Metal melting fun

Yesterday I learned that when welding small diameter stainless tubing you use the tig welder, rather than the big mig welder.

Our great old Linde 253VI mig machines, 30-40 years old though they may be, make incredible welds on thick stainless and mild steel. Absolutely beautiful, perfect welds: it takes so little sometimes to make me happy.... Anyway I love those machines, in that very special way that so many boys love their toys, and sometimes love is blind.

Case in point:

Small diameter, thin stuff is not the same as thick stuff, and you can't move a mig torch (any mig torch) quickly or accurately enough to keep from burning through or creating a pile of weld metal.

I did both last night....

While working on my powerboat....

In my truck-shop....

Yeah, I like to think I'm an "environmentalist", but I'm really just a hypocritical mass of contradictions.