Positive Pulse

Outrigger pole socket cracked from years of trolling in strong currents. Pole wobbling and losing position hold. 316 stainless TIG six passes, argon back-purged, stainless doubler over attachment. Locks solid. Holds position through any current.

Servo motor mount cracked from constant correction against cutting force. Surface finish dropped to 80 microinch. Nickel rod five passes, peened, mount surface ground parallel. Back to 32 microinch across every part.

The handle tube on my competition farmer walk implement cracked at the base plate weld from an athlete who stumbled near the end of the course and put all 400 pounds of implement weight down on one handle at a hard angle. The handle was bending slightly under grip load and the implement was listing to that side on every subsequent attempt. I pulled the implement apart, ground the cracked base plate weld to a full V, preheated the handle base, and welded it back with 7018 in six passes. I back-gouged the root and ran two more passes. I added a 1/2 inch plate gusset on all four sides of the handle base and welded them with four passes each. The handle is dead straight and rigid under any load an athlete can produce. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The latch on my dump truck toolbox was broken. The box was falling open every time I hit a bump and tools were flying out on the highway. I welded a new latch from 3/8 inch plate, shaped it to match the box, and welded it with four passes. I added a spring so it snaps shut on its own. The toolbox stays closed now. No more tools flying out. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The radio antenna on my skid steer kept falling off. I was losing signal every time I drove over a bump. I welded a new mount from 1/4 inch plate to the cab frame, added a rubber grommet so it doesn't rattle, and welded the antenna bracket on top. I welded every joint with three passes. The antenna sits perfect now. I get signal everywhere. The rubber grommet kills the rattle. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The gimbal frame on my news helicopter camera mount cracked at the forward pitch axis bearing housing from turbulence during a low-level news flight through downtown corridors where building vortices were shaking the aircraft hard. The gimbal was drifting on the pitch axis and broadcast footage was unusable above 80 knots. I grounded the aircraft and had a certified airframe welder TIG weld the housing with 4130 filler in five passes with full argon purge and preheat. The repair was dye-penetrant inspected after every pass and found clean. Footage is steady and broadcast-quality at 120 knots since the repair. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The knife bar mount on my veneer clipper cracked at the ram attachment boss from clipping green veneer that was thicker than spec and required extra ram force on every stroke. The knife bar was deflecting at the mount and veneer clips were coming out with a wavy edge instead of a clean straight cut. I pulled the mount off the clipper ram, ground the cracked boss to a full V, preheated the mount, and welded it back with 7018 in five passes. I added a 3/8 inch plate gusset on each side of the boss and welded them with four passes each. The knife bar runs dead straight through any veneer thickness and every clip comes out with a clean straight edge. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The pellet die housing on my wood pellet mill cracked at the roller bearing boss from running pine sawdust that was slightly too wet and the rollers were slipping instead of pressing, which caused the die to overheat and fatigue the boss weld. The die was wobbling and pellets were coming out undersized and crumbly. I pulled the die housing off the mill, ground the cracked boss to a full V, preheated it to 400 degrees, and welded it back with 7018 in five passes. I peened every pass and let it cool wrapped in welding blanket. I re-machined the roller bearing bore on the lathe. The pellets are coming out full size and dense now through properly dried sawdust. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

The low bar bracket on my competition uneven bars set cracked at the base plate weld from a gymnast who caught the low bar on a giant swing release and came down on it with full body weight from above. The bracket was rocking and the bar was shifting position under load. I got the athlete off immediately and condemned the apparatus until it was fixed. I ground the cracked base plate weld to a full V, preheated the bracket, and welded it back with 7018 in six passes. I added a 3/8 inch plate gusset on all four sides of the bracket base and welded them with four passes each. I load-tested the bar to four times rated gymnast weight before anyone went back on it. The bracket is rock solid. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.

Working from home started out seeming like the dream, right? No commute, no having to get dressed up, you can roll out of bed and just start working. But it's also created this weird situation where you only need to look professional from the shoulders up. So you've got your nice shirt buttoned up, maybe even fixed your hair and put on some makeup if you're on a video call, but below the camera? Pajama pants, slippers, maybe you haven't even showered. It's this funny double life where you're this professional person for the first half of your body and just living your best comfortable life with the bottom half.