Welding blind

I've had it with my cheap Walmart welding helmet. I can barely see the work to weld so I end up burning holes in metal sheet, dragging the rod across things I don't need to drag it across and welding work that has shifted during welding that I could have seen shifting had I had a better mask. Looks like since I have to rush off for chicken feed tomorrow that I might as well pick up a decent auto adjustable welding helmet. I've jibbed at the cost for a year but I really cannot bear to use that horrible Walmart blindfold any more. I might as well be welding with a cardboard box over my eyes!

Having said that, today I cut more of the old steel table top and made a back, bottom and a side for my ventilation unit. The back and bottom are one piece of steel that I folded by hand. Some of the welding needs completing and some needs tidying up but it's beginning to look quite recognizable now.

My CPU fan goes in the top and a lawnmower engine filter goes in the front. And yes, I was photobombed by a big yellow spider. Heaven knows how venomous that one is. Most things in South Carolina seem intent on doing humans in. Perhaps it's an Isis spy?

The plan is to complete the welding, put the other side on and make a removable top that will attach to the air tubing. Then I'll have to put some flanges on the unit, a door with a vent and mount it on the skirt on the bus. The floor of the compartment is sloped so that ingested water can drain out.

I had a look at the steel from my old microwave. Aside from being pathetically thin, it's pretty rusty. Looking at it, that microwave screams cheap. It was $50 and lasted about 2 years. It took 15 minutes to cook a plate of food so it wasn't exactly speedy. I can't say I was sorry to see it go. I'm surprised how poorly made it is though.