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Yes....I've still got months of updates to catch up on where the truck is concerned, but for now, something a little different. So, roughly a year ago, my best mate Rod treated himself to one of these.... A Chevy Astro Van.... Loads of pics laterThen, on Saturday just gone, it was just a case of fitting everything up.... More updates on the truck happening very soon.... Dan. Absolutely brilliant update and story. Thank you. A lot of commercial vehicles at the show/gathering. Some neat stuff, like that panelvan. I love this pic I quoted above. Perfect Sunday photo, with the crucifix and wise man in the foreground it looks like a Christmas story., 🤣🤣....I hadn't noticed that until you pointed it out. It's amazing how biblical a trolley jack handle can look in the right light....and as for the shadow of my mate looking like one of the wise men...thats brilliant! I don't think he could of staged it if he tried. From now now on, the trolley jack is going to be known as Jesus 😁 Plus, as always, thanks for your kind words 👍🏻
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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thanks for sharing the pics, this is my favourite the Astrovan. nice work on the repair Cheers 👍🏻. The fact your favourite is the Astro Van will make my mate Rod very happy indeed!
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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I do like the look of that van, just the right sort of size to use here. Yes definitely. I drove the van home from the meet and have to say the it felt right for our size of roads.
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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75swb
Beta Tester
Posts: 1,049
Club RR Member Number: 181
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the trolley jack is going to be known as Jesus 😁 Something about raising the dead?
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the trolley jack is going to be known as Jesus 😁 Something about raising the dead? 🤣🤣.....brilliant 👍🏻
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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May 15, 2022 19:46:11 GMT
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I just thought I'd do a quick post on a recent purchase of mine. Now....I've had this Machine Mart welder for for the best part of 25 years. In that time it's been a very reliable machine. Up until about 2 years ago when it started to become random with its power settings every now and then. Here it is.... I'd set it exactly to where I know it works best on thin steel and it would either not penetrate and ball up, or blow a hole straight through. Then, the wire speed would seem to change on its own. Again, I'd have it set exactly where I've always had it, but it would be too fast...or painfully slow for the what ever power setting it was on ( or decided to be on ). Over the last 2 years I've replaced the gas solenoid, the liner, the swan neck and have stripped and checked the wire feed gearbox. None of this made any lasting difference. It also started eating through tips and shroud's at an unusually rapid rate. Back in 2020, I purchased a plasma cutter from R-Tech welding. I read many reviews on it ( and others ) before deciding to pay, what I thought at the time, was well over the odds for that size and performance of machine. Don't get me wrong, I'd never used or owned a plasma cutter before the R-Tech machine, so I had nothing to compare it to. But, so far I've been very pleased with it's performance....sort of. I thought about getting the R-Tech welder at the same time....but I am not a rich man and funds would not stretch that far. So I just carried on and persevered with what I had. Anyway, over the last few months, my old welder has been getting worse and worse. The wire feed has been pulsing from slow to fast constantly and it's been a total nightmare on thin steel. Now, I'd been hankering after the R-Tech mig 180 since buying the plasma cutter. I happened to be reading through another thread here on Retro Rides one evening ( vulgalour ) and he mentioned that he'd just acquired the very R-Tech welder that I had my eye on. It was a sign!.....buy an an R-Tech welder and be done with it.......so I did. Shortly after this arrived in the workshop....( at work ) As excited as I was about getting to use it, I first wanted to to make up a trolley for it and the plasma the sit on. So a quick search through my collection of 'random bits of metal things' turned up two pieces of shelving, some office table legs, castors off of an old works display, tubing that a friend had recently dropped round because someone was throwing it out and some racing Kart wheels. I put it all in a big bowl and mixed it all together...... and this happened...... Then a coat of paint, some pinstripes, left over mongoose stickers, some cut up car matts and the wheels..... Add one R-Tech plasma cutter and a mig 180.....and it was Pimm's o'clock! After all of that, I finally got to use the new welder........IT'S AMAZING!!!!.....seriously, I should of bought one years ago! Dan.
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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May 15, 2022 20:43:35 GMT
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. OH
JUST
BLOODY
BRILLIANT
CONGRATULATIONS
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May 15, 2022 21:05:38 GMT
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I have the baby brother to your Clarke and I reckon it's a great beginners machine. I'm only just getting to the point where I want finer control over it. I'm starting to lust after a better welder and the R Tech would be it.
You, my dear chap, have just made me want one even more. Couldn't you have told me it was rubbish?
James
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,917
Club RR Member Number: 40
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May 15, 2022 21:10:35 GMT
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That trolley looks fantastic ! Nice fab work as always. The boy has co-opted my R-Tec as he can see better. I can get stuff to stick together he makes it look nice ! It does seem to do a nice job though. Please share your wire size and settings so we can see how you use yours. James
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johnthesparky
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,518
Club RR Member Number: 6
Member is Online
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May 15, 2022 21:17:56 GMT
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Had a 151TE too, was great but sometimes felt I wanted a half setting, We got a RTech 180 and as you say, really nice… I have struggled to set it up a couple of times (mainly I suspect because I’m not very good) but the internet usually gets me back on course My trolley definitely isn’t as good
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May 15, 2022 21:42:54 GMT
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Nice
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1955 Austin A30 1981 Jawa Mustang 1990 Trabant 601 (Tommy) 1989 Trabant 601 2009 Jaguar XF 2012 Toyota AYGO 2018 Scomadi TL
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thomfr
Part of things
Trying to assemble the Duett again..
Posts: 687
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Enjoy it! And keep it locked away carefully it is really nice!
Thom
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73' Alfa Giulia Super 64' Volvo Duett 65' Volvo Duett 67' Volvo Amazon 123GT 09' Ford Focus 1.8 20' VW ID4
71' Benelli Motorella 65' Cyrus Speciaal
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys
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May 16, 2022 11:49:33 GMT
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Top trolley action there! I'm looking into getting a new mig and that R-Tech 180 keeps on popping up on threads here - you're all a bad ruddy influence! Steve
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wildrover
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 415
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May 16, 2022 16:42:47 GMT
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May 16, 2022 20:46:32 GMT
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Nice one, thanks. Posted on the thread.
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wildrover
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 415
Member is Online
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May 16, 2022 21:07:58 GMT
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Nice one, thanks. Posted on the thread. You're welcome - I just wanted to be part of the bad influence mob...
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May 16, 2022 21:53:40 GMT
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. OH JUST BLOODY BRILLIANT CONGRATULATIONS Thanks Rian........👍 I have the baby brother to your Clarke and I reckon it's a great beginners machine. I'm only just getting to the point where I want finer control over it. I'm starting to lust after a better welder and the R Tech would be it. You, my dear chap, have just made me want one even more. Couldn't you have told me it was rubbish? James 😅😅.......sorry about that. Yeah definitely, the Clarke welder has been a great machine. It's done an incredible amount of work over the years and I just can't knock it. But....now I've used the R-Tech, I can honestly say that I wouldn't go back. There's so much more control with the R-Tech. I'm still getting use to it as it were, but it's just so easy to use on the thinner outer body panels. I could never guaranty the result of the Clarke when butt welding thin outer body panels. I'd end up blowing a hole through at some point despite every other weld before it being perfect. I'd then get impatient and end up putting too much heat into the panel while trying to fill the hole back up with weld. The first time I used the R-Tech, I butt welded a section of the cab together. What a difference....it was almost effortless and with absolutely no heat distortion. I had the setting very low but it still produced good quality weld. I've seen how good the quality of your fabrication work is....so maybe the welder you have is just fine. But.....if you do feel the need for one, then I for one would thoroughly recommend it. It's not cheap, but for someone such as yourself that's frequently using a welder, I'm sure the results will soon outweigh the cost. Dan That trolley looks fantastic ! Nice fab work as always. The boy has co-opted my R-Tec as he can see better. I can get stuff to stick together he makes it look nice ! It does seem to do a nice job though. Please share your wire size and settings so we can see how you use yours. James Thanks 👍. I actually welded the trolley together with the old welder. Sods law it worked fine! But then it was much thicker metal. I'm still getting use to the R-Tech as it were, but so far I've found that using 0.6 wire on a low setting with the wire speed up just before halfway works very well for butt welding thin body panels. That's using the 5% argon mix by the way. I'm yet to try it out on thicker steel. Dan. Had a 151TE too, was great but sometimes felt I wanted a half setting, We got a RTech 180 and as you say, really nice… I have struggled to set it up a couple of times (mainly I suspect because I’m not very good) but the internet usually gets me back on course My trolley definitely isn’t as good Yes, totally agree....a great welder, but always felt like there were settings missing. I can't remember what I paid for it all those years ago when it was new, but I've definitely had value for money out of it. From what I've seen, I'd say your welding efforts are perfectly acceptable.....so you must be doing something right! 👌 Dan. Nice 👌👌👌👌😁😁 Enjoy it! And keep it locked away carefully it is really nice! Thom Thanks👍 I must admit, I did start to get a bit paranoid about the security on my workshop. Fingers crossed it's secure enough 🤞🤞 Top trolley action there! I'm looking into getting a new mig and that R-Tech 180 keeps on popping up on threads here - you're all a bad ruddy influence! Steve Sorry about that 😁 It is a fantastic little welder though.....I highly recommend it. Apparently ( according to countless reviews ), the R-Tech customer service is second to none. So you also get a peace of mind as well as a great welder. Dan Thanks for posting this 👍 Luckily, I was able to make use of their 10% discount on everything that they were running up until last week. It softened the blow slightly.
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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Opel Commodore A Coupe Opel Rekord C Coupe Opel Rekord C Saloon Vauxhall Magnum Coupe V8 (Magnumania) Mk1 Scirocco GLS Mk1 Scirocco GLS (early chrome bumper) Corrado G60 Mk1 Cortina 2 door Pre Airflow Mk2 Escort 1300 2 Door VW LT35 Tipper Truck BMW 320D E91 Tourer
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Norman
Part of things
Posts: 449
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Hi Dan, What can i say, I am astounded at the quality of work and the degree of accuracy. This looks brilliant and will be better than new. It will last for many years. You will be making us hide our projects in shame at the quality of work I at least do. Keep it up, I am already looking forward to next update. All the best, Norman
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Excellent progress Dan.
As always, top work.
Loved the fish scale welds.
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