Gouging rods are okay but they don't come close to Arc gouging with compressed air. You can also use gouging rods to punch holes in thick plate in a pinch.

 

Its not that they dont work but they are small slow and costly as I recall and there is nuthin like really blowin some sheetin fire at 400A and 3/8 or larger carbon. You can make a smooth gouge in a pass with it just right for the weld. None of it is any fun in a corner but the upside is with enuf poop behind its a fast process. I lost mine, borrowed 1 once, got a super sale on one, havnt used it since. My skill level with a torch would be considerd hi, I manage on occasion, not doing mangled weld removal, very rarely anymore.
The rod would be worth a small handful on the truck for crisis jobs, same for a couple nickel rods or even staino and some guys even alum.
Thing is,,, guys already do all that, already got their guy most of the time, got some guys can weld just fine,,, but fixing something is a different matter.

 

I think Freebird and maybe Pop might agree with this. They are guys that do a lot of "welding" likely mostly repairs/reman etc/. They are good solid welders, they been tested and been at this a long time, they may or may not be the worlds greates welders but they have a niche/specialized to some extent that the service and the savings/cost/time/x 3 or 4, who knows but someone thinks they are worth more than they are paying them and its cause of the returns.
Part of it is,,, they might not have every tool they ever invent but they come back tomorrow or next with what they need in special circumstances.
I have harped at this point in other threads and to other start ups, I have done this, buy every attatchment. If I get real work or serious call for alum would be a rather minor issue to tool up and 95% of the time any customer worth a dam will say so etc.
It seems like a real no brainer to carry every process and wire size but I personally would start welder grinder battery drill sawzall and a torch and go from there. I will say this,,,, If I had one addition to a service truck for welding would be 023-030 solid wire. Structural work not a problem,,, fussy service fab so much easier to fill some little holes/gaps , could drag it in for automotive and frame if a guy has the skill,,, but again getting into a any and everything kind of operation.
Nothing makes a welder look dumber than fiddling around with a 1/16 rod pecking away trying to fill a hole. If I think of it I carry some 3/32 6011 but it would have to be on the edge. 3/32 7018 is another matter, can switch from whipping 1/8 without changing the current, is so nice for light work, easy up hill, smooth with a nice finish and my fave overhead.

 

Got to deal with the concept they often come cause the hinge busted when yes, that is true but its the seized pin that cause that problem. And,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, got to figure how to get it without making it an all day afair and the fact the alternative is way more expensive and not such a sure bet as me fixing it. I have had some price issues on occasion but the customers that come back are not concerned about a few bucks higher but they say,,, did you see that busted bolt too,, etc or,,, you tested the fit up while you were there so ,,,, I understand the system to some extent as well as simple welding a piece on. This can be ok,,, but doesnt develope the confidence that they are getting more than they pay for.

 

Back in the day, I enterprise a little and had to sell that in a sense that,,, those other guys they are hiring are a drag and adding to our problems instead of solving them. I sort of shoot myself at times but it also developed a sense of confidence that calling us was often the right thing to do,,, I remember hearing them off to the side,,, oh, it will be alright, they got Cary here.
Who,, duh figure,,, but we are folling general instructions for the day, the master plan and run in to a problem was covered in grease when we start and I said,,, whoa, thats gonna be an spensive bugger to fix. This was when oil was 24 a barrel maybe but the cheif of the day was on the phone while I try to keep a crane and tool truck looking busy. This not too long after cell phones are common so we havin a pig pow wow and he comes pack out, I quiz him,,, wha is it we are trying to do here? He splains it and I got to ask,,, is all this worth it givin some math, was real rudimentary stuff, he says hmmm.... I think it over a bit, go to the truck, light a smoke and says,,, man Doug,,, I think someone hit the wrong decimal point on the calc this morning when they come up with this. I said,,, even the speed up if it worked wouldnt pay in a fuggin year or something and add to the load etc,,, man, he figure a few minutes on a calc and says,,,, oh sheet.
I do know who or what but we reverse gears and put it back,,, ha.

 

Ya cant do it always and you got to know. I was the crane operator on a job and my boss says,,, you want to send the welding equipment out with him,,, etc and of course,,, oh no, we got old Bob carries every paper and we just cant afford any downtime, need it to be a smooth move. I said,,, ok well, Bob "thought " he found a leak and was no big deal, I got another day next day doing he same job and not my fault... ha but later they call us on some similar things and there was some synergy having cranes and mechanic with welder from the same outfit. I didnt put a crane on my service truck, it was so much easier to "sell trucks" than it was to sell men in some cases.

 

That crap is too much hard work. I would look for something I might be a dealer for. Hot pressure washers and custom installs, some piping and hose reels. Tow your welder there when you need or wanna make a show, build some brackets and stands. Have drill for concrete. Your truck is light, I might tow the welder when needed and would have a lunchbox with the rest of the tools on the truck, if you got to rob a grinder or can of pipe dope get another, same for drills but want it ready to go. Nothing is as good as,,, I am on my way. Be there at 4 etc.
I get some calls like that and if they are serous,,, they say when but I know they are hoping for now.
I have a couple, they pretty much know we will stop what we are doing if we can or in reasonable time to take on something important that is costing them money. Our guys have solved some problems, had them call all worried a while back and they even said,,, get Larry if you have to to deal with some stuck job, they know I charge for that but they have had some stuff solved too and at a fair cost. We had some talk with the company owner and they said,,, we know, we understand and you wont hurt us, dont worry over the bills, just send it. I never try to gouge those guys.

 

The rods don't impress me at all. especially @ $40 a pound. Air Carbon is way faster, cleaner and way cheaper for rod. Not needing a compressor is not a good argument either. You can't weld on heavy equipment without a compressor. From needle scaling, peening, plasma, gouging, air tools, etc.

 

I appreciate your response. As much heavy stuff as you do, I trust your take on this question. I was hoping you would be one of the ones who responded to my question…thank you!

 

That looks only marginally better than just burning 1/8" 6011 at 250A AKA "farmer gouging".

A good air compressor is just as important as your welder on a rig, if not more so. I run a 70cfm screw and wish I had more air often for running big air grinders.

You'd never be able to pull off a job like this cracked D5 track frame pivot with that gimmick rod. The control you have with an air arc is unmatched. You can wipe away to a feather-edge while following a crack with 3/16 carbons, or sluff off buckets of metal if you need. It's an indispensable tool in my opinion.

 

For heavy gouging it's hard to beat an air arc torch. Lighter gouging where it's easy to get a grinder in the chamfer rods might be OK. O/A gouging tips can do a good job too.

 

That guy Meltin Metal with Anthony, he's kinda ruff around the edges. I watch his videos he does a lot of field repairs and ya work with what ya got! O saw a video where he was welding in the parking lot real close to a Race Track gas station, prolly far enough away but if the insurance underwrighter saw that he might get canceled! Nothing beat Air Arc Gouging, well maybe a slice torch when removing pins.

 

Thanks to all for your responses!

 

The evolution of the cutting wheel and availability of grinders has replaced it for me in general work. As the man said, a crack or weld removal with a small carbon can be neat and in that world the extra equipment is just plain what you need. I have a welding shop, do repair every day and havnt used one in 20 yrs at least and havnt used the one I bought. Just not doing work with bend old heavy equipment every day and can manage as easy some other method for the limited work. Last mangled field repair used a welder a grinder and a sawzall, didnt even fire a torch.

 

I mention in another thread,,, it makes a guy look busy when he shoots some fire and that is kind of true. I got called on a demo, they figured they needed to burn the bolts and they give me the beam for the removal. Ok, but I took it apart with an adjustable and one of their guys see it and they didnt call me for the second. I really know better, I have stuck the boom up a lot while doing the work with a cumalong.

 

The gouging puts it in a league other people just cant do. We had thought of this then the local work quit but was going to get ole 600A on a flatbed and toss our extra and big stuff all on it. For us would have been low overhead if the spot had worked out.
So, this was earlier but me/we a bud with a solvent outfit that wanted to move a bit bid a job that was local and about 8 bidders or so on that part were in, the one that got it figured maybe I would be a low bid, he was kinds a steamed when he got it at 100 large less,,, ha. The rest of us were really tight, I was 3rd maybe and I had got a little help.
In the end it was good we di9dnt, over our head at the time, we would have done it but what it did do was convince the people I was working for that I had some idea what I was doing ending up in that spot and decided we should buy a crane. It got a lot of work. The rental market was poorly served at that time, we got a better unit than some others and should have even traded up 1 model before it needed paint, ha. We could have done without the jib, I realize it has its place but it was extra weight and we didnt need it. I would trade it for a down payment on a size bigger.

 

Was 65 ft on an 800 all hydro, a 500 Nat as I recall, brandy new. They eventually traded to an 85 and a tandem truck. The truck moved the unit around ok but it was heavy. Took the jib off and helped a lot. But,,, could tear oil well pumping units apart comfy and could set 80 ft wood trusses from outside most decent located from outside the building. 2 at a time. I cherry picked the rigging and it was zippy, I went with the operator every new customer, handed them every piece they need. Other semi/rental types all came bare hook with a mouthful of **** about liability and were a pain in the *** and we made it a point to be rigged for the work and it got a lot of jobs and big repeats from some guys that watch the books and could count. Guy building a garden shack doesnt get the benifit as a crew trying to get 80 ft up beating the day, 5 men on the roof. 2 on the ground hookinjg on and sending bracing. Set 50 pieces in a modest work day.

 

We set stuff for the 3 local competitive pole barn guys for quite a while. One outfit was really 2. We sold to 1 then he invited his bud along and they worjed together on major erection days so they had a good pool of good men and the owners came right out and said, show us what we should do etc. The truck would be back in the early afternoon and they pay for 8 on typical set. 80 or 100 ft even at 2 ft oc went fast 2 at a time when the layout was ready.