I'm almost done with metal work on my truck cab, have 1 more spot I want to weld in a patch though it will be hidden by the headliner.
Fortunately everything I have done on this thing will be hidden either by carpet, by trim, upholstery, or the front wall of the bed. Only one spot in the floor pan had to be welded because of rust repair. About the side of a baseball. It has very minimal rust surprisingly, for something originaly built back in 1990, and having been around this area. The rest of the welding I've had to do was to replace the trans tunnel for a wider version out of either a 4wd truck or a granny gear stick equipped truck. This cab was 2wd/auto, it's gonna be 2wd/stick when I'm done. And then the cab wall that someone cut away and someone else later on replaced with one from another truck, for unknown reason and simply pop riveted and bondo'd in place, I had to drill out all the pop rivets, grind off the Bondo and weld it and a spot here and a spot there at a time til I had all the spot welds connected to form one solid continuous weld.
The idiots that had this truck the cab came from, also cut out about a 3x5 area right in the middle of the inner roof, and it looks like it was done with something like a hatchet or a can opener. Didn't see it til I removed the headliner. I cut it out just enough to square up the edges, hole is right under where the 5 that I had to weld shut in the outer roof skin. They had had a single 5/8"ish diameter hole probably for wiring for an antenna or lights and instead of a simple rubber plug they screwed a sheet metal plate over it, fastened by 4 self tappers. Making 5 holes for me to weld in.
I had to go back to the welding shop and get another bottle of MIG gas after work, and the normal guy wasn't there, I didn't say anything about how they screwed me last time til he told me the price. Same as last time. So I knew this guy had also hit me for the 25% hazmat fee. So I went off. Again. At least this guy tried to explain it ("preprogrammed in, sorry") instead of standing there like a brick wall not saying a word like the normal guy I deal with did last time.
So this is 3x now, first was at the end of covid when I couldn't even enter the building, had to tell them what I wanted via phone call that time and they set my stuff out a side door, they'd only open the door that time enough to stick my forearm in with my debit card and again just that much to hand it back to me/ and I didn't see it that time til I was a few blocks away in my truck.
Now twice in a month. So I've paid for 3-3/4 bottles of 75/25 argon/CO2, next one damn well better be FREE.
What's hazardous about 2 inert gases? I mean it's deposited in the middle of an intentional fire, caused by an internal short circuit that welding is by nature. If it doesn't explode then it won't ever.
Just another way to screw people like us and pad the bottom line.
And then to add insult to Injuries, the idiots add it to the bill just like id picked up something else off the shelf and then add the sales tax. So they're charging sales tax on this bullshyt fee besides.
Is this an AIRGAS thing? I've been buying from this place since about 1996, before there was such a thing as AIRGAS. My MIG came from there. My oxyfuel torches came from there and the cart and any consumables. I remember this same bottle coating 1/4 what it does now with no such BS fees.
The last bottle a month ago cost the same $153. The one before, during covid cost $113 with the added BS. These last two were $113 BEFORE the added $28 hazmat fee. I want to go across town and try them but they never charged me for the bottles(this one plus my oxygen and acetylene) and don't charge me for rent, never question ownership of them, saying back in the day "eventually you will have to bring them back when you need more, we'll see them back". since the different welding gas places won't accept the other guys bottles. And I'm afraid the other guys will make me rent or buy bottles but am not sure about that.
I'm wanting a (smaller) bottle of straight argon so I can hook up my new spoolgun (last years Christmas present) and try that out. I had a bottle once that id gotten at a sale, tried MIG with it and it wasn't coming out right so I gave it to my buddy at the career center before he retired as their welding teacher. I hate to think what that might cost me
What's you guys experience with welding supply shops in your area?
Seems like everyone is screwing me over lately and I'm sick of it. Look at my post about a "surety bond"....
The guy we bought our most recent camper from has an aluminum StarCraft boat he's trying to talk me into and there's a bunch of holes up high where he's had various rod holders mounted over the years and just drilled new holes for the next one
that id have to fill in, (they're in an area where they won't sink the boat but they're just ugly)
if I did get it. Biggest problem is not having any space for it when not being used.
