Welding and photography

[Simon]

I've recently picked up a few new hobbies.

First off is photography. I've been interested in getting a good digital camera for quite some time now. I did want it to be like my father's old film camera. Turned out my dad had a nice SLR, so that's what I looked for.

I ultimately got a D80, a SB600 flash, and a couple of lenses. So far so good, I need a lot more practice. Figuring out f-numbers and shutter speeds is a bit much for me right now, but I think I'll get the hang of it. Let's not get started on composition yet--that's way over my head right now. This summer I'll get a job and try to earn enough to buy a Cannon 5D, and probably next spring I'll be taking a film photography course.

Second is welding. Oh man, I've been eating up this machining course I'm taking this semester and welding has easily been my favorite. Milling and turning are fun too, and I'll be getting a HF lathe someday, but man welding is just a hoot. While far from a professional welder, I picked up the basics of MIG fairly quickly. TIG is hard, but I like it and am actually doing okay for only having done it a few times. Stick welding, well for me it's more along the lines of stick cutting. Got to work on that some more.

I remembered perro is fond of Miller welders and right now I'm leaning on getting a Millermatic DVI as soon as I have funds.

I know we've got at least one professional photographer here, a bunch of welders, and undoubtedly a bunch of other hobbyists. So tell me what you guys use and enjoy doing.

[Perro]

you cannot go wrong with any of the big 4 in my opinion

miller
hobart (i believe miller makes this brand)
lincoln
or esab

[Player]

I ultimately got a D80, a SB600 flash, and a couple of lenses. So far so good, I need a lot more practice. Figuring out f-numbers and shutter speeds is a bit much for me right now, but I think I'll get the hang of it. Let's not get started on composition yet--that's way over my head right now. This summer I'll get a job and try to earn enough to buy a Cannon 5D, and probably next spring I'll be taking a film photography course.


i think all photographers should have a least a little bit of wet lab photography experience.

D80's are good amature camera's. i use a D70s myself. these things are light, quick, and easy to use, the continuous shutter is also one of the best in it's class.

Fstop and shutter, it's not hard once you get used to it. it's even easier shooting with these nikons cause you can put it on shutter priority or apeture priority. as for lenses, i'd highly reccomend you get a 50mm normal lens to learn on. zoom wide angles and zoom telephotos are nice, but 50mm's are the way to start up on in my opinion.. then get a wide angle with a good range. the 18-70mm that comes with the D80 should be good for anything. it's one of my favorite lenses in it's price range.

also, if you're shopping for lenses, check look at the sigma's and tamrons, they're not as bad as people make them out to me in my opinion, some focus a little slower, but they get the job done.

...and on a personal note, when photographers call a lens "fast" it means it's got a low F-stop/wide apature, not focus speed, don't get them confused.. cause i did when i started.


all in all, practice practice practice. this should be a lot easier with a DSLR, since you can take over 500 photos in an hour or two!! and remember to have fun doing it all!

[Jacobite]

I do a fair amount of stick welding at work. I am far from what you would call a welder but I can get the job done. Most all of my welding is making brackets and installing them so all I really have to be able to do is make a strong weld that don't look terriable. I do get to do some carbon to stainless and all stainless welding also. With stick welding getting the machine set right is half the battle. Matching the right rod to the work is also important. Taking a class will help teach you this. I am having to pick it up as I go. As for machines I don't have a favorite. I own a small Lincoln myself and my only regret is it is AC only. Not a big deal but I can get all the DC rods I want for free from work but they don't work very well in this machine. That meens I have to buy rods. Main thing is practice, practice, practice.

[NavajoNPaleFace]

I was a home shop stick welder years back but changed over to MIG wire feed welding.

I once swore against wire feed welders/welding saying that a good stick welder could weld circles around a wire feeder. WRONG!

Just the opposite.

I have a Lincoln 3200HD wire feeder. It's not professional grade but it'll handle better than 1/4" steel and that's about all I need.

I also have a good brazing set up for my other odd jobs.

[jlpskydive]

I have D70s also and love it. I'm professional videographer and just snap the stills for fun mostly. Learn on shutter priority and it will all start to make sense to you. I agree on the 50mm I have the Nikon 50mm 1.4 and it's amazing.

[Simon]

as for lenses, i'd highly reccomend you get a 50mm normal lens to learn on. zoom wide angles and zoom telephotos are nice, but 50mm's are the way to start up on in my opinion..
Yep, I've had a 50mm f1.8 for a few weeks now and it's pretty handy. With the conversion factor it's basically a 75mm, but it is still really cool. The shop I bought mine from was out of the kit lenses, so I picked up a 18-135mm DX instead. It was probably a good thing, despite the extra cost. Part of why I want a 5D is so I don't have to worry about the conversion factors and can just switch between film and digital at will.

Aperture and Shutter Priority modes have been real handy so far. I've been using them to help get my head wrapped around the shutter speed/f-number thing.

[RandyCOG3]

I saw/heard somewhere, I think it was on American Chopper, that "You don't have to be a good welder, just a good grinder"....:century: Or maybe that's how they answer the phone in the shop at Century.....

RandyCOG3

[Simon]

Bumping this because I've got a question for anyone with any electrical experience.

Today I've been mulling over getting a TIG instead of a MIG. Ran into some stuff in the class workshop that needed TIG and was pretty common for a school project I might volunteer for next semester. So far the only AC/DC TIG welders I've seen have been about $3 grand. Now I'd like to be able to weld aluminum, but it's not mandatory. Not by a longshot really. So I've been looking at the DC TIG machines in the $1.5 grand range.

This model looks interesting so far.
http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p003445.htm

So here's my snag. Right now I've only got household current in my garage. Isn't that about 120 volts? This welder (and several others I've looked at) says it uses 115. Can I use this welder in my garage? I'd also need an extension cord, are there any rated high enough? Looks like it needs 20 amps.

For the long term I do intend to eventually get a good higher voltage plug put in, but that poses another problem. I see that this welder can also use 230. I've also seen 240 mentioned on Miller's site. Then there's stuff about single phase and some other phase. What the crap is all this stuff?

[Jacobite]

Common household voltage is 120/240 single phase. That means you have 120 volts to ground and 240 between phases. some transformers are a bit week or a bit strong. it is not uncommon to have anywhere from 110-125 volt to ground. The term single phase confuses some people because there are two hots or phases and a neutral but it is still called single phase. Comercial buildings usually have three phase services in many voltage configurations.
Hope this helps.
Edited to add. As for the extention cord you will want a 12 gauge extention cord but make sure the reciptical is also rated 20 amp. A smaller cord would work but I find useing the right side is safer and usually is needed to make the welder run right.
Don Nelson, Journeyman Wireman I.B.E.W. Local Union #5

[arnaiz]

I am partial to CANON.
I like Canon cameras an more than this Canon lenses.
I dont like Canon prices...
I beagn to take pics when was 10 years with an Spanish camera, and when was 14 yo got a Canon AE1, all my 35mm cameras have been Canon , A1, F1, F1new, D1, D10, D5. I have all of them and still working. For travels a pocket IXUS works perfect.

[Player]

there's always been the canon/nikon arguement

i think it's really what you start on... then you just get used to it. and don't like the other.

[Simon]

Jacobite, that helps some, but I'm still not sure if I could use the welder on a household outlet.

Take this for example:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/tig/dynasty_200_series/
Miller lists its input power as 115-230 V. So it can take 115 to 230 volts?

[rustypirate]

Actually they list the input power on that unit as "120-460 VAC, single- or three- phase" This unit is specially designed to internally adapt itself to the power source with only the plug needing to be changed.

Other welders at lower prices are convertable between 120V and 240V single phase, usually by changing the power input transformer connections inside of the welder as well as the plug. I would go with the 220-240V units as you will get better overall performance from them, and they run off of the same outlet as your clothes dryer or electric stove. You can make extension cords for them as well, but I would not use anything smaller than 10 guage wire.

This is what I have used in the past:
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=26489&qsProductNo=UND63GW

[Simon]

Ah, nuts, this was the one I meant to post.
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/tig/maxstar_150_stl/
It looks like it has the same sort of power circuitry though.

Rusty, yeah I'd like to be able to go with a 230, but right now I don't have an open plug. I think I could unplug the dryer and use an extension cord, but it apparently has some newfangled 4 prong thing (is that standard? the really old one had a 3 prong).

[rustypirate]

Yeah, same sort of setup but simpler. These units are the wave of the future, sooner or later you will see the cheaper models coming out with this technology too.

[SSwee]

Simon,
the four prong is basically the same, just a safety update you might say or a new code. The old three prong was 2 - 110V legs and a common. The new 4 prong cords are 2 - 110V legs, 1 common and 1 earth ground. Not a big deal.
SS

[ocharry]

Something you guys might look at, and the set up works for me, is I have a Lincoln ac-dc ark welder and I use an air cooled tig torch dc side. Lincoln ac-dc ark welder $350,150amp air cooled tig torch $140, argon gas (80 cf) $90, gas regulator and power block $50

You don't have the high freak start up like you do on the big rigs but you can get used to the strike to ark and it's not bad. This set up makes a nice weld and it doesn't break the bank for a home set up.

I've had this stuff for a long time so my prices may be a little off, but I think it's in the ball park;)

ocharry