Portable Welding Job using a Lincoln Ranger and 7018

This portable welding project came up while I was visiting my friend JD at his shop (Apex Welding Services).

An electrical contractor down the street had been robbed the night before and a bunch of copper was stolen out of 2 shipping containers.

The task was to get the containers locked up before night time and to make if difficult for any future robbers.

Gang Box interview with JD

Dual Shield Flux core in the shop...7018 for portable welding

Sometimes you need to make something without a drawing, without a sketch, and in a hurry.

That usually means using whatever steel is in the metal rack.

That is exactly what happened on this project.

Odd sizes of square tubing and flat bar were found in the drop bin rack and used for the anti theft bar and pivot hinge.

Dual shield flux core was used in the shop but once the individual parts were completed, they were loaded on the truck along with the Lincoln Range portable welder.

The job site was less than a mile down the street.

Its hard to beat a 7018 for outdoor portable welding but JD did mention if there were one more container to weld, he would have deemed it worthwhile to load up the little powermig 210 mp along with a small cylinder of c25 gas for some on site dual shield flux core welding.

Of course self shielded flux core wire would have also been a good choice for the portable welding, but JD relies heavily on Dual shield flux core and uses it whenever possible.

I am not even sure he had a roll of gasless flux core wire in the shop other than a small spool.

The 7018 1/8" rods did the job nicely and ran good on both overhead and horizontal welding at around 130 amps.

once the lock is boxed in, it will take a grinder or cutting torch to break into these containers.

Just like a chain, Any anti theft device is only as strong as its weakest link.

The main goal for this day was to be able to lock the containers even though it seemed unlikely that the thieves would return the very next night.

So the anti theft bars will accomplish that short term goal.

The plan going forward is to box in the lock with steel plate in such a way that the lock will be pretty much unreachable to bolt cutters or a grinder blade.