These high-quality controls are engineered for precise amperage control, easy hook-up and comfortable operation.

What applications do you use your foot pedal for?

And, if you have a favorite pedal style or make, let us know so we can make it available to the welding community.

I’m going to the Essen Welding Show in Essen Germany.  Yes, that’s right, in Germany!  If you’re not familiar with the show, it is the Olympics of Welding and Metal Fabrication–  it happens every four years, and draws the best in welding and fabrication technology from around the world.

Not only will I have the opportunity to see the latest in innovation for our industry (see above), I’ll get to catch up with some colleagues as well.  It will also be a great opportunity to see what new products our international welding accessory vendors are showcasing.

Schweissen & Schneiden, the Essen Welding Show has established its position as number one in its industry. With the biggest names in the industry taking part and almost 60,000 trade buyers coming to see them Schweissen & Schneiden continues to become more international. With more than 1,000 exhibitors, the show takes place in the entire exhibition complex of more 1.1 million sq feet.

Let me know if you’ll be there! And make your plans early! Oktoberfest starts September 19– the day the show ends….

The other day when I was asking Joe Welder which TIG torches I should recommend when writing about the Nascar welders, and he could not stop talking about these two specific ones: the Modular and Micro TIG torches.  I was confused.  “So what’s so special about them?” I asked, naïve as I was.  In response I received what was, quite possibly, the longest answer in the history of welding and now feel like I know just about as much as anyone could ever know about these two torches.

The Micro TIG torch? It’s just like what its name implies; it’s tiny.  And that makes it perfect for any job where you need to get into a tight space.  It’s even capable of welding inside of a 5/8” diameter pipe.  It also has three interchangeable heads to choose from (45º, 90º and 180º angles) which make it almost impossible to find a job that this torch cannot do.

The Modular TIG torch?  Joe Welder’s FAVORITE.

He calls it “the most versatile torch on the market”.  Why?  Because you can choose from so many different torch heads at different angles and different amperages that it’s just about mind-boggling.  And you can also choose between air-cooled (WP-150) and water-cooled (WP-225) set-ups.

Recently I headed up the road to the Tulare Fairgrounds for the World-of-Outlaws Sprint Car Race!

Tulare is located in the Central Valley of California, “the nation’s bread basket”. They call it that because of all the agribusiness. And I have some history in Tulare, my family farmed in the valley for generations — they had several big ranches and dairy barns, that’s where I learned to love the dirt.

I know it sounds strange, but growing up I always looked forward to going to dirt race tracks with my family. I began amateur motorcycle racing and that passion for competition ultimately lead me to build my own cars and form a Sprint Car Team. I still love the dirt and I ride my mountain bike at least 3-days a week in the local mountains.

I took Matt with me — he’s Arc-Zone’s Director of Video and Graphics. We brought all the gear to video the action. I wanted to share some of the things I love about motor racing and show how it relates to the welding/metal fabrication market.

At the track we met up with “Hollywood” Mike Sweeney my friend and former driver in the CRA Sprint Car Series (I talked about him on a previous post). We also met long time friend World of Outlaw driver Jac Haudenschild a superstar in the dirt racing world. Picture below: That’s me with Jac– Driver of the City Wide Insulation # R19 Owens-Corning Outlaw Sprint Car in front of his transporter (nice toolbox!)

We talked about the new cars and old friends. Jac told me he is putting a winged Sprint Car team together for his son Sheldon and he has been fabricating some of the parts needed to get him on the road.

Jac mentioned our mutual friend and former driver– now TV personality (and part time welder) Brad Doty (also a Hall of Famer) was having trouble finding the right remote amp control for his Lincoln TIG machine. Jac suggested I contact Brad and get him dialed in… That will be another post!

And if you like fast cars look for the video of our trip– we’ll have that ready soon…

One should never get tired of watching welding videos.  Or, at least, I don’t.  So, if you’re like me and you need more welding footage in your life, check out this Welding Theatre website I found.

It’s amazing and it has videos from nearly every company that you can think of; you can even submit your own.

Actually, it has videos for everyone except Arc-Zone.com, but we all know you can just go to our website to see those.

Check out the new PipeWorx™ Welding System or a Dynasty 200® AC/DC TIG/Stick inverter– now available in a complete water-cooled TIG Runner package.

And if you want to upgrade from Miller’s basic package, consider adding a WP-18 TIG torch for high-amperage, continuous duty welding applications, or WP-24W, Low-Profile, Front Loading TIG Torch For Tight Jobs. And be sure to make it an Arc-Zone.com PRO Torch complete with all the accessories, including gas lens and a pack of Arc-Time(TM) Hybrid Tungsten Electrodes– the only tungsten you’ll need, it’s good for all metals, all welding applications.

Miller to Introduce New Pipe Welding System, Improved TIG Welder and More at WESTEC 2009

• Visit Miller at Booth #4013
• On display: PipeWorx™ Welding System, designed to streamline pipe fabrication.
• Also on display: Miller’s Dynasty 200® AC/DC TIG/Stick inverter now available in a complete water-cooled TIGRunner package.

APPLETON, Wis., February 2009—Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will be presenting several new welding and plasma cutting solutions in booth #4013 at the WESTEC 2009 Exposition taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 30 through April 2. Products on display include the new PipeWorx™ Welding System, a multi-process welding system designed for pipe fabrication shops, and the Dynasty 200 AC/DC TIG/Stick welder, which is now available in a complete water-cooled package for increased operator comfort and ordering convenience. New Spectrum® portable plasma cutting units and Millermatic® all-in-one MIG welders will also debut at this year’s show.

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Good welding. In Nascar, and all forms of racing, it’s essential, especially if you want to walk out of a crash with your limbs intact. At Kevin Harvink Inc. (KHI) the Team Fabricators make sure of that by using MIG and TIG welding techniques to reinforce the cars’ roll cages, wheel spindles, and sheet metal bodies to make sure that the drivers (and cars) don’t take too much of a beating in a collision.

WELDING ESSENTIALS FOR RACING
Beefed up spindles, roll cages & precision bodywork

Punishment. At 200 mph, it’s the best way to describe the beating that multiple left-handed turns can put on a car or truck. Then there’s the competition to keep a close eye on as drivers aggressively fight for the lead. Team Fabricators with Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) know a thing or two about punishment as they teardown, and rebuild the trucks and cars that Harvick races in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. The speed and g-forces placed on these cars and trucks is tremendous – but they’re nothing when compared to the energy the vehicles must absorb if they collide with the wall or take a 180 mph (unintentional) shot from another racer. In these cases, NASCAR drivers place their safety, even their lives, on their vehicles’ integrated safety measures and also on the structural toughness of their cars and trucks. Since no metal-to-metal bond is stronger than fusion, MIG and TIG welding techniques are essential among NASCAR team fabricators.
CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

EDITORS NOTE: Joe Welder highly recommends these TIG torches if you’re in the business of welding race cars and related parts.  Check out Arc-Zone.com’s selection of WP-125 Micro TIG torches and WP-225 and WP-150 Modular TIG torch packages.