Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

It is just one touch per joint with 3/32" 6013 electrode. Get an arc welder.

i

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

sounds like a good fix- it's not hard, expensive or time consuming.

the new ones are probably complete garbage too.

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

"Ignoramus8895" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them
and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on
life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

It is just one touch per joint with 3/32" 6013 electrode. Get an arc
welder.

i

Hi Iggy! I do have a large MIG and TIG. My experience with OA is much
broader, ergo my preference. BUT, taking your suggestion, this time around
I will try the MIG.

Thanks, Ivan

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...

"Ignoramus8895" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them
and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on
life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least
20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to
pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

It is just one touch per joint with 3/32" 6013 electrode. Get an arc
welder.

i

Hi Iggy! I do have a large MIG and TIG. My experience with OA is much
broader, ergo my preference. BUT, taking your suggestion, this time
around I will try the MIG.

Thanks, Ivan

FWIW, I have two grill baskets made of mild steel wire, each over 40 years
old, on which I've used O/A to braze broken spot welds back together about a
half-dozen times in total. They've held up now for perhaps 10 years since
the last brazing job.

However, they're floppy as rabbit ears, now that I've taken the work
hardening out of them for maybe an inch in each direction from the braze
points. That hasn't hurt their performance.

Having arc-welded a bunch of concrete reinforcing mesh using the method Iggy
describes, my experience is that there is much less of that softening that
results from a quick hit with an arc welder.

--
Ed Huntress

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 06/29/2010 10:02 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I
segragate them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get
a new lease on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of
them are at least 20 years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50
each. I refuse to pay $1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather
spend the money on welding gas.

If you get $1.79 + materials worth of entertainment out of welding up a
basket, then you've hit break-even.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:

"Ignoramus8895" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them
and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on
life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

It is just one touch per joint with 3/32" 6013 electrode. Get an arc
welder.

i

Hi Iggy! I do have a large MIG and TIG. My experience with OA is much
broader, ergo my preference. BUT, taking your suggestion, this time around
I will try the MIG.

With 6013/stick, it is just a litle bzzz... and you are done.

i

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports
that hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a
dozen baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I
segragate them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch
and get a new lease on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new
baskets. Most of them are at least 20 years old, back when you could
buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay $1.79 and up for new ones.
Cheap? I would rather spend the money on welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

Concrete reinforcing wire makes great cages . Any size you want .

--
Snag
Got Guns ?

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ivan Vegvary wrote:

I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

Nothing at all "el-cheapo" about maintaining the items you already own
and not joining the wasteful disposable mindset. Your welds are also
unlikely to ever break again.

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 2010-06-29, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...

"Ignoramus8895" wrote in message
...
On 2010-06-29, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them
and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on
life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least
20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to
pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.

It is just one touch per joint with 3/32" 6013 electrode. Get an arc
welder.

i

Hi Iggy! I do have a large MIG and TIG. My experience with OA is much
broader, ergo my preference. BUT, taking your suggestion, this time
around I will try the MIG.

Thanks, Ivan

FWIW, I have two grill baskets made of mild steel wire, each over 40 years
old, on which I've used O/A to braze broken spot welds back together about a
half-dozen times in total. They've held up now for perhaps 10 years since
the last brazing job.

However, they're floppy as rabbit ears, now that I've taken the work
hardening out of them for maybe an inch in each direction from the braze
points. That hasn't hurt their performance.

Having arc-welded a bunch of concrete reinforcing mesh using the method Iggy
describes, my experience is that there is much less of that softening that
results from a quick hit with an arc welder.


Thanks. It is also soo easy. I love 6013.

i

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 06/29/2010 10:37 AM, Tim Wescott wrote:
On 06/29/2010 10:02 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I
segragate them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get
a new lease on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of
them are at least 20 years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50
each. I refuse to pay $1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather
spend the money on welding gas.

If you get $1.79 + materials worth of entertainment out of welding up a
basket, then you've hit break-even.

Besides, you're saving the environment, you hippie-dippie leftist, you.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I
segragate them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get
a new lease on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most
of them are at least 20 years old, back when you could buy them for $
0.50 each. I refuse to pay $1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would
rather spend the money on welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

Why, yes, you are a cheapskate!

But you are in good company. I'd weld my tomato cages if I weren't so
lazy :)

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:02:39 -0700
"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.


I bought the heaviest ones I could find, using four verticals, three
hoops and probably nine gauge wire. Still need to pound in a 6 ft
T-post and wire it to the cage to keep the wimpy things from falling
over towards the end of the season. Huge mess when one goes over...

I've had much better luck with 2" x 4" square four foot tall wire
fence. Cut to length so you end up with maybe a three foot diameter
circle when wired together. Set them over the tomato plant, pound in
adjacent six foot T-post, wire to post. Cut tomato "extraction holes"
here and there as needed. This has handled 60mph winds without any
significant damage.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

By the way, I do not use any tomato cages because they all
underperform and make a mess in the yard in the off season.

I welded some 6 ft tall supports that I pounded into the ground, put
2x4s on them along the length of the garden, and tie little vertical
1x2s to the 2x4s.

I tie tomato plants to the 1x2s with insulation tape.

Works really great.

i

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ignoramus8895 wrote:

By the way, I do not use any tomato cages because they all
underperform and make a mess in the yard in the off season.

I welded some 6 ft tall supports that I pounded into the ground, put
2x4s on them along the length of the garden, and tie little vertical
1x2s to the 2x4s.

I tie tomato plants to the 1x2s with insulation tape.

Works really great.

i

Take it the next step and replace the wood 2x4s and 1x2s with some 4"
square welded wire mesh (concrete reinforcing), or go all out and get
some grid wall panels from a store closing sale.

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 2010-06-29, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus8895 wrote:

By the way, I do not use any tomato cages because they all
underperform and make a mess in the yard in the off season.

I welded some 6 ft tall supports that I pounded into the ground, put
2x4s on them along the length of the garden, and tie little vertical
1x2s to the 2x4s.

I tie tomato plants to the 1x2s with insulation tape.

Works really great.

i

Take it the next step and replace the wood 2x4s and 1x2s with some 4"
square welded wire mesh (concrete reinforcing), or go all out and get
some grid wall panels from a store closing sale.

that is disgusting

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I
segragate them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get
a new lease on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most
of them are at least 20 years old, back when you could buy them for $
0.50 each. I refuse to pay $1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would
rather spend the money on welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

I had the same problem here. Most of the store bought ones are light
cheap steel. I found some made out of REAL steel (1/4" stainless) these
were mig/TIG? welded and then powder coated as well.

They were about 20 bucks each but when you look at the cheap ones and
how they bend and rot over the years this is a better use of money.

If I had a ring roller and the stainless I would have made my own.

--
Steve W.
(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen
baskets experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate
them and eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease
on life. SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at
least 20 years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse
to pay $1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money
on welding gas.

Ivan Vegvary

I bet the new ones have wire that's only half the size of the old ones.
Best thing to say to SWMBO is, "I'll take that under advisement, honey.
What's for dinner?"

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

I own about 80 tomato baskets. These are the conical wire supports that
hold up the plants as they hopefully grow. Every year about a dozen baskets
experience failure by having one of their welds break. I segragate them and
eventually they meet with my OA welding torch and get a new lease on life.
SWMBO says I should simply buy new baskets. Most of them are at least 20
years old, back when you could buy them for $ 0.50 each. I refuse to pay
$1.79 and up for new ones. Cheap? I would rather spend the money on
welding gas.


You have tools. You need to justify having them. Did you have better things to do?

Now if you are a rich investment banker that could just buy a gross of baskets with what
you tip your masseuse, I'd still tell you to use your tools, obviously you need
diversions.

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 2010-06-29, Wes wrote:

You have tools. You need to justify having them. Did you have better things to do?

Now if you are a rich investment banker that could just buy a gross of baskets with what
you tip your masseuse, I'd still tell you to use your tools, obviously you need
diversions.

What better way to justify having welders, than welding a garden
accessory. I have put in a bunch of welded stuff into the garden,
partly for utility reasons, and partly to prove usefulness of welding.

i

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ignoramus8895 wrote:

On 2010-06-29, Wes wrote:

You have tools. You need to justify having them. Did you have better things to do?

Now if you are a rich investment banker that could just buy a gross of baskets with what
you tip your masseuse, I'd still tell you to use your tools, obviously you need
diversions.

What better way to justify having welders, than welding a garden
accessory. I have put in a bunch of welded stuff into the garden,
partly for utility reasons, and partly to prove usefulness of welding.


I love using my many tools, it proves I am not a tool collector but a tool user. :)

If I was still married, I'd be able to say, "See honey, I really needed this tool, look
what I did with it". ;)

Wes

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

Ignoramus8895 wrote:

On 2010-06-29, Wes wrote:

You have tools. You need to justify having them. Did you have better things to do?

Now if you are a rich investment banker that could just buy a gross of baskets with what
you tip your masseuse, I'd still tell you to use your tools, obviously you need
diversions.

What better way to justify having welders, than welding a garden
accessory. I have put in a bunch of welded stuff into the garden,
partly for utility reasons, and partly to prove usefulness of welding.

i

There are not that many items in and around a typical home that do not
have some welded component.

Am I being 'el-cheapo'? (metal related)
 

On 06/29/2010 03:27 PM, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus8895 wrote:

On 2010-06-29, wrote:

You have tools. You need to justify having them. Did you have better things to do?

Now if you are a rich investment banker that could just buy a gross of baskets with what
you tip your masseuse, I'd still tell you to use your tools, obviously you need
diversions.

What better way to justify having welders, than welding a garden
accessory. I have put in a bunch of welded stuff into the garden,
partly for utility reasons, and partly to prove usefulness of welding.

i

There are not that many items in and around a typical home that do not
have some welded component.

I think our house has more socks than welds -- and that's not even
taking underwear, shirts and pants into account!

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html