|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:17:50 GMT -7
Back in the days when I worked as a coal-fired powerhouse electrician, we would stuff stainless steel pipes and make "Belt Buckle Logs," weld both ends, then saw a half inch off an end with a band saw, weld the face again, saw off another half inch until we had enough for the whole crew and friends. Weld on stuff to hold the belt and a hook. Grind and polish the front, and everyone was happy.   |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:19:56 GMT -7
Pretty cool. Even cooler that you still have it. The power plant I worked at we cut a two inch stainless tube on a slope, cut that in half and flipped one end so both ends of the buckle flared out, welded on the loop and hook, laid it face down on waxed paper, laid in whatever we wanted showing on the front then filled it with epoxy. Not sure who got away with the one I had. A lot of art work used to go on at a power plant job. If there was a day with no prints they could not send you home so they just said get lost. Sanded a lot of stainless way up to the top under the main steam tank. Jim Yes, there was a lot of that going around. "Get out of sight or pretend you are busy. You guys know how to play the game!" We had a pipe fitter that was an artist with a cutting torch. As soon as the BIG BOSSES found he was on site, his plumbing days were over. They supplied him with 1/4" and 1/2" - 4 ft. X 8 ft sheet steel and he spent his days carving out bucking bronco's etc. for the gates to their ranches. One man at the end said: "We came with the experience and they had the crimped green. Now we are leaving with the green, and they have had the experience." |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:20:42 GMT -7
I googled a few more:   |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:25:29 GMT -7
That has to weight a pound or two?? TSA approved tactical belt buckle. Swing that like a mace knock----- that fugger out! You deserve better than my flippant answer, so I dug out my AWS-600 digital scale: 4.19 oz, 118.6 grams. Really not that heavy . . . unless it is slapping you upside the head. |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:26:39 GMT -7
Shotgunner,,, Do you think a belt buckle like this can be completed from start to finish in 30 minutes? It seems to be a lot of work,,,,especially with stainless steel. connrock Tom, having worked with metal (and having an idea of cutting, assembly and welding times), I wondered the same thing. I can easily see it taking 10 to 15 minutes just to get a nice polish on one. And besides metal costs (even if it is scrap picked up for next to nothing), you have all the incidentals - blade wear on saw, use of welding equipment, electricity, polishing equipment. And then there's your actual labor time. There are so many costs involved that you end up eating if you don't account for them. I'd love to see someone make a batch of these, and let us all know what they can be done for! |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:27:11 GMT -7
Shotgunner,,, Do you think a belt buckle like this can be completed from start to finish in 30 minutes? It seems to be a lot of work,,,,especially with stainless steel. connrock Tom, having worked with metal (and having an idea of cutting, assembly and welding times), I wondered the same thing. I can easily see it taking 10 to 15 minutes just to get a nice polish on one. And besides metal costs (even if it is scrap picked up for next to nothing), you have all the incidentals - blade wear on saw, use of welding equipment, electricity, polishing equipment. And then there's your actual labor time. There are so many costs involved that you end up eating if you don't account for them. I'd love to see someone make a batch of these, and let us all know what they can be done for! |
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Nov 20, 2020 8:28:01 GMT -7
Four hours to weld and chop 375 times? I dunnnnoo... Think it would take just a tad longer than that. 38.4 seconds per part? I'd really like to watch someone do that! |
|
