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That is funny! I actually am but more automatic welding! Deposited more weld metal in two years setting up systems I invented than a manual welder can deposit in a lifetime!
Actually used overlapping spot welds on parts of that thin band to attach the two pieces to the heavy jack saddle. Used MIG (GMAW) with 0.030 AWS ER70-S7 wire and a tri-mix argon 90%, CO2 8% , oxygen 2% shielding gas! Welds are penetrated and stronger than needed for that application. But agree those in the pic are NOT the best appearance. But if I needed perfect looking, fully penetrated, undercut free welds I would have my buddy use his TIG welder!
Below is a composite from a tech paper of my early work many years ago, many others written since then. That system I invented uses 3 electrodes automatically fed into the weld puddle. Welds are made under a granular "flux" at ~3000 amps and the process was used to make much of the gas and oil transmission pipe 20 inch and larger diameter in the US and Canada! As was the 48 inch Alaska Gas line-too bad it was made in Japan! The pipe is made from 40 foot long flat plate, pressed into a "U" then "O" shape and the seam welded with the process, one pass per side no back gouging etc. All welds were 100% Fluoroscoped "in the day," now UT is mostly used. There were ~75 such systems in US, and Canadian steel mills (when we had them) and number of systems were sold and used overseas.
The process is called submerged arc welding. Single electrode systems were used in WWII and welded many ships, tanks etc. That 4 inch thick weld cross section is a multipass split bead technique depositing 65 lbs/hr and was used to weld up to 10 inch thick nuclear containment vessels, etc. There were three companies in the US making them! Those facilities were shut down years ago and those heavy wall vessels are made in South Korea and China-SAD!
Duh, of course. I've painted with epoxy and engine parts with hi temp paint. Not running to Home Depot anytime soon.
Just asked, was it possible ? For outward appearance, I don't think people will get on their knees to see if the other 1/2 is painted or not. And I'm not
spending $ 385. for powder coated, repainted ones when mine have 1,700 miles. $ 80 in hi temp caliper paint and 2 1/2 hours is better than R & R all 4 wheels.
Of course it's possible, you could paint your calibers through your wheel spokes with a tooth brush if you wanted to. As I initially stated, it's just a question on how good you want them to look.
If you want them to look best, you will need to remove the wheels, properly clean/prepare the calibers (paints not going to adhere properly unless totally clean) and paint with the proper paint. Personally, I feel if a job's worth doing it's worth doing right, not half-***. Only painting the outside halfs of your calibers with your wheels still installed would be just that.
Not sure why you posted a question regarding painting your brake calibers under a Harbor Freight Jack thread?
Last edited by Kevin A Jones; Jan 11, 2018 at 08:48 AM.
I have the two ton in the garage...the almost 100 lbs isn't an issue rolling on the floor. I keep the 1.5 ton in my daily driver and my buddies laugh but If I'm going to have a flat tire, I might as well make it as easy as possible.
My first floor jack was a Craftsman. When it finally took a dump I replaced it with a Arcan brand from Costco. That jack only lasted a couple of years before joining the Craftsman in the junk pile. I got two HF jacks and so far so good. I like them because they'll fit under the pucks on my lowered C6 and C7.
I bought a Quickjack over the holidays and man that thing is awesome when one needs to pop all four wheels off for a brake job or do an oil change. However I recently got a screw in my front tire and my HF 1.5 ton was perfect to remove one wheel to take down to the tire shop for a patch.
Just bought the longer one. Gets it up higher faster. 23" if I rember correctly versus about 19" or so. I have 12" Race Ramp cribs so hoping it'll be just one go to get them in.
Something I didn;t know,,,, 20% off coupons not valid for floor jacks.
All of these cheap floor jacks (like so much stuff these days) is made in China, and I won't trust my life to any of that crap.
Probably more than you I agree, hate to see everything being made in China-but often don't have a choice!
Recall when our ASME local section toured the Harbor Freight distribution center in Dillon SC (that is expanding from a 500,000 square foot facility with a new one that will be an additional 1 million square feet and add 500 employees by 2019!)
One of the members asked if they every buy tools from Black and Decker, Stanley etc. The plant manager, who conducted the tour and is a logistics import expert said, "Yes, I see those brands being made in the same Chinese factories where ours are made!"
I recently bought a vibrating sander and looked at Sears, which is what I used for 30 years before it failed. Not only was it made in China, it was inferior in visual quality from what I wound up buying from Harbor Freight for 1/2 the price! You'd be hard pressed to find a jack not made in China or with parts from China that you may not be able to detect.
Frankly, I am much more concerned that we have lost the infrastructure and skilled folks who can build heavy pressure vessels etc in the US. Most of the new Oakland Bay Bridge, the Orthotropic Deck, came from China. As have most of the large bridge structures.
The 20% and 25% coupons are not good on a lot of things. I like Harbor Freight but their prices never change, even when they have a big sale.
Sorry that is not correct. They put stuff on sale all the time especially floor jacks. Take this one as one example. I was in just after Christmas and it was priced at $87.99, on sale now for $69.99.
How well can you control the rate of descent with Harbor Freight jacks? Some jacks you rotate the handle ever so slightly and the jack rapidly drops!
Mine (1.5 ton #68050) is very controlable on descent. I would go to a HFT store and try one if that is a concern, but I don't think you'd be unhappy. This model has a wheel in the center of the T-handle for the release function.
Mine (1.5 ton #68050) is very controlable on descent. I would go to a HFT store and try one if that is a concern, but I don't think you'd be unhappy. This model has a wheel in the center of the T-handle for the release function.
The HF #68050 is actually a 2-ton low profile-long reach.
I have the small 1.5 ton racing jack in my garage,
great for tire and brake work. I have a 3 ton low profile one at the shop... But, i also have a 4 post lift at the shop.
But if I needed perfect looking, fully penetrated, undercut free welds I would have my buddy use his TIG welder! 
