It was a blissful (and action-packed) week for me and my family as we vacationed on the beautiful island of Maui.

Even though it was a vacation, I couldn’t resist taking some time to get to know some of the people in the welding industry who live and work right here on this island!

The first stop on our tour was the South Maui Choppers.  They had some cool Arlen Ness choppers available for rent, but they were a bit too bright and shiny for my taste.

After that we cruised on over to Cycle City to look at some of the new Harley-Davidsons.  My wife decided that I should get the new Deluxe Model -  scarlet red and black with silver trim.

The next day I decided to go check out the Maui Motor Speedway.  They had MX races on Saturday night and practice on Wednesday.

I was hoping someone would have a rental available for some track time (I have been eying the new 2010 YZ25), but unfortunately, they didn’t have one available.

Our last stop of the week was at South Maui Bicycles.  I wanted to get the low-down on the new Gary Fisher Rumblefish 29er mountain bike.

I was surprised to learn from the owners that there is not much mountain biking on Maui – it seems that the majority of the land is private property! They do rent out the bikes, but you have to ride them on the road.

You can’t really call that “mountain” biking, now can you?

To top it off, this is the unbelievable view that we got to wake up to every morning – the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, with, if you can believe it –  the world famous Molokini crater right there in the background.

And although we all had a fantastic time soakin’ up the sun and the aloha spirit,  it was just as awesome to get back into the swing of things and see how smooth things are running here at Arc-Zone!

Lots to be thankful for as we start the holiday season.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful thanksgiving…

ArcTime™ Brand Hybrid, One Tungsten Blend For All Materials

State-of-the-Art, Non-Radioactive Tungsten Electrode Formula: For all metals, compatible with all welding machines.

Fabricators from around the world are using ArcTime™ Hybrid tungsten electrodes to improve weld-quality, lower tungsten inventory costs and minimize weld defects.  What started as “cult  product” with a few specialty manufacturers of yatch towers, aerospace parts, mountain bikes and race cars has grown into our most poular tungsten electrode product.

Professional fabricators choose ArcTime™ because of its excellent ignition properties, low burn off rate and tip longevity.  In other words, this stuff lasts!

As an added bonus, ArcTime™ hybrid tungsten electrodes work well with all power sources and all metals from mild steel to titanium. The material is clearly differentiated by it’s Sky Blue™ color code.

The NEW ArcTime™ offers all that, at a price even a hobbyist or small weld shop can afford.

We are so certain that you will benefit from the new ArcTime™ Hybrid, we are offering a Unconditional Money Back Guarantee backed by our industry-leading No-Hassle Return Policy.

“You’ll notice a difference just by striking the first arc– no finer electrode exists anywhere,” says Jim Watson, president and founder of Arc-Zone.com, Inc.

ArcTime™ Hybrid Performance Tungsten Electrodes™ pass Arc-Zone.com’s 5-Point Inspection Program and are delivered complete with Arc-Zone’s popular Guide to Tungsten (pdf), and Material Safety Data Sheet (pdf) .

See What Customers Are Saying:

Amazing TUNGSTEN. I never have to switch it out when I weld something new and the arc always strikes perfectly. I am on this for the rest of my welding days!!

Date Added: 05/14/2009 by Roger Wilcox

Some of the best large tungsten I have ever used. I am a definite believer from now on. And they set me up with a Net account in a couple of minutes. A wonderful experience.

Date Added: 05/25/2009 by Duncan Moore

We started using the ArcTime after we had some major quality issues with our tungsten supply. One of the challenges of being a government entity is the material is supplied for a variety of reasons, and most times quality is not one of them! We were using the 1.5% and 2% Lanthanated material, and it varied in performance and each supplier had a box with a different label on it which did not sit well with our welding shop instructor. We tested the ArcTime material and were very pleased with the look of the material, the supporting documentation and most importantly the performance. We do maintenance welds on Aluminum ship hulls – the ArcTime hybrid tungsten out performs all other materials, and saves us a lot of headaches. Now we can focus on welding!

HT2 Hull Technician Pacific Fleet (sent via email)

Date Added: 06/25/2008 by Arc-Zone Admin

Check out what our very own Roxy Fuel has to say about ArcTime™:

Try it for yourself, then tell us what YOU think!

I took my family to the opening night of the 64^th Annual Del Mar National Horse Show at the world famous Del Mar Fairgrounds, in Del Mar, Calif.  This event signals the start of the horse show season in this historic, beach-side arena.

As we approached the Del Mar Arena, I was surprised to see that a brand new roof had been installed on the open air stadium; the last time I had seen the venue had been at a Vintage Flat Track & TT motorcycle race not too long ago.

This massive project was completed in just 7 months by the Turner Construction Company.  For more information on the project you can check out this video from the San Diego Daily Transcript:  New Roof for Del Mar Arena ->

If you watched the video, you saw that this massive project featured tons of structural steel and miles of welding, cutting, fitting and joining.

The majority of the project was Stick (SMAW) and MIG welded, but a lot of the utility “high-pressure” piping, etc. was TIG welded.  This is yet another example of how the welding and metal fabrication market is involved in nearly everything that we do.  It’s just another reason why I love this industry!

So don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that the industry is in decline — hardly!  In fact, if you look around, you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities to build some really neat stuff — now more than ever before!

October 24th was the perfect SoCal Fall night at the Pomona Fairplex for the 2009 finale of the AMA Pro and Gen Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series.

I was excited to be back at the races again watching the bikes line up on the front straight-away for the rider introductions in front of an overflow crowd.

The pits were jammed with bikes in a variety of classes from the AMA Grand National Pro, including 2009 Champion Jared Mees on the #21 XR 750 Harley-Davidson,  West Coast Experts, Amateurs, and Vintage.

I walked the pits and visited with some old friends and met some new ones too.

I love flat track racing because the bikes are custom built for one thing — speed, whereas in motocross racing, you buy a factory-built bike and  slightly modify the engine and suspension before you are ready to ride.

Flat track bikes are purpose-built from the ground up with hand-made TIG welded chromoly frames, custom-built exhaust pipes, CNC machined wheels, and hand-laid fiberglass tanks and rear fenders.

Each bike is made with the rider’s personal wants and needs in mind,  from the handle bars down to the tires.  A perfect example is Jimmy Wood’s #37 BMW powered machine.

This is a beautiful motorcycle and it looks even better in person!  Made me think about breaking out my old skid shoe!

One of the coolest bikes I saw there was a Grand National Replica street bike.  I had a similar flat track styled bike that I put together — it was based on a Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster, but I ended up selling it to one of our reps…

Take a look and let me know what you think!

– Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder –

Check out the July issue of Practical Welding Today for an article written by our very own Jennifer Simpson, Arc-Zone.com‘s director of marketing and new media!  And the cover photo is Joe Welder laying down some awesome TIG welds, shot in studio C by our talented Graphics guy, Matt Munz. Good job team!

Know your TIG torch

Advice and maintenance practices to ensure quality
By Jennifer Simpson
July 1, 2009

Even though money is tight, saving it by purchasing less reputable GTAW torches or skimping on maintenance practices can cause more harm than good in the long run.

Photos courtesy of Matt Munz, Arc-Zone.com Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.

When times are tough our initial instinct is to save money and buy cheap. That’s not always the best strategy, especially when you’re looking at a new gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) torch.

One of the biggest differences between a low-quality and high-quality torch is the materials used in manufacturing it, as well as the production process. Quality torches last longer, run cooler, provide a stable arc, and offer overall improved weld quality.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Want to read some more articles written by Jennifer?  Check out these two other fabricator articles: Obtenga la conexión and Optimize your plasma performance, co-written by me, Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder.

And when you’re ready to buy a quality TIG Torch, check out Arc-Zone.com. We deliver the best quality TIG torches on the market, from CK Worldwide to Weldcraft. At our online store you’ll also find accessory kits, all the connectors you need not to mention replacement parts and tungsten electrodes….

While many of us like to kick back on Memorial Day Weekend, I was reflecting on the sacrafices made by many to keep this country free. I was also enjoying the weather and excited about the opening of racing season. That’s right, I recorded the F1 Gran Prix from Monaco, the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 NASCAR race. But the best thing I did all weekend was traveling up the road to Glen Helen Raceway for the First outdoor Motocross race of the season, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series, which got underway in sunny So Cal.

I raced at Glen Helen some years ago and I have not been there for sometime. I was shocked the first time I saw those riders head up the hill and come down the other side at speed. My jaw dropped open, I couldn’t believe I ever raced on that track with my Yamaha YZ 250 in a champion frame with 4”of shock travel! Excited to attend her first race, my six year old daughter yelled out “Wow that was radical!” when the bikes left the starting gate and headed up to the first turn.

Most of the pros were there except James Stewart and I got up close with the Factory Suzuki of Chad Reed. I’m not the kind of guy to ask for a picture or an autograph, so I you won’t see that here, but I did get some good pictures of the pits, the starting line just before the first Pro Moto and the track.

(more…)

THE EVENT

24 Hours of Adrenalin Mountain Bike Race April 25/26 2009, Hurkey Creek Idyllwild California

TEAM ARC-ZONE.COM
Dr. Denis Iwamoto – www.drivisioncare.com
Mike Tiffany – www.dct-sd.com
Mike Larsson – www.blackmountainbicycles.com
Jason Fabiny
Jim Watson (Joe Welder) – www.arc-zone.com

THE COURSE
Start/Finish Elevation: 4400ft || Highest Point 5200ft
Total Climbing: 1394ft || Each Lap: 9.42miles
Terrain: hardpack/loose single track, sandy fire roads, technical climb, fast flowing, often loose descents
Weather – From daytime highs in the mid 60’s (20.0C) to vicious cold near 27 (-2.2C) degrees in the dark of night!

THE STORY
I’m an avid mountain biker and have a group of guys I ride with most every weekend. One of the guys said “Hey, let’s do the 24 hours of Adrenalin race.” It sounded cool, so we formed a team.

I had raced motorcycles in TT, flatrack, scrambles, and Gran Prix events like Hopetown and Barstow-to-Vegas but, that was a long time ago and I was not prepared for the events that unfolded. First off, I was shocked at how many completely buffed-out people had signed up for this event– men and women who take this stuff seriously. I had to train, Unlike my dirtbike I couldn’t just bolt on a new pipe or add some nitro if I wanted to go faster. I had to completely modify my diet, that meant no more In-n-Out Burgers! Instead of nitro in the tank, I found myself mixing different kinds of chemicals—fuel for my body. This is how it went down; A special drink one hour before, followed by another 15, and 5 minutes before I started my ride. Once racing it continued, 15 and 45 minutes into the ride, then immediately after my stint I mixed a “recovery” drink and ate some pasta. The rest of the time was spent trying to catch a few hours sleep and working on my bike and gear. I repeated the process four more times in the 24 hour event. I hope I never see another package of GU energy! Not even the Cappuccino blast sounds good now.

The race started at noon with a “Lemans style” 1/8th mile foot race to the bikes. After the runners made it through the start shack the next challenge was to get your bike off the rack at the same time as the other racers – let the racing begin!

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I’m going to the Essen Welding Show in Essen Germany.  Yes, that’s right, in Germany!  If you’re not familiar with the show, it is the Olympics of Welding and Metal Fabrication–  it happens every four years, and draws the best in welding and fabrication technology from around the world.

Not only will I have the opportunity to see the latest in innovation for our industry (see above), I’ll get to catch up with some colleagues as well.  It will also be a great opportunity to see what new products our international welding accessory vendors are showcasing.

Schweissen & Schneiden, the Essen Welding Show has established its position as number one in its industry. With the biggest names in the industry taking part and almost 60,000 trade buyers coming to see them Schweissen & Schneiden continues to become more international. With more than 1,000 exhibitors, the show takes place in the entire exhibition complex of more 1.1 million sq feet.

Let me know if you’ll be there! And make your plans early! Oktoberfest starts September 19– the day the show ends….

A buddy of mine sent me a copy of a letter he has written to President Barak Obama, and with his permission, I’m posting it here. Dan Allford from ArcSpecialties in Houston, TX I first met Dan when he came to San Diego to do a technical presentation at the local AWS section meeting on behalf of Arc-Zone.com. At the time our Sales Manager was Mr. John Dimock, who knew Dan personally and invited him. Dan came in and put on an outstanding presentation about automated welding systems and related equipment. His company builds some highly engineered equipment and since that time he has been gracious with his time, helping several of our customers improve their operations.

When I read Dan’s letter to the President I was impressed that it clearly tells the story of a real person trying to build something of value, and it includes facts — no emotion, no negative attacks — about the shift that has taken place in the American economy, a shift which clearly is not working.

Thanks Dan for taking the time to put your thoughts in writing — I hope you get a response, and more importantly I hope we as a nation can get back to building things of value — preferably out of metal!

You too can let President Obama know your thoughts. The White House website is easy to navigate– and you can use the easy Contact Us email form, or go old skool and write a letter.

President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

I am writing today to express my belief that the bail out of financial
institutions with tax payer dollars is wrong. Private liability should
not be covered by government debt. I believe failure should be
punished. I encourage you to cease such payments and instead prosecute those in the financial sector and government who have committed fraud and embezzlement.

I have watched with dismay as the US GDP swapped from 25%
manufacturing 11% financial services in 1978 to 21% financial services
and 13% manufacturing in 2008. I believe that industries such as
manufacturing are essential to a healthy economy. What our government is doing is shifting money from industries which CREATE wealth such as manufacturing, mining and agriculture to sectors which simply TRANSFER wealth specifically financial services.

I own a small company which builds robots and other industrial
machinery. I just paid the corporate taxes for my company for this
quarter. An amount many times larger than my salary.
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Bring it On! California sets the standard again for innovation and job creation. I look forward to working with the contractors, engineers and fabricators that will build and maintain the new plants needed to produce alternative fuels of the future.

From facilities complete with tubing, piping, valves and more to the equipment needed to transport the finished product you are looking at a big opportunity for the metal fabrication market.

From Today’s LA Times:

As the state moves to reduce the carbon footprint of fuel, an engineer hopes to build a plant in Lancaster that will convert garbage into an alcohol-based mixture.
By Margot Roosevelt. April 22, 2009

Arnold Klann has a green dream.

It began 16 years ago in a sprawling laboratory in Anaheim. This year, he hopes, it will culminate at a Lancaster garbage dump.

There, in the high desert of the Antelope Valley, Klann’s company, BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, plans to build a $100-million plant to convert raw trash into an alcohol-based fuel that will help power the cars and trucks of the future.

It’s just the sort of improbable concoction that California is now demanding. On Thursday, the state is expected to adopt the world’s first regulation to reduce the carbon footprint of fuel. And, just as California created the first market for catalytic converters decades ago, this rule, a likely model for national and even global calculations, could jump-start a huge demand for new technologies.
CONTINUE READING LA TIMES ARTICLE–>

We’re ready… are you?