Useful Welding of a Thing!

Ta Da! Yeah, it is a pretty messy weld but it is my first useful thing. It is the base of a halogen shop lamp that broke. One of the leg holders (the things attached to the central pipe piece) broke off. That was maybe 8 years ago, it has kicked around from the basement to the garage waiting to be fixed. I welded the other two leg holders since they were tack welded the same way as the one that broke.

It actually took 4 or 5 tries to get the trick of doing the first weld. After I got one right I was able to do all 6 fillets well enough to reasonably say they were a fix.


 



 
The grey dirty "box" is a old arc welder I got for a deal years ago. It was the rig I was going to teach myself to weld with. It did help me install a 240v outlet in the garage.
You select the amperage you want by putting the welding wire into the grid pattern. I forget which but one row is dead. I haven't tried it yet but I think I will soon. I dug up my sandblaster, which I got last year and never used. I have some media for it but I want to figure out how I can use it most efficiently. I was thinking I would make a improvised sandblasting box so I could minimize the airborne dust and recycle the media. This is what I will use to prep for painting the part I welded. I set up my oxy acetylene tanks, they are chained there for safety. I have a old set of craftsman regulators and hose. I started reading about using oxy acetylene welders and about check valves and flash arrestors. The sets they sell you don't seem to come with them but from all I read it sounds nice to have them. I am pretty sure your won't just blow up without a check valve or flash arrestor but I decided to get a set before I start in with this. Also I could only find some cutting torches, I am pretty sure I have some welding torches but have to clear out some more things in the garage and I am sure I will come across them.

My Lincoln arc welder and mig welder are also second hand. I will keep practicing a little every so often and set up some of the support equipment. I have a grinder, bench sander, abrasive chop saw, a metal bandsaw etc. that would be really helpful if set up for convenient use.