If y’all can get brad to cut the kits out for the challenges I can do more of them. I am working 70hrs a week right now and don’t have a lot of time but I still want to get better at some of the things I am unfamiliar with. Would love to do a small stainless challenge next. I’ve never tig welded stainless. Maybe a heart or something so I could give it to my wife when I’m done lol. Or something with silicon bronze
Nathan Leiter
Lake City, SC, United States
Commented on Ask questions here! We're gonna do mo...
Nov 19 at 10:21 AM
Commented on Aluminum Bead Challenge Talk!
Nov 19 at 09:51 AM
Love the content!
Commented on Ask questions here! We're gonna do mo...
Nov 19 at 09:48 AM
I welded one of my aluminum challenge beads and I used 5356 on one plate. Not sure if the plates from Brad are 6061. I was Messing around with different settings and I did one really hot and really fast after I scribed a line and the plate split in half down the bead as I was welding it. I pulled back and thought the weld looked good till I looked at the first half of the plate. Just curious why it happened.
Commented on Hello everybody! 👋I just wanna make ...
Nov 16 at 10:07 AM
Nice to see work from people all over the world:) your weld looks really good!
Posted
Nov 16 at 10:04 AM
Hey just wanted to show some more of the interesting things I’ve got to work on.
1. Extending a trommel with customers old sheet metal
2. Repairing cracks and a hole were a stainless hopper had been punched through.
3. Super heavy duty split bushing hangers made to help with breakdowns on cement auger.
4. Emergency repair on a cement auger.
Tig alluminum on a hydraulic pump for a forklift supposed to be a bandaid till the new one came in but they are still running it lol.
6-7. Rebuild on the roof of a rotary impact crusher with hardox 500.
8. Lining aggregate hoppers with my brother.
9. Alluminum pivot handrail at cement processing facility.
10. Welding the broken studs out of the head of a international truck that snapped off.
I wish I could put more photos per post I have about a 1000 photos from my different jobs:)
Love the community on hear can’t wait to keep learning every day:)
Posted
Nov 16 at 09:51 AM
Hey everyone my name is Nathan Leiter. I’m 28 and own my own welding repair and industrial maintenance business. The first rig in the photos is the one I’m currently in and the old ford was my first rig. It had a Miller big 50.
I was working on industrial plants doing production and maintenance before college. I first started getting to weld right before I left for college. I studied business, then in college I worked in maintenance on appliance repair and then weld shop. Every summer I worked in the factories and welded.
I found welding tips and tricks podcast one year out of college. I had a passion for welding but was mostly self taught once I had the podcast I could listen to them while I worked. I’ve listened to every podcast and accelerated my learning.
I planned leaving my job 5 years ago and started to lay the ground work saving money and buying equipment. My wife and I kept our expenses low and we’re blessed to have somewhere to stay for very low rent. The last 2 years I worked for someone I made just over 100,000 and we lived on as little as possible. I was blessed with a boss who supported me as I grew. He gave me my truck for free it is a 2007 f550 with the long wheel base. It was cab and chassis with a blown head but it was free. I had it bullet proofed because it is a 6.0 I bought another truck with a blown head and used the telehandler that my boss sold me for a steal to mount the bed. I had to have front end work done.
It’s got a bulletproofed engine with 100,000 miles on it and almost 300,000 on the frame a Miller bobcat 250, a 4000 pound crane and 2 suitcase welders and a complete set of industrial tools. I had to fix everything myself or pay budies to help me. I’ve got about 20,000 in the set up and it has been going strong for me ever since I started. Like I said I was blessed and worked hard in the opportunities I was presented.
While I was working for my boss I convinced him to give me raises but I would use my own equipment. This allowed me to learn how to use suitcase welders build jigs and do production welding, weld repair on concrete crushers, screeners, scalpers, earth moving equipment, trucks, trailers, ready mix trucks, aluminum, stainless, steel, hardfacing bolt extraction, and all the repairs I could stand on the plant equipment. After leaving to be on my own my former boss is still my #1 customer and I give him priority. I’ve got a humble lean-too with really bad concrete but I had 3 phase power run to it. It’s a good start and I want to grow faster but I know that I should take it slow.
My father was a huge blessing helping me to do things right. He wouldn’t tell me I couldn’t do it but he would say if your serious then work harder and pay for everything up front. He kept me grounded. Here is some of the equipment I bought while I was working for my former boss.
I use a Miller bobcat 250
I have 2 8vs suitcases
One 12vs suitcase
A Miller 161 stl
a everlast 210 stl
A everlast 255 ext
A Lincoln 350mp with a push pull gun
A old Miller dial arc high freq ac unit
A old 400 amp Hobart for arc gouging
I have two Amazon cheap buzz boxes
A thermal dynamics plasma cutter
I have some shop equipment but most of it is in storage. Still saving to get new concrete and close in shop.
75 ton press with a swag finger brake for small stuff
40x10 Pearson milling machine
Langmuir fixture table
Small craftsman lathe
8k telehandler that runs rough but does everything I need it to do.
I just feel like I stumbled upon a great way to accelerate your journey to having your own business and did it slowly so that it was as safe as it could be. Definitely get a Cpa immediately though lol
I absolutely love the guys on welder skills and the blessing that wtat and welder skills have been are far beyond the cost of the platform. Would love to meet the guys one day:) I’m in sc but I travel a lot for work:) I really appreciate the help of all the instructors!
Commented on Sam Hagan - Excavator Grapple
Nov 16 at 08:28 AM
This is hilarious my rig just stopped putting out heat and I’m pretty sure it’s the thermostat. Lol
Commented on Sam Hagan - Welding Cast Iron With 7018
Nov 16 at 08:25 AM
Hey I can’t watch this one it says my current subscription doesn’t support it. I check and my subscription is still active
Posted
Nov 15 at 06:26 PM
Here is my settings I forgot to add tungsten and cup size. 1/8 2% lanthanated with a #8 gas lens 24cfm 1/8 4043 filler and I’m not sure on the aluminum I ordered it from Brad because I don’t keep a lot of aluminum at my shop because I don’t weld it a lot. I used a pedal as well. 170 was the top of my range.
Nathan Leiter (NMT Welding and Industrial Maintenance llc)
Commented on Made a torch hand rest for the weld t...
Nov 21 at 01:26 PM
I saw vevor has them on Amazon. Not sure if they are good or not lol