My fall gig

Back up at the Jump off buffalo ranch. Been working a couple weeks. It's a pretty good gig this year. We are changing out some stuff where they always used to tie up big panels and drag them around. We're hanging gates. They were going to contract out the gates so I bid them and am building them at home. I'm using their material (oil field pipe, 2 3/8") I bid the gates at $400 and $450 for the covered ones. I'm knocking out a gate in 5-6 hours, plus I charge $200 a day for the on-sight work. Unless we think of more, I have 8 gates to build, 3 knocked out so far.
So we are putting in overheads on all the gates, lots of work. And 340 foot of sucker rod fence. Posts every 8 feet and 6 sucker rods.

that's a good gig--sucker rod makes cool looking and very durable fencing---that stuff that has been down a hole can be tricky welding--used it at the feedyard where i was maintenance back in the 70's---be welding along and the whole shiteree will just pissadear

We don't weld much on the sucker rod, use clips to hold it to the posts. Most of these dirt farmers want to use 6011 rod but I prefer the good old 7018. It's a little hard to start in the middle of the rod but burns through slag and shit a lot better than anything else. I use a Miller 225 Bobcat at the ranch and an ancient 200 Lincoln here at home. The old Lincoln will spoil you and makes the Miller seem lacking. I'm building all the gates here with the Lincoln. I use a big log splitter to flatten the ends of the pipe instead of cutting saddles. It goes faster and looks better. I just weld everything flat, flip the gate over and do the other side, no out of position welds.

Is that lincoln one of those tombstone welders?

Got one here that my dad had. Things gotta be close to 50 years old and far as I know still runs like new.

I dont have 220 in the garage so I dont know if it still runs.

No, this Lincoln is a portable, runs off a 4 cylinder continental.

Good idea to use the log splitter to flatten those ends. I never thought of that one.
Do you flatten it in the middle at the length you want so you have two ends flat for one pinch?

I mash each end, I don't think it would mash the pipe in the middle. This is a 2 stage pump on a 5 inch ram and it grunts to mash the oil field pipe ( equal to 2" schedule 80)

got it wound up yesterday. It was fun but I'm glad to be done, chores are piled up here. All of my vehicles need work, house needs some plumbing repairs, need to get firewood up. dig the taters....