Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

No particular tips for the mask, except get one of the full face ones that you don't need to hold up with your hand (probably the crappy one that came with it)

gonna join you this weekend with the welding VB. Bought myself a welder for building my growbed stands and greenhouse. Haven't done any welding since I was 17. My very supportive dad reckons I've got no hope of being able to weld 1.6 mm galv tube. I reckon he can get ?*&%$#ed. I am determined to give it a go, plenty of practice on scrap bits, and I have plenty of scraps after cutting the lenghts at mitres for my octagonal stands (probably crazy considering my skill levels). Have to work tomorrow (just finished for the day 10 minutes ago), but ojn Sunday it should be all systems go. Reckon I might even post progress pictures before work on Monday. Very optimistic.

I would buy a welder, but it dont work on wood (I prefer wood, just like working with it - my father (a true blue blacksmith) thinks I am strange)

Monya,

I'm not going to say you can't weld 1.6mm pipe.

What i will say is that Galv makes it really hard.
Usually all the "galv" surface is ground back bare before welding.
Give it a go on a piece of scrap tube, grind the galv coat off a section. Start welding from the bare section and then cross over to the still galv'd section.
The arc gets all noisy and spluttery, and changes colour. Shit of a thing. Dad cursed whe he was welding the galv mesh sheets for a fence at home. It took him 4 times longer

yep, my old man does the same - cleans the galv off the welding area first

sorry monya

Go for it though, let no one say "it can't be done". Ever.
It just "hasn't been done, yet"

Imagine, one day people will be growing big vegetables from fish poo....

Wow, VB, I'm jealous..... Coz I have finished my system a couple of weeks ago, all I want to do now, is be building a another system.... Maaaaaaannnnn..... And your goin out to Muzza's......

But VB...... Now seriously mate............ Don't forget you chooks. The girls don't like to be neglected....


Thanks for the weldin tips Steve.. I have never really welded myself.....

ditto - perhaps when I repair my trailor...

I'm not an expert or anything, but my welds hold up

Just don't go crawlying under any frame for your tank, remember 1000Lt is a tonne

Hows this for a training lesson. Years ago i asked dad (wow, it was years......) to teach me how to weld. he took me under the gararge, set every thing up, put his mask on and off he went. when the blinding flashes were over, he had written his name on the piece of 6mm pate (and Fernando is not a short name! ) He says "when you can do that you can weld" i cracked the shits and went back upstairs. What a wog.

Wow..... So hard to tell your Italian heritage from your picture Steve......

Oh and Monya........ I hope you have a digital camera so you can show us some pics or your octagon stands...

So did every one buy one of those $129 bunnings arc welders then? LOL

I did

What i'd really LOVE is a nice TIG welder, been close to buying one a few times, but having to rent the gas bottle always puts me off, i wouldn't use it enough to justify it.

But man the stuff u can do! I used to weld thin walled 1/4 inch tubes to threaded fittings and made it look good Mmmmmmm TiG welder.....2 10cent coins together around the rim.......such fine work you can do with a TIG. But all i have at home is an arc welder, not that there is anything wrong with that, differnet welders for differnet jobs

thanks for the input folks. My old man has always put me down, so it goes without saying that aquaponics is just another of my crack head schemes. Like you say, growing great big vegies from fish poo is a joke, it has to be , couldn't work, don't be a fool etc etc.
But he is such a welding god, so I have a big motivation to do it myself. Show the cocky bastard a thing or two.
As for the welder I bought a SIP weldmate for 150 from GLenfords. Now that's a man's shop GR Gr GR. Dad reckons I should have bought a gasless mig so that when I can't do it he can take it to his place!!!
Maybe I will get him to spell WILLIAM into a plate of 2mmm galv, no holes and in perfect cursive....

wow, I've got issues hey? Will stop using the forum to vent... I promise....

It's alright Monya, general banter, anythings allowed.. (except racist comments, sexist comments, political viewpoints, religious rhetoric etc etc etc.....)