This is after I destroyed an inch of my first tungsten on DCEP LOL. Funny how after just an hour it starts to come together a bit. I can now concentrate on the puddle and even noticed myself watching behind the puddle at times. The beads were kinda dull grey until I wire brushed them. I was running 125amps on 3/16th steel w/ feathering on foot control using 3/32 Tungsten and 3/32 70s2 filler. Any criticisms or pointers are welcome. I dont want to waste gas doing the same things if I am making big mistakes. Attached Images
Reply:So 100 people have looked at this and nobody has anything to say? I haven't resumed practice yet I was kinda waiting for some input. Is there something lacking from the picture in order to get some pointers? Should I post a pic pre wirebrushed to show the dullness on the surface? I will probably try running some beads on some 1/8th Aluminum this weekend too.
Reply:the problem is, same as you, there are about a million guys on this site trying to learn to tig weld. They all post their pictures and most look about like yours. I know mine did a month ago when I started.There are only a few people on the site who really know how to do this well enough to give good advice.They probably get a little weary of all us beginners.Keep at it, you are headed the right way and will improve, but it takes lots of hours, won't happen fast.
Reply:i have no tig experience yet. that doesnt look horrible though. what exactly are you practicing for
Reply:Originally Posted by taystewi have no tig experience yet. that doesnt look horrible though. what exactly are you practicing for
Reply:Stay with ms til it becomes "second nature" and you're not "over thinking" the bead.Vary your coupon size/thickness. Get used to the different bead sizes.Move to differnt positions. Do butts, fillets, laps, etc.Laying a stringer bead on flat plate is not "tig welding".When you've got the above "semi-mastered" move to pipe and repeat.After about 100hrs of hood time, you can move to aluminum and start the whole process again.PS. Based on your initial response, "100 people have looked at......", I'd say you're a little impatient. Impatience and tig welding do not go together. Reading your posts just confirms that. You've been "welding" for a couple of months. You've already bought at least 4 different welders. No substitute for "hood time". You're not going to learn to weld in a few weeks. Welder makes the weld, not the machine. You're not going to become a "good welder" by asking freaking questions on an internet board. Take a welding course. Buy the Miller Student Pack and read it. Get the Bible from Lincoln. Put in the time (hood time), not internet time.Last edited by SundownIII; 05-15-2010 at 11:23 AM.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIII............PS. Based on your initial response, "100 people have looked at......", I'd say you're a little impatient. Impatience and tig welding do not go together. Reading your posts just confirms that. You've been "welding" for a couple of months. You've already bought at least 4 different welders. No substitute for "hood time". You're not going to learn to weld in a few weeks. Welder makes the weld, not the machine. You're not going to become a "good welder" by asking freaking questions on an internet board. Take a welding course. Buy the Miller Student Pack and read it. Get the Bible from Lincoln. Put in the time (hood time), not internet time.
Reply:Where the heck did that come from? I havent bought four welders and have been jumping right in and doing it and coming back for constructive criticism. I have only one welder a Lincold Precision Tig 225. I'm not impatient either. I just figured when you see how many posts come about from guys who need advice on which Home Depot welder to buy that I might get a (1) post that offered something to do. I have one post so far that is worth while. Thanks for that. As for staying away from the computer well that is not going to be possible. I am a systems engineer, I live on a computer. I am also able to take away lots more than the average Joe from these forums since my life consists of researching online and my very being relies on my abilities to take concepts from research and apply them in real life scenarios. -------->
ipe--------->Smoke. BTW - I chuckled at the reply to why are you "practicing". You nailed it. Unlike some I actually enjoy challenging myself for fun. Welding is just my latest hobby. I have no intentions of ever getting certified or taking a class. I know this may not make perfect sense to everyone but I actully enjoy the process of learning. Any monkey can do exactly what the instructor tells them for 3 hours a night over and over again until you have covered every topic and beat it to death. I have read the bibles and guides on Millers and Lincolns sites. If only that was all we needed, then this forum wouldnt be neccesary. I come here looking for top doggies not to walk me through it but just give a simple answer. Too much heat, looks like not enough. etc. The previous remark of laying beads on flat MS isnt welding was precisely the kind of comment I was looking for. He is right, time to go get some random scrap pieces and start the process of melting em' together. One last little tid bit. Do you ever wonder if it took you hundreds of hours to get proficient that maybe, just maybe, it was because you were spending too much time blindly "doing" without any research or analyzing of your processes? Just a thought. I know there is no replacement for experience but like I said I dont want to waste gas unless I am making progress. So time to start making some different joint welds. Why not learn aluminum and MS at the same time?
Reply:edjamakated,"One last little tid bit. Do you ever wonder if it took you hundreds of hours to get proficient that maybe, just maybe, it was because you were spending too much time blindly "doing" without any research or analyzing of your processes? Just a thought. I know there is no replacement for experience but like I said I dont want to waste gas unless I am making progress. So time to start making some different joint welds. "The statements of spending 100's of hours just practicing are true. Maybe asking for an evaluation every 20 hrs of hood maybe better then asking more frequently. The benefit to taking a class is that you can waste gas and rod learning with out the worring about cost since it all is covered by the tuition and a hands on class will have more benefits then trying to learn from a book. Your at the begining of learning so maybe you can keep track of your notes and by the time you feel you've mastered tig you can create a pamphlet that you can pass on to others. After a year of school and 3 1/2 out in the field stick welding I can honestly say I have alot to learn and I'm always looking to improve my stick welding kung fu.
Reply:Thanks Jay O, thats a valid point about burning through the schools gas etc. I understand that welding is alot like being a Musician meaning you will never be perfect This is just a hobby. I have no intention of spending one day in the field nevermind three years. I will settle for good enough. I dont care if when I am satisfied with my progress that you can tell where I stop and start a weld or if my stacks arent perfectly uniform. I just want good sound welds. I never said I didnt plan on practicing a bunch, I know its not easy and even easier to mess up. So your basically saying maybe I should shut up for now and come back after I may have been doing it all wrong 20 hrs of practice from now which may end up being a month or more? I was looking for some answers like it was dullish grey before you wireburshed them because your going too slow, not enough gas, er70s2 just does that etc. Your beads look narrow, high, awful on and on.................
Reply:The only thing I can tell from your pic is that your inconsistent on your beads. The best thing to do is practice at being consistan in bead width/highth and spacing of your dips of filler . In the pic I like the look of the two bottom beads so check at what setting you were running and how often you dipped. If you have and soot on your welds you may need to increase ga coverage or see if your getting some unwanted drafts but from the pic there is no porosity so you may be ok. The brightness to your beads will come from being consistent in your technique.
Reply:Thanks again Jay O. Yeah like I said this was my first ever attempt so I was trying all different speeds, heat etc. I agree the ones towards the bottom were really laying down nicely. Here is a question for you. I noticed that at lower heat my beads were very narrow. Higher heat like 135 there was alot of droop on the underside. Can I create a wider bead with lower heat by going slower and not droop through the bottom. In theory only having a wide puddle on top.
Reply:Shot answer is yes but travel speed is an important part of the puzzle. When first learning to weld I was always amazed by the what I perceived as such slow travel speed that the teacher would weld at and when I tried to do the same I would panic. So what I do now is let the puddle reach a certain width when dipping then move. So in your case I would try leave the machine set a 135 amps run a bead but let the puddle develop to its max size dip then move an 1/8" run you bead. Repeat, but this time go down in 5 amps keeping everything else the same and keep doing this until it the bead doesn't look right. Remember that you shouldn't be using the pedal other then keeping it at a set amperage and once you find the amps that worked, practice it several times before trying to use the pedal to manipulate the heat.
Reply:Sorry,Mixed up your postings with another new poster who's been welding for 30 days and has bought 4 machines.You're not the guy who bought 4 welders. You're the guy who started stick welding one week, and was welding up a friend's trailer the next.After welding for over 50 years, I can tell you that the guys who take the short road, and don't develop the fundamentals through practice, will never be good welders. What they are is hacks who are a danger to not only themselves but, more importantly, innocent bystanders.Good tig welding is not something someone else can "tell you what you're doing wrong" (unless possibly they're looking over your shoulder). I can tell you all day how I feed filler, but until you spend the time to develop the motor skills to do it comfortably, it will be of no use to you.I said it in a previous post to you. I'll say it again. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.PS. Go ahead and start practicing on aluminum right now. No need to learn to walk first. Just sign up for the 100 mtr dash at the local track meet.Last edited by SundownIII; 05-15-2010 at 07:45 PM.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:First thing I'd recommend doing is switching to a 1/16" ER70S-6 filler wire. The smaller diameter wire will melt off easier in the weld puddle for you, and the S-6 puddle wets out better then the S-2. Secondly, layout several straight parallel lines on your practice piece. Punch mark these lines. Then work on laying down straight beads that are around 3/16" wide the entire length of the bead.ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIISorry,Mixed up your postings with another new poster who's been welding for 30 days and has bought 4 machines.You're not the guy who bought 4 welders. You're the guy who started stick welding one week, and was welding up a friend's trailer the next.After welding for over 50 years, I can tell you that the guys who take the short road, and don't develop the fundamentals through practice, will never be good welders. What they are is hacks who are a danger to not only themselves but, more importantly, innocent bystanders.Good tig welding is not something someone else can "tell you what you're doing wrong" (unless possibly they're looking over your shoulder). I can tell you all day how I feed filler, but until you spend the time to develop the motor skills to do it comfortably, it will be of no use to you.I said it in a previous post to you. I'll say it again. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.PS. Go ahead and start practicing on aluminum right now. No need to learn to walk first. Just sign up for the 100 mtr dash at the local track meet.
Reply:interestingly enough, I learned to weld aluminum with tig and i never even tigged steel until a year later and I was surprised at how easy it was.Mind you this was at a top notch welding school with excellent guidance. Welding aluminum takes much more control.A large portion of my job is training welders, and I would say a good portion is spent stamping out bad habbits and assumptions and all sorts of techniques that people think are "strong enough". I advocate schooling even if it's just an introductory class because the instructors will be able to offer realtime feedback on your technique and ask questions in person. Welding is one of those arts that has a fairly steep learning curve for the muscle memory part and on top of that you need some good book knowledge and general theory to be able to apply it.looking at your pictures the only thing I can say is that the one on the top right looks about the best, everything else was too cold, or had too much buildup. the beads should sit in flat and wash out perfectly on the toes like that one at the top. I try to help newbs as much as possible, but eveyr week there's someone in here with a beginner bead trying to get spoon fed decades of welding knowledge. welding is fairly involved and in my opinion has a steep enough learning curve that most won't get proficient without some type of instruction.Welding EngineerCertified Scrap Producer
Reply:I've finally found some professional instruction available that isn't the full meal deal three year 10K multi-process program.KMS Tools offers a 4 hr TIG only class once per month. The size of the class is limited to six students but often only has one or two.At $130 per class the cost will add up over time, but I'll start with one session and see how it goes.A 4 hr. class per month seems about right for me. 4 hrs. of detailed instruction hopefully incuding some actual welding time and critique, then go off and practice for a month maybe an hour or two per day, then do another 4 hr. class and so on.This is very similar to the way I learned to play the piano. I got as far as my ARTC (grade 10 Toronto Conservatory) instructor's exam, was started on the performers exam and it only took 31 years!
Reply:Originally Posted by worntornI've finally found some professional instruction available that isn't the full meal deal three year 10K multi-process program.KMS Tools offers a 4 hr TIG only class once per month. The size of the class is limited to six students but often only has one or two.At $130 per class the cost will add up over time, but I'll start with one session and see how it goes.A 4 hr. class per month seems about right for me. 4 hrs. of detailed instruction hopefully incuding some actual welding time and critique, then go off and practice for a month maybe an hour or two per day, then do another 4 hr. class and so on.This is very similar to the way I learned to play the piano. I got as far as my ARTC (grade 10 Toronto Conservatory) instructor's exam, was started on the performers exam and it only took 31 years!
Reply:Originally Posted by edjamakatedWell lets think about this logically. If Aluminum and Steel are two completely different animals why not learn both at once? I posted a picture of my stick welds on the trailer and nobody had anything to say about it. Those railings on the trailer arent going anywhere. So you are saying that is impossible to take any advice from experts and apply it based on a picture. So far this thread has given me lots of excellent guidance and advice. Your post on the other hand is worthless to me. You are basically saying that unless I learn to weld just like you did and how you perceive the learning process "should" be then I will never be more than a hack unless of course I do it for 50 years. Then I should be able to feel good about telling enthuastic individuals wanting to learn that they better stick to welding scrap in the shop for hundreds of hours on end before ever trying to put it to use. Beyond that I can also tell them I have nothing to offer them in the way of advice unless of course I can watch them do it. Look I know welding isan american heritage trade and there are alot of old school type of guys kicking around but, the fact is the internet is a resource where you can learn anything and apply it, and given enough research and application you can do it quite successfully. I thank the others who can see past the prima donna aspects and offer solid pointers. They have been helpful.
Reply:if you know you dont know, seek teachers.if you seek teachers, respect them.if you wanna be just mediocre, stop, you are there already.
Reply:ed,Your comment about "I don't plan to get certified or ever take a class" says it all.You strike your first stick weld one week. The next week you're out welding on a trailer that travels on the highway.You drop a little pigeon poop on a steel plate and then you're off to aluminum.You obviously have not yet grasped the complexity of the subject we're dealing with (welding).Call me old school (I am) but there are few shortcuts to being a good welder. You haven't scratched the surface.Welding on trailers that go over the highway, with NO experience, is flat out RECKLESS.With your attitude, all the guys trying to give you advice, are just making you more dangerous.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:your weld in the pic you posted on the upper right is the better of the ones there. Work on that heat and speed. Better hot than cold. Get the steel down first. Then go to Alum. I weld most of my steel stuff up to 1/8 with .045 rod. If you need you can stuff more filler. Large filler melts too slow cools the weld puddle too much. Smaller filler welds better. Your welds look cold except the one mentioned. We all started somewhere. and you are off to a good start. Good welders put in a lot of seat time. And we all have good and and bad days.mm135HTP Invertig 201 With water cooler9" Southbend LatheLots of hand tools.
Reply:Everyone has told him to start with steel first then go to aluminium, but he knows better.Why post beginner photos on a board asking for advice then reject it?
Reply:I think they're pretty exceptional for the first hour with a TIG. I'd have been thrilled to be able to do that well right out of the gate. I look at the welds that hold together much of the stuff I own, and most don't look any better than those. Sounds like there is some animosity here from folks with years of experience. I don't know if that's historical or just from this thread, but it seems pretty harsh to me.There's lots of good advice mixed in with the barbs tho. I'm taking as much from it as possible. I will follow the suggestion of getting real proficient at steel tig welds before moving on to aluminium.If nothing else it keeps the spirits up to start making some clean welds fairly quickly, no need to go to aluminium just yet and get discouraged! I followed Dan's suggestion of making some straight lines on the practice pieces then centre punching them so they are visible during the weld. Someone else in another thread suggested cleaning up 4 pieces of 1/4 x 3" or 4" plate then welding on one while the others are cooling. I put that suggestion together with Dan's and made some real progress last night.The beads at the end of the night were noticeably better than at the start.Did some more of the same tonight and it seems the muscle memory is starting to occur, the beads looked pretty good right off.I'm don't agree that formal training is an absolute must for everyone who wants to make a weld.Certainly it is the best route for anyone making a career of it, but us hobbyists can still learn how to make a decent weld without a three year or five year program.
Reply:Here's one of the plates. Excuse the crappy photo, that's another thing I need to work on. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by worntornThere's lots of good advice mixed in with the barbs tho. I'm taking as much from it as possible. I will follow the suggestion of getting real proficient at steel tig welds before moving on to aluminium.If nothing else it keeps the spirits up to start making some clean welds fairly quickly, no need to go to aluminium just yet and get discouraged! I followed Dan's suggestion of making some straight lines on the practice pieces then centre punching them so they are visible during the weld. Someone else in another thread suggested cleaning up 4 pieces of 1/4 x 3" or 4" plate then welding on one while the others are cooling. I put that suggestion together with Dan's and made some real progress last night.The beads at the end of the night were noticeably better than at the start.Did some more of the same tonight and it seems the muscle memory is starting to occur, the beads looked pretty good right off.I'm don't agree that formal training is an absolute must for everyone who wants to make a weld.Certainly it is the best route for anyone making a career of it, but us hobbyists can still learn how to make a decent weld without a three year or five year program.
Reply:I don't think I'm endangering anyone with my welds on a plate!Also, although I'm a hobby welder now, I do have some experience at stick welding.In 1972 when I was completing high school and my brother was in 3rd year Engineering at UBC we decided to build a clearing blade to fit Caterpillar D6D to D7E size machine.My Dad thought we could fabricate and sell these so he urged us to give it a try.My brother and I had done a fair bit of welding of various projects by that time ,but hadn't done anything that large or subject to the kind of forces that a clearing blade is.We did have some pretty good instruction from my Dad who had done quite a lot of this. He along with his brothers pretty much invented modern clearing blades for heavy crawlers. They did this out of necessity as the only clearing blades available for their machines in the early 1950s where those made by Isaacson, a Florida based company. The Issacson brush blades where so heavy that they caused the machines to be unbalanced, plus visibility was zero because the blades were sheeted right in solid. On top of that the Issacson blade had no "Curl" Dad and his brothers built their own open or "skeleton" design with a cast steel curved vertical members and Esco tips. The curve makes the debris roll as it is moved forward, the roll shakes the dirt and mud out of the roots which makes for clean burn piles and better burning.Eventually the design was purchased by a company now called Beales Weldco(do a google search for more info). They, along with their prececssor JH Beales, became quite well known for this design of brush rake or clearing blade and have shipped them all over the world.About three years ago ,at a local Ritchie Bros Auction, I saw that very first blade which my Brother and I built for sale. I know it was the same blade because it still had "Breaks 601" welded on the sidearm right where I put it 38 years ago. I talked a bit with the owner of the blade.Though he wasn't the first owner, he had used it extensively in logging on a variety of big Cats for over 20 years. He had never done anything to the blade, just beat the hell out of it in logging steadily for all those years without a hitch. I couldn't find a single sign of any repair anywhere on it.Few things on this earth are subjected to the kind of torture that a clearing blade on a big machine goes thru. This item was built in a backyard by a couple of kids with some good instruction but no formal training and thrity five years later, there it was, completely solid and ready to work. BTW, it sold for $2300, roughly a thousand bucks more than we sold it for new!So please don't tell me I'm a danger to the public!Last edited by worntorn; 05-20-2010 at 03:41 PM.
Reply:Your flat welds are looking good so keep at it and remember consistency is key. Practice makes perfect. But, flat welds are one of the most uncomon welds you will ever see; maybe I speak for myself on this one? I rarely see a joint welded in the flat position, and if it is, its a large weld in a preped joint with multiple passes. Other than that, you should start attempting some fillets of different sizes. If you are serious about this, go buy yourself a set of fillet gauges (roughly $40) and use those to help learn the how to judge your weld size as well as throat contour. Good luck! And watch out for undercut!
Reply:Thanks for the comment and advice, will look for the fillet gauges. Here is a weld I tried that had some fillet sections and some lap sections. It was done at 45 amps dcen, gas lens with #6 cup, 11cfh, 1/16th red tungsten, .045 309L filler rod.I'm going to try this type of joint again using 1/16th filler rod, hoping for a bit bigger weld.The practice on the flat welds is helping to get used to feeding the rod as much as anything.This is still a bit of a struggle to do smoothly. Attached Images
Reply:worntorn,Miost oldtimers will say either get formal instruction or find a good mentor to learn from. Sounds like you had a "good mentor".My first welding mentor (starting at about age 5) was my uncle, who had been a hardhat diver/welder for the Navy in WWII. Back then we were still generating our own acetylene in an acetylene generator. He was tough and put up with no BS. You learned a process/procedure well before you moved to the next step. Three years of after school/Saturdays probably taught me more than a two year welding course. Over the years I've had the good fortune to be able to work with some of the best welders in their respective fields (SS in the textile industry, Alum in the Marine Fab industry). Don't have a lot of classroom instruction but rather a good deal of one on one. Also try to stay up with the ongoing changes in welding technology. We've come a long way since I did my first heli-arc bead in 1966 (Linde sine wave machine that belonged to Hercules Powder Co.) building fuel cells for the boats we were racing.Also had a little experience with the Roan Plows (D9's with clearing blades) which were used extensively down in the U Minn Forest region of the Delta in Viet Nam (69-70). They definitely got the job done.Stick and a torch are the building blocks for all further methods of welding. If you understand those two well, you've got a leg up on all other forms of welding.The guy who strikes his first stick weld one week and is then welding on over the road trailers the next, is the guy who's a menace to society. I'm sure you'll agree, that it took you quite a while to figure out "what you didn't know".Today everybody wants instant gratification. Doesn't happen in welding.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Sundown I am with you,All these newbies WE were all newbies once.Am I to hot,too cold,what amps,what tungsten size,what gas flow.?What do they think all these dials and switches are for.Give them a few turns and see the results for yourself.You will soon learn make only one change at a time.You won't blow the dam machine up!!Wow who dresses you in the morning??Then they tell us what kind of job they do and the sh#T they can do.I bet we couldn't learn their job either without seat time why is welding any different?But they won't turn a few knobs on a welder and find out on there own or read some manuals ???Learning on a trailer instead of a few drops on the floor what is wrong with that picture???Show some pictures of the trailer weld that you did as one of your early projects and you may get some interesting replies. Not a picture of "my first tig weld" and what is wrong with it?Jump in to tig welding it is a lot of fun.When you have tried a few things and still have some problems post here and my godthere will be a ton of great info just for the asking,I think they all should learn with a machine that has no foot pedal!!Was your first car a bmw? I started on a econo twin spent a lot of time turning that crank till i could look at the job set the crank and get it done.Fun machine to learn on..Sold it 15 years ago the guy still welds with it and is happy.I now have my 4th tig welder a dynasty 200dx I don't weld for a living just a home hobby and fab shop but when you can weld good there are lots of pocket change jobs to be done.I would weld a boat trailer in a heart beat. With tig not stick lol.Been at it for only 20 years and still learning and helping with "bin there and done that"I have a background of a District Manager for an automotive engine parts mfg.30 years. not welding.So if you work at it you can have a lot of fun.Try some settings yourself and get some results. That is seat time!When you can't get results and you say this sucks then that is what this forum is for, along with some fun reading and a good bunch of guy's that will help if you need it and stop bashing and bitching because you don't like the answer.Just my 2 centsRonnie
Reply:Vinnie (Ronnie), were you trying different settings on your computer or do you always type in a non paragraph form? I was picturing a robot talking to me the hole time lol, good spacing though, very consistent.Worntorn, I also am new to TIG welding......looks good, keep up the good work. Remember, its your money/equipment, burn it the way you want and have fun doing so! I know I am SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XVinnie (Ronnie), were you trying different settings on your computer or do you always type in a non paragraph form? I was picturing a robot talking to me the hole time lol, good spacing though, very consistent.
Reply:I have a friend from Cape Breton Island . Here's a quote from him:"Cape Breton Island- Where the men are men and the women are too!"
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIIworntorn,The guy who strikes his first stick weld one week and is then welding on over the road trailers the next, is the guy who's a menace to society. I'm sure you'll agree, that it took you quite a while to figure out "what you didn't know".Today everybody wants instant gratification. Doesn't happen in welding.
Reply:Why is it always the newbie who tries to defend other's incompetence?Sear,I don't know about you, but I don't want a spare tire, OR license plate/holder coming through my windshield while traveling down the interstate at 70 MPH.The more education/training/experience you get in welding, the more you realize how little you knew before.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by SEARim not sure what exactly he welded on this trailer ?if a beginner welds something like a spare tire holder or license plate frame /similar on a trailer, that makes them a menace to society ? are you assuming they just look at the weld to test it ? and say "good to go" ?
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIII Back then we were still generating our own acetylene in an acetylene generator.
Reply:Matt,LMAO.Those guys were just "old school". (That translates to little or no school)Think the acetylene generation was bad. The amount of lead used in body repair would cause some of the youngsters to croak. Wet sanded a many a car with white gas (used the bottom of a 1 gal thinner can to hold it). My uncle could take a torch and shrink metal better than cotton in hot water.With all those "bad practices", it's sorta amazing that my dad is today, celebrating his 87th birthday.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by worntornI don't think I'm endangering anyone with my welds on a plate!Also, although I'm a hobby welder now, I do have some experience at stick welding.In 1972 when I was completing high school and my brother was in 3rd year Engineering at UBC we decided to build a clearing blade to fit Caterpillar D6D to D7E size machine.My Dad thought we could fabricate and sell these so he urged us to give it a try.My brother and I had done a fair bit of welding of various projects by that time ,but hadn't done anything that large or subject to the kind of forces that a clearing blade is.We did have some pretty good instruction from my Dad who had done quite a lot of this. He along with his brothers pretty much invented modern clearing blades for heavy crawlers. They did this out of necessity as the only clearing blades available for their machines in the early 1950s where those made by Isaacson, a Florida based company. The Issacson brush blades where so heavy that they caused the machines to be unbalanced, plus visibility was zero because the blades were sheeted right in solid. On top of that the Issacson blade had no "Curl" Dad and his brothers built their own open or "skeleton" design with a cast steel curved vertical members and Esco tips. The curve makes the debris roll as it is moved forward, the roll shakes the dirt and mud out of the roots which makes for clean burn piles and better burning.Eventually the design was purchased by a company now called Beales Weldco(do a google search for more info). They, along with their prececssor JH Beales, became quite well known for this design of brush rake or clearing blade and have shipped them all over the world.About three years ago ,at a local Ritchie Bros Auction, I saw that very first blade which my Brother and I built for sale. I know it was the same blade because it still had "Breaks 601" welded on the sidearm right where I put it 38 years ago. I talked a bit with the owner of the blade.Though he wasn't the first owner, he had used it extensively in logging on a variety of big Cats for over 20 years. He had never done anything to the blade, just beat the hell out of it in logging steadily for all those years without a hitch. I couldn't find a single sign of any repair anywhere on it.Few things on this earth are subjected to the kind of torture that a clearing blade on a big machine goes thru. This item was built in a backyard by a couple of kids with some good instruction but no formal training and thrity five years later, there it was, completely solid and ready to work. BTW, it sold for $2300, roughly a thousand bucks more than we sold it for new!So please don't tell me I'm a danger to the public!
Reply:thanks for the post William. I intend to spend some more time welding flat plates before moving back to joinery (or is it weldery?)It seems to be a good way to get the basic tig motions learned to the point of becoming rote.Once I get to that point it will be easier to tackle difficult positions since I won't be having to concentrate on the basic stuff anymore.that's the plan at least.any chance you might dig that p+h pedal out for me?I'd like to gear the old thing up for aluminium.Glen
Reply:Thirteen cubic feet an hour is as low as I was taught to go. Any less and you can start to get poisonous fumes. Your tungsten will stay shinny silver if you have the right amount of gas, and you post purge as you are supposed to. Post purging also covers the hot tungsten and keeps it from oxidizing. Oxidizing a tungsten causes it to create poison gas, next time you weld with it. This used to be the first thing you learned in TIG welding. But today it seems socially incorrect to talk about it. Screw socially correct. Sincerely, William McCormick
Reply:I do have the pedal I just have not had a chance to package it and get it to the post office. I will get it there though. Sincerely, William McCormick
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIIWhy is it always the newbie who tries to defend other's incompetence?Sear,I don't know about you, but I don't want a spare tire, OR license plate/holder coming through my windshield while traveling down the interstate at 70 MPH.The more education/training/experience you get in welding, the more you realize how little you knew before.
Reply:Originally Posted by William McCormick JrThirteen cubic feet an hour is as low as I was taught to go.
