Unique Auto

Archive for December, 2008

If you want to learn Stick Welding it will take practice and a little patience to learn to do it in a way that will produce fine welds. This is an important thing to remember although some people may say they never had to practice much.

Welding is one of the basic methods of welding that many students learn as they are just beginning to learn welding. This is also a method of welding that is high in demand because people need this help whether they are working iron, pie, boilers or building ships.

You will find that you will need the skills of all types of positions including flat and horizontal and ventricle or overhead welding. All of these will take some time to learn and some will be more challenging than others.

Here are some tips to help you Welding :

1. The right electrode for the job — many people aren’t sure of the size of the electrode they should use and this is important to know. The size of the electrode will depend on the situation you are welding within. In this situation you will be fighting against gravity if you are doing the weld vertically so you will want to use an electrode that is AWS classified as 7018 because they are low in their powder content.
2.Sometimes when you are doing verticle or horizontal welding you need something that your electrode can follow so its not lost to gravity and somethins that can help you do this is a weld shelf. You can do this by creating a serious of little shelves so you can do a section at a time so that you can continue to work above a weld that you have already laid. This will create a situation where one puddle will freeze in time to hold the next weld.
3. Don’t undercut if possible — this can happen because you have to weave the electrode and sometimes your work may be gouged and not have enough fill metal. When this occurs, you will be working against gravity because it will work to pull your fill metal away from the space you are working. You can reduce your puddle size to help you have more control in this situation.
4. Stay away from weird sizes for your metal — most metal will come in specific sizes that are always common. These metals will be easier to find and you can weld them fester. Stick with the ones that are AISI-SAE 1015 to 1025 so that you can be sure that you have what you need.
5. Make sure you know your arc length — a good rule of thumb is to use an arc length that is the same distance from the metal as your electrode’s thickness. As an example, if you have an electrode that is ¼” thick, then have your arc ¼” thick. Also remember that as you use the electrode, you will have to move it closer to the metal.

Following tips such as these will really help your weld be more controlled and much more even.

Welder World is a brand new community website for weldering to connect with one another and gather free information on welding. Come by WelderWorld to get your free Ebook on Welding Basics just for joining the Welding community for free. You will Find lots of benefits to this welding community such as forums, blogs, and other community members plus you can get the free basic ebook on welding just for stopping by. Come be A part of our Welding Community.

Increasing gas prices is certainly an issue that will run and run. And the pertinent question on most people minds is will the cost of gas prices ever reduce or go back to levels of the past few years ?  Even if small price cuts are possible, a return to reasonable gas prices doesn't seem probable. With the potentially bleak economic outlook and an impending recession, high gas could will pose extra problems for workers who are unlikely to see an increase in pay in line with the inflation in the consumer price index. Thus what lies ahead for gas prices and will it significantly change people's motoring habits if the price continues to rise.

Gas prices may go decrease in the immediate future. Fuel costs may actually go down in the interim if the need for gas decreases sufficiently. People will think of ways to reduce their dependence on car travel, be it car pooling, riding a bike to work or working from home more often. Automobiles can and will become more efficient as research and development come up with better fuels. Thus simple supply and demand will dictate that the gas price remains stable but undoubtably the future trend will be upwards.

However, one reason that gas prices will remain high is that oil refineries will continue to spend millions of dollars finding new ways to refine gasoline so that it burns more cleanly. This is so that it can comply with the stricter emissions standards enacted by various global warming summits of recent years. They also have to educate staff and to implement research and development for advances in the future.

Thus will the government move to control the gas price? Some nations have come up with plans to reduce the gas price but they are hard to implement and successfully administer as the govern derives plenty of revenue in taxes from gasoline usage. So while the prices of everything in the United States skyrockets due to the cost of fuel it is up to the people to make the difference to answer the question will gas prices ever go down.

People will travel less and spend less, hurting our economy even more, and as the cost of food rises, the quality of food people purchase will decrease which will probably result in higher health care and insurance costs. People will also need to start planning their activities better, for example planning all errands for a single day to reduce traveling and fuel consumption.

The best asction is to raise your vocie and express your opinion on the issue. Don't mutter on to your neighbors or even your work colleagues, go to the people that can act for you - your elected officials. Get in touch with them by any means possible, be it by snail mail, email or the good old telephone, after all, your taxes pay their salary so they are on your payroll. Unfortunately big oil companies may hold great sway with our elected leaders, but many voices raised as one can initiate the changes needed.

So will gas prices ever go down to more comfortable levels? Unfortunately, the things that determine the price of fuel are varied and often work at cros purposes, so the chances that they will all work together to bring about change in the gas price is unlikely. Even so, with your views added to the rising list of people who want change, our country’s administraters may take heed and implement a plan to halt to the out-of-control, inflationary spiral.

Despite the lack of action that may eventuate from government agencies or the oil corporations, there is something that you as an individual can do to improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicle hydrogen conversion kits for autos. Effectively they change the mixture of fuel that  your car uses by mixing it with hydrogen gas. This is thought to improve fuel economy. There are many guides available right now that show you how to make and install such a kit in your car. Learn more about the leading hydrogen conversion kit guides, including fuel trips at water for gas reports

It seems highly unlikely that by simply fitting a water container in the engine compartment of your car, inserting some electrical plates and using the gas that is generated to add to the normal fuel in your engine, you can greatly improve your fuel MPG. However, many thousands have already done it. Now, fortunately, there is a whole range of e-books on the subject, showing you exactly how to do it. Manuals such as the Gas4Free plan, provide a complete set of instructions to put together such a system, fit it into your car and improve your fuel mpg enormously.

There is no doubt that the technology really works because a quick search will bring up hundreds of glowing testimonials. But if that is the case, why don’t the mainstream manufacturers build it into every car they build? Even if the hydrogen generator system has already been patented, a simple licencing arrangement could easily resolve that issue. After all, the environmental benefits and financial advantages that would, accrue would be huge. Why would any manufacturer not want to include this modern technology in their cars to improve their fuel mpg? And it’s difficult to believe that any car offering twice the fuel mpg of its competition wouldn’t completely dominate the market. 

There must be something preventing the car companies from taking the plunge.

Could the oil companies be at the bottom of this? 

Are they in a cartel? Is it likely that the government would be taking an interest?Could OPEC be involved – one wonders what their stance might be on oil saving technology? It’s difficult to say, isn’t it?

A quick search of the web will reveal numerous testimonials from satisfied drivers who have fitted the systems and report remarkable results. 

Now I’m not stupid enough to believe everything posted on the Internet is true so I’m going to fit a system in my 2003 Toyota and see just what sort of fuel mpg savings I can make. 

Fortunately, although I’m not a mechanic by any means, I do enjoy doing DIY projects and from everything I’ve read so far all the systems look pretty simple to build and install. As this technology becomes more and more accepted, I’m sure you will be able to find mechanics offering custom-built systems all ready to put under your hood in just a few hours. There seem to be several main e-books available and I found this review which may help you to choose which one to go for.

We all have heard the old story about how driving a new car off the lot will cause the car to loose 2/3rds of its value instantly. Everyone knows this, but people still buy used cars constantly. Get this: depreciation of a new car actually costs you more than the gas ever will.

Let me tell you a story. I drive a 1990 Honda Accord with over 200,000 miles on it. I spent $1700 6 years ago, and its worked for me that entire time. It fuel efficient, is big enough for most of my needs, and as been generally reliable all things considered.

As you might expect, some repairs have been necessary. I've installed a new alternator, replaced brake pads, and swapped out old leaky coolant hoses. Total, I've spent about eight hundred dollars on repair parts over the time I've owned the car.

My insurance is cheap. Since the car is so old, I don’t need comprehensive and collision insurance, which save me a lot on my monthly premiums. On the whole, this car is amazingly cheap. Is it fancy? Heck no, but it does it job while letting me spend my money on more important things.

Let’s think about what a new car would cost to get us the same point A to point B functionality. Say you spend $20,000 or so on a new Accord. Right off the bat, you're out more than 10 times the price of my old Honda. Add more to that if you didn’t pay in cash, and took out a loan.

You're going to need insurance. Since you just bought a shiny new car, you’ll need both comprehensive and collision insurance, which can be high, especially for younger drivers in newer cars.

This car will still need money for maintenance. All this time, the car will be loosing significant amounts of its value. Aren't there better ways to spend your money?

Buying used will allow you to save a lot of money on the expense of owning a car. Imagine how much more free your monthly budget would be in the absence of expensive car payments and high insurance premiums. Buying a cheap used car buys you financial freedom.

police auto auctions

For the most part, the citizens of this country are not really aware of the fact that virtually all of the law enforcement agencies across the country, from the local Sheriff’s office to the various Federal departments, have warehouses and car lots that are filled with an array of property that has either been seized, lost or abandoned. When the storage facilities of these various agencies get full and are ready to burst, the administrators organize various types of government auctions to sell off smaller personal items, and police auto auctions to unload the vehicles that they have amassed.

While some of this property that goes into a police auto auction, or a general property auction, is there as the result of arrests, seizures and forfeitures, there is also a lot of property in the warehouses of public agencies simply because of the carelessness on the part of the property owners. There are many cases where someone absentmindedly leaves something like a bicycle behind and never takes the additional steps to see if it had been turned into the authorities. In addition, a great deal of personal property of all kinds is confiscated from theft rings and drug busts, and because the property was not marked with any identification, it was impossible for the items to be returned to the rightful owners.

While there is a huge variety of property that is sold at the general police auctions, the police auto auctions are where you need to be if you want to pick up a good deal on some type of vehicle. This can include automobiles, such as cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, and in some jurisdictions the police car auctions also include motorcycles, bicycles and vehicles for recreational use, such as boats or jet skis.

A police auto auction can be a very practical place to search for a reliable car that is in good condition, especially if you would like to make it yours for just a fraction of the real market value. Many of the seized cars at these police public auctions tend to be a mixture of vehicles that are later models, as well as many that are 5 to 15 years old. Most of the cars were impounded because the owner of the vehicle committed some type of crime that gave the law enforcement agency the right to seize the vehicle and sell it.

Because most of the seized cars that have been impounded by police were operational at the time that they were taken off of the street because of driver infractions, many people feel more secure about buying from a police auto auction. In contrast, there are many repossessed cars that are sold through auto actions by banks and finance companies because people stopped making payments on the car due to some kind of mechanical malfunction.

If you would like to have a chance to attend police auto auctions in the area where you live, then you should start by contacting the local police departments in both your city and your county, and your state if you have a conveniently located office. Ask for their complete list of the auctions they have scheduled. If you have never been to any type of auction before, then go to one as an observer so you can gain a good understanding of the process before you start bidding.

extended warranty coverage

These days, we can get warranty plans on our dishwashers, our iPods, our television sets and our automobiles. But how many of these extended warranty plans are really necessary? Is it all just a scheme to milk a little more out of the consumer, while industry standards allow the “build-it-to-break” model to continue? When it comes to big ticket items like your vehicle, you may want to consider the benefits of extended warranty coverage.

One common problem people run into is to fail to read and understand the agreement before they get work done. Knowing the right questions to ask your warranty company is crucial, experts say. For instance, ask if you can get the work done at any shop, or do you have to look for a certain certification, or in some cases return to the dealer? Additionally, is your car covered for “wear and tear” damage or just mechanical failure?

You should have a comprehensive list of all the parts that are/aren’t covered! Sometimes you’ll get a “bumper to bumper” warranty that covers everything except for the wear items, like brakes and tires, while other times you’ll get a “power train” warranty, which covers the engine and transmission. While it’s rare to find a company that offers coverage for everything, you should ensure that some of the most expensive repairs will be taken care of.

Additionally, beware of flyers and spam emails from companies offering warranty plans that seem almost “too good to be true.” If the prices are far lower than everywhere else, it’s probably not a good idea. If you can’t find information about the company from the Better Business Bureau, avoid them. One thing you should be aware of is that there are some “companies” out there that look to cash-in quickly, only to go bankrupt in a few years, leaving you with a useless automobile warranty that no one will honor. Even some legitimate companies just don’t have back-up financing, so if claims come pouring in, they run out of money and go belly-up. To protect yourself, look up as much information as you can before signing with a company and look for a longstanding track record.

Some people need warranty plans, while others can get by simply saving money each month for anticipated repairs. Regardless, the best way to protect your investment is to get regular oil changes, air filter changes, fluid top-ups and tire rotations. Don’t let things wear down until they wreak havoc on other parts of your vehicle. Before you visit your dealership to buy a car, do a little bit of internet research and get an extended warranty quote. You’ll be happy you had that bartering chip later.

warranty company

Some people mistake their AAA coverage as a “warranty plan,” but in reality the Automobile Association of America is just a service that helps you avoid breakdowns. For $30-$60/year, you’ll get free towing up to 100 miles, free jumpstarts if your battery dies and lost key or lock-out service, in addition to travel agency services, travel discounts, special auto financing and traveler’s checks. This is an important membership for any driver to have, but extended warranty plans, by contrast, are designed to save you from emergency expenses due to mechanical failure.

You may be wondering, “Do I need to purchase a warranty plan, or will I be covered by my car manufacturer’s warranty?” In some cases, people have purchased two-year extended warranty coverage only to find that they had already been covered just fine by their manufacturer. According to the consumer site CarSmart.com, the best coverage is on high-end luxury sports cars, like Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces, which are covered until 999,999 miles.

At the next tier, you’re covered for five years (or 60,000 miles) if you drive a Mitsubishi, Kia, Infiniti or Hyundai. You’re covered four years (or 50,000) miles if you have an Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Hummer, Isuzu, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, Mini, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagon or Volvo.

You may want to consider purchasing an additional warranty if you’re rough on your mid-range vehicle or if you buy a lower range vehicle from Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Saturn, GMC, Honda, Jeep, Ford, Mercury, Nissan, Pontiac, Suzuki, Scion or Subaru (whose manufacturer warranties only cover 3 years or 36,000 miles.) If you drive a 2008 or later GM model, then you’ll be covered for 100,000 miles or five years.

Many people assume that there is such a thing as an “implied warranty” that protects them for so many days after they bring their new car home. Generally, you should not rely on this type of warranty plan. If you’re test driving a used car and hear a clunking sound and the salesperson says they’ll take care of it, get that promise in writing to document the problem (or simply pass on the car!) If the warranty plan doesn’t explicitly say that part will be covered, then the dealer is under no obligation to fix it, legally. Some states have a “lemon law” that says you’re entitled to repairs or replacement if the problem cannot be resolved after so many attempts. However, if you’re buying a used car “as is,” then you automatically void your right to lemon law protection and assume any risk.

Before you choose a warranty plan, sit down and honestly think out your long and short term strategies. How are you planning to save for routine maintenance and car repairs? How long will it take you to pay off your loan? After paying their lender off, some people continue to set that money aside in a general fund to save for repairs. Others invest in a bank CD or a money market investment account to save over the long term. Or it may be in your advantage to buy the extended warranty coverage. Common breakdowns include: four-wheel drive differential and transfer case (with an average repair cost of $1,100), the air conditioner and heater system ($700), the brake system ($350), the cooling system ($465), drive axles and differentials ($500-$1,000), electrical systems ($800), engine failure ($2,000), fuel system ($500) and steering system ($600). Do your homework and see what problems are most commonly associated with your particular make and model, then devise a reasonable plan.

seized cars

For the most part, one of the biggest financial decisions for families is buying a vehicle, whether it is new or used. While not as big of a financial commitment as a house, people still want to drive away in their new car with the feeling that they got a great deal, at a great price. Helping people to enjoy that feeling are online car auction websites, which feature a range of vehicles, from seized cars to cars being sold by individuals.

One of the best things about the online auto auctions is that, while searching the internet for just the right vehicle to meet the needs of you and your family, you can also take advantage of that same technology to do the research that will help you to know whether or not you really are getting a great deal on the car. Having that kind of research in hand, which includes digging up the Kelly Blue Book price to give you a good idea of the fair market value of the vehicle, will help you know when to stop bidding so that you don’t get carried away and end up paying too much because you got sucked into a bidding war.

Many people have said that one of the reasons why they started looking for a vehicle through online car auction websites was that it provided an opportunity to sidestep the used car salesmen. The fact is that there is quite a bit of truth in all of the standard jokes and stories about used car salesmen and the tactics they use, and all of that can be eliminated by purchasing a vehicle through motor car auctions.

As you prepare to make your first vehicle purchase through an online used car auction, you should register with at least a few of the different online car auction websites and spend some time getting familiar with every aspect of the website and the online auto auction proceedings and policies. Watch a few auctions on all of the sites that you are registered with to see how things progress and to get a feel for the “culture” of the different online auto auction sites. You will more than likely start to feel that one of the sites feels like the best place for you to try your hand at getting the winning bid on a car.

The websites that run the online auto auctions usually have a filtering function that will allow you to search for certain types of vehicles and to search in a certain area near your home. You might find that you have plenty of choices within just a five mile radius of your home, or you may have to extend the search criteria for areas that are farther away from your location. You will want to restrict the search area to a distance that you are comfortable driving to so that you can do an inspection and take the vehicle for a test drive.

Vehicle history reports are also a very good way to gain additional information about the specific automobile that you are thinking about making a bid on. There are some of the online car auction websites that allow you to buy those reports, while others will link to services that offer those types of reports. You should try to do as much research as you can before making any bid because with a used car auction, the sale is final and there are no warranties.

cnc designing

Tooling Offset
I thought this would be a great place to do a quick talk on Tooling Offset.  Tooling Offset is the amount you must “Offset” the tool while machining.  For example, the tool paths that we created in CAM Software are located in the dead center of the tool unless you do something about it.  Most times you set the tool offset in your CAM program, but sometimes you might have to do it during the machining phase, depending on your machine.

What if you had a one-inch diameter tool, we will use an end mill in this example, and you needed to take off .25” around the perimeter of a 5” by 5” block of aluminum?  Without tool offset, the tool path would be around the perimeter of the block.  The end mill would take off half of its diameter or .5” inches.  You need to offset the tool so this does not happen.  In this case you would offset the tool outside of the block by .25”, then the end mill would take off .Twenty-five inches of material.

Zeroing the machine out
When beginning your machining, you always need to zero out the machine.  You need to let the control software know that this is going to be the starting point for the whole project.When zeroing out a machine, you will use an edge finder.  Most times in CNC Plasma Cutting, you will just pick your starting point on the steel and begin the program there.

The final “Part”
Parts are the outcome of your work.Unless you are making art pieces.  Parts need to be made to specification.  Most often machinists will check their parts as they come out of the CNC Machine they are running.  Many times, they will use a go/no-go gauge.  With a go/no-go gauge they can quickly check out the critical dimension of the part and reload the machine.

Chips?
Machinist call the material being removed “Chips.”  This is because most things that are machined are metal and they come off the part in chip form.  Chips can be very sharp and dangerous.You have to be aware that chips will be flying around as they are cut away.  Quite a few machines will have enclosures around them to block these chips from flying around.

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you want to know more about Computer Numberical Control, go over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a G-Code Guide and the other one is a CNC eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Graphic Image to Art when you join the cnc community.

buy prepaid gasoline cards

Tired of rising gasoline prices? If you are, you’re not alone. Here you will find great tips that were designed to assist you save some of your hard earned dollars.

First thing to do is to look for gas stations late at night, or early morning, and make use of gasoline cards. The reason for this is because gas is denser at a cold temperature, so you’ll basically be getting more for your money.

Secondly, check your local gas prices to find the best price available. You can check your local gas prices online as well, which will prevent you from wasting gas while driving around to look for the best price.

By keeping your car well maintained, you can help improve fuel consumption. By simply tuning your car, you can decrease your fuel consumption by up to 20 percent. Also, you should keep your tires properly inflated and aligned. Consumption of fuel will be wasted by 6% if your tires are under inflated. You should also make sure that you change your oil and air filters on a regular basis as well.

Other tips to keep in mind are to drive by staying in the posted speed limits, as the faster you drive you will use more fuel. Whenever possible you should use overdrive, as this will help fuel consumption and also improve the wear on your engine. You can also combine your errands by making a list of things that you have to do, as the more you cold start your engine, the more fuel you’ll be using. Also, use and buy gasoline in advance as this may prove cheaper in the long run.

By taking the time to do these tips, you’ll be amazed at just how much fuel you can save. Fuel prices are ridiculous these days, which is the reason why you must do your part to save every drop that you can.