Topic: Let it all hang out,tell us how you really feel and what pisses you off.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

So Terry, that's how it works here in the land of opportunity. Opportunity for those who have already made it anyway.

Wow, thanks mate, I just quoted the last line to reduce space, but I did read it all, very well written, and very sad too. My big sister came back to Oz from the US last year as a "financial refugee" after her 25 year marriage to a lawyer in LA came to an end.

As expected, he got the gold mine, and she got the shaft, so she came back here, went to the welfare office and they threw money at her. They decided that at age 61, she was too old to work, so they gave her the "Widows pension" equivalent, and as she didn't have anywhere to live (apart from at my cousin's house, rent free) they gave her a "rental allowance" as well.

Not bad for someone who hasn't worked or paid tax in Oz in 25 years, but I don't mind, if it wasn't for our over-generous welfare system, my 86 year old mother would still be paying for her motel bill in Los Angeles where she was living after her ex had her thrown out of the family home so he could sell it. (and not pay her for her share) 

Maybe you should move to Oz? It'd be nice to have some English speaking, non Muslim immigrants, just for a change? And once you get here, remember, all the beer is on the taxpayer! Cheers, Terry.

Thanks for the offer Terry, but I'm too old to learn a new language!

[faux fiddy]

So Terry, that's how it works here in the land of opportunity. Opportunity for those who have already made it anyway.

Wow, thanks mate, I just quoted the last line to reduce space, but I did read it all, very well written, and very sad too. My big sister came back to Oz from the US last year as a "financial refugee" after her 25 year marriage to a lawyer in LA came to an end.

As expected, he got the gold mine, and she got the shaft, so she came back here, went to the welfare office and they threw money at her. They decided that at age 61, she was too old to work, so they gave her the "Widows pension" equivalent, and as she didn't have anywhere to live (apart from at my cousin's house, rent free) they gave her a "rental allowance" as well.

Not bad for someone who hasn't worked or paid tax in Oz in 25 years, but I don't mind, if it wasn't for our over-generous welfare system, my 86 year old mother would still be paying for her motel bill in Los Angeles where she was living after her ex had her thrown out of the family home so he could sell it. (and not pay her for her share) 

Maybe you should move to Oz? It'd be nice to have some English speaking, non Muslim immigrants, just for a change? And once you get here, remember, all the beer is on the taxpayer! Cheers, Terry.

Thanks for the offer Terry, but I'm too old to learn a new language!

Yeah, the other factor- Alaskan sourdough principle has become lower 48 reality, too.  Sour on the country but no dough to get out.

[trueblue]

I spent the day building an extension on the chook house.  They have been needing some roosts since we moved here over a year ago, but the chook house didn't have the room.  I got the frame and roosts done today, I just have to put the tin on.  Which will have to wait till next weekend now.  The egg layers are really happy with their new roosts, it makes a nice staircase so they can get up on the roof of the chookhouse.  Anyway, none of this has pissed me off, but what is pissing me off is my eyes feel like they have #$%*ing sand in them, I copped two good welding flashes today.  I really need to invest in an auto welding helmet, rather than the flip visor one.  Not to mention the burn I have on my hand from where some dumb #$%* grabbed the metal right after finishing a weld. 

[dave500]

I found a welder in the dump and cant even weld and even I have an auto helmet!

[Terry in Australia]

I know your pain Andrew, many years ago I had to weld the tailgate hinges back on to Dad's trailer, so I took it around to my cuz's shop to use his beaut old Lincoln arc welder. Trouble is, his hemet lens was probably as old as the welder, and I couldn't see fcuk all, so I did the "Orange County Choppers" method, and just squinted while I welded it up.

Surprisingly, that didn't work all that well, and I woke up in the middle of the night, with my eyes opening and closing entirely of their own accord (like I was possessed by Blinky Bill) and I felt like someone was trying to cauterise my eyeballs with a soldering iron. Fcuk. Luckily my mother was a trained nurse and had seen this before, so she put a wet teabag on each eye, and within an hour or so, all was good again. I've no idea what the science involved is, but it worked.

Recently I bought another MIG just for doing aluminium and stainless, with a "Spool Gun". My CIG autoshield helmet's lens filter didn't work well with the brighter pure argon flame, so I drove over to Total tools to buy some new lenses, but I wasn't 100% happy with them either. I could have bought a new adjustable auto darkening CIG helmet (@180 bucks) but declined on the basis that 180 bucks was bullsh1t.

I dropped into Aldi to buy some cider, and saw an adjustable auto darkening helmet on special for 35 bucks, so took one home, and woo-hoo, it works great. This is my third auto-darkening helmet, but the best, and incidentally, the cheapest. Cheers, Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

I found a welder in the dump and cant even weld and even I have an auto helmet!

"Luke, I'm not your father, so fcuk off".

[dave500]

my futures so bright I have to wear an auto darkening helmet!which pisses lesser people off!

[trueblue]

I found a welder in the dump and cant even weld and even I have an auto helmet!

  Well not all of us are as rich as you Dave .  I've had this flip visor one since I was an apprentice, it's still like new.  I did see a few things today that reminded me of your welds though.  The chook pen was full of them

The only reason the mongrel got me was because the rods got damp when my shed flooded a couple of months ago.  They were sticking quite bad till they had sat in the sun for a couple of hours.  I should have stuck them in the oven for an hour or so before I started, to dry them out.  I can really see the missus letting me . 

Terry I saw those in Aldi, but was dubious of their quality.  I might have to keep an eye out for the next time they have them

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, I'm happy to give 'em a plug, I might buy another one too, just in case this one wears out.

[dave500]

my wife didn't think much of my welding either as I excitedly showed her my progress,then when I forged our love forever in iron she took a photo and bunged it on faceache and got all these "likes" and that's "so cute"#$%*"(#$%* I hate this love stuff!)her nickname is bubble.

[trueblue]

Yeah mate, I'm happy to give 'em a plug, I might buy another one too, just in case this one wears out.

I've definately got to invest in one.  I've been doing more and more welding the last couple of years, and had more than one welding flash in that time.  The old helmet does a good job but when the stick welder is being temperamental I normally end up with a flash for my effort.  I should have fixed my MIG and used it.  I loaned it to my brother for a weekend about 3 years ago and got it back last weekend.  Only because he bought a new one, and mine was #$%*ed.  Much the same as when he borrowed my compressor.  It is only the roll holder that is #$%*ed, the rest of it seems to work fine, but still it should have been repaired before it was returned.  He would never do that, hence it becomes very simple, I no longer loan him anything. 

[trueblue]

my wife didn't think much of my welding either as I excitedly showed her my progress,then when I forged our love forever in iron she took a photo and bunged it on faceache and got all these "likes" and that's "so cute"#$%*"(#$%* I hate this love stuff!)her nickname is bubble.

Dave, that's looking better than the last effort of yours I saw

[petercb750]

I'm pissed off I can't weld, or never even had a go.

[trueblue]

I'm pissed off I can't weld, or never even had a go.

It isn't that hard Pete, the biggest mistake newbies do is try and go too quick.  I couldn't imagine not being able to weld, I think I was 12 or 13 when I learnt. Took me till I was 17 to be able to consistantly lay down a decent bead that I could trust. 

[ken65]

hey dave, is that really your welding?? its chalk and cheese compared to your last effort (on this site anyway)
seriously if you want i can come down and give you some tips and advice, im note a tradesman but ive been tought by some.
only arc welding and only mild steel,..,.  2.5mm and 3.2mm are my thing..   having a guess though it would appear your already getting some tips??

[Bailgang]

How easy it is to lay a good bead depends on what rod you're using as well, A 6011 or 6013 is easier to use than say a 7018. Where I work by code we must use 7018 rods even if we're just tacking a piece on and a 7018 can be tricky if you don't have a good enough welding machine to start with. We've got good equipment at work so that's not a problem but my 50+ year old Lincoln stick welder I have here at home throws an absolute fit if I try a 7018 rod on it but will weld with a 6011/6013 all day long.

[Terry in Australia]

I'm pissed off I can't weld, or never even had a go.

I'm pissed off that you haven't either Pete, welding is great fun. I've got 2 Mig's, a Tig and an Oxy welder, and I got so excited reading all these posts about welding that I bought an antique Aussie made Arc welder again, even though I've got no use for it. Cheers, Terry.

[Bailgang]

I'm pissed off I can't weld, or never even had a go.

I'm pissed off that you haven't either Pete, welding is great fun. I've got 2 Mig's, a Tig and an Oxy welder, and I got so excited reading all these posts about welding that I bought an antique Aussie made Arc welder again, even though I've got no use for it. Cheers, Terry.

Carbon arc gouging is no fun though when done in a confined space. I wear a leather welding jacket when I do that but if that shower of metal has no clear way to go then it comes right back at you and no matter how much leather I have on to protect me I almost always get a burn. Having a red hot piece of slag find it's way into your jacket while you're trying to stay focused can really piss you off.

[trueblue]

Only thing worse is when one finds its way down the side of your boot and burrows a nice little hole in your foot before you can get the hot little #$%*er out.

[Bailgang]

Only thing worse is when one finds its way down the side of your boot and burrows a nice little hole in your foot before you can get the hot little #$%*er out.

+1 to that. Had that happen to a co-worker of mine, a big ole piece of slag made it all the way to his ankle and yep he was hopping up and down. You'd be surprised how fast you can unlace a steel toed boot when motivated.

[trueblue]

Only thing worse is when one finds its way down the side of your boot and burrows a nice little hole in your foot before you can get the hot little #$%*er out.

+1 to that. Had that happen to a co-worker of mine, a big ole piece of slag made it all the way to his ankle and yep he was hopping up and down. You'd be surprised how fast you can unlace a steel toed boot when motivated.

I had it happen to me once, it found its way to the arch of my foot.  I had a black line burnt into the side of my foot the whole way down.  My sock was smouldering and ruined.  I had a hole in the bottom of my foot by the time I managed to untie my boot and get it off.  Took weeks to heal, after it went all pussy and manky, hurt like hell. 

[Terry in Australia]

Same here, I don't wear elastic sided work boots anymore after I dropped a lump of slag into one of my boots and it burned a hole, cauterising as it went, around one side of my foot. That sh1t really wakes you up!

[petercb750]

I knew there was a reason I've never had a go at it.....

[mick7504]

A fcuken Bandicoot ripped one of my prized tomatoe seedlings out of it's pot last night and now I'm in fcucken Bandicoot massacre mode.

For weeks they've been getting nurtured, and now this stinking fcuken fluffy brown eyed fcuka has gone and fcucked it up.

I don't like killing the wild life, but this has just taking things a bit too far.

So this morning, I put the seedling back into it's pot with some organic mulch sh1t that the missus had and gave it a drink.
It's sorta still alive, but if I spot this this fcuken Bandicoot lurking around, the fcukas gunna get both barrels up it's arse with the Beretta. 

Charlie the Sausage Dog is on the lookout for the rouge fcuken Bandicoot and his pissed off too even though he hates tomatoes. 

[trueblue]

I've got a good recipe here for roast bandicoot Mick