My welding progression thread.

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This thread is designed for my to document all my progress as a welder as I enter the trade. I'm 16 and I am attending trade school. I will post pictures of what I am doing, ask question's, and hope to get some feedback and answer's! So to start off this thread I have some pictures of my first welds I have done in school!Electrode- E7024Welder: Lincoln Idealarc 250, running DC+ at 130-140 amps.Metal- 1/8th mild steel.This is some of my first work I have ever done with a welder so please hold off on criticizing me. Here are some simple T joints and my welding station. I would appreciate some tips and opinions! Sorry I did not clean the welds and metal very well!
Reply:Looks damn good for the first time. Wake the teacher up and tell him a new plug is in order on that machine.
Reply:Yeah I mentioned it to him today ha ha. I'm not too sure who thought it would be a good idea to place that plug there. But tomorrow I might move to a new station with a newer miller stick welder. I have better welds but I turned those in for a grade. Ill see if i can grab some pictures of butt welds I did also.
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarYeah I mentioned it to him today ha ha. I'm not too sure who thought it would be a good idea to place that plug there. But tomorrow I might move to a new station with a newer miller stick welder. I have better welds but I turned those in for a grade. Ill see if i can grab some pictures of butt welds I did also.
Reply:Loooooking good for 16yrs old, keep at it bro! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeLoooooking good for 16yrs old, keep at it bro!
Reply:Thank you. Are current project is just making a t-joint, butt, lap and some other basics. He wants us to cut and turn in each example on 4 inch slabs for a grade. I have around 10 5-7inch slabs of the 1/8th metal in my locker. I can cut basically any length I want to practice though. From the moment I enter class, I am only about work. I'm trying to be a perfectionist and I only turn it the best I can do. I'm sure have used more steel and rod than anyone in my class so far.
Reply:I already have a question! The way my teacher showed me how to lay a pass is once you strike an arc and start moving forward with your puddle, he moves the stick in a small up and down N motion. Everytime I try that the weld looks very bad. I just move forward trying to keep the electrode steady. I produce better looking welds that way but is that the wrong way of going about it?
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarI already have a question! The way my teacher showed me how to lay a pass is once you strike an arc and start moving forward with your puddle, he moves the stick in a small up and down N motion. Everytime I try that the weld looks very bad. I just move forward trying to keep the electrode steady. I produce better looking welds that way but is that the wrong way of going about it?
Reply:I'm not sure if my instructor wants me to move to a 7018 or 6010 yet. He wants us to use 7024 until we complete all the types of welds and show him. Now I clean the edges nice and flat but should i be cleaning the sides of the metal also?
Reply:Not really. Too sterile and you lose sight of the real world. Pretend you're on the side of the road or in a barn. Adapt accordingly.Heat, arc length etc. Your teacher is probably correct. If you had a machine at home I'd say jump all over some 7018 ! You'll like it.
Reply:Originally Posted by ShortbusWeldermay i make a suggestion? Im an instructor at a local college, and I tell my students to make bigger projects, not some 3 or 4inch baby project.  I have them make their t's v's and whatever else i have them do atleast 7 inches long, makes for better practice, and helps with me seeing if they are using the proper tech and are in the right positon. Now if all you have is smaller pieces of material, the above doesnt apply.  good job, best of luck in and keep up the practice..dont be a lazy student, youre the one that dictates how far you can go with welding..
Reply:7024 is not used too often outside of the classroom except for welding decking, structural and pipe is a lot of 7018, 6010 is also used mostly on pipe. For general use around a farm or garage, 7014 works pretty well, as does 6010,6011 although the beads are rougher and will not look as nice, they will however burn through a lot more contamination than 7018.
Reply:See we are using 7024 as a start because it is a nice straight drag rod to learn on; according to my instructor. Now in the next two days I will be moving to 7018 and 6010 to start more roots and then filling.
Reply:*UPDATE #2*Alright so since my last update two days ago; I feel I have progressed a ton with all the tips you guys gave me. Also I took a lot of time talking and doing some instructional with my teacher.So I have some pictures of all the joints I have to do for my project. Tomorrow I will be turning all these in for a grade. So far I just took a wire wheel to the weld and a little bit around it. Ill rub a little bit of simichrome on them to doll them up . My teacher looked at all of them so far and is quite impressed that I take my time to make them pretty. Also they are fairly good speaking I have only been welding for a week or so. So here you go! Using a 7024 electrode, 1/8th steel about 4 inches long, at about 130-140amps. In flat position on a table.All these welds are what I am turning in for a grade tomorrow. I showed my instructor all of these and he said to turn them all in.Just Some beads across the steel.  Here's some butt welds, I may have to redo these as I know I can do better.
Reply:Here is my lap joint, i have progressed with these and I feel these are nice looking ones. Here's an angle joint. This was the first one I did and I was quite impressed as these tend to be kinda hard. You guy's have already seen the t-joint so this is basically all the things I've done. Let me know what you think!
Reply:Originally Posted by Spentar*UPDATE #2*Alright so since my last update two days ago; I feel I have progressed a ton with all the tips you guys gave me. Also I took a lot of time talking and doing some instructional with my teacher.So I have some pictures of all the joints I have to do for my project. Tomorrow I will be turning all these in for a grade. So far I just took a wire wheel to the weld and a little bit around it. Ill rub a little bit of simichrome on them to doll them up . My teacher looked at all of them so far and is quite impressed that I take my time to make them pretty. Also they are fairly good speaking I have only been welding for a week or so. So here you go! Using a 7024 electrode, 1/8th steel about 4 inches long, at about 130-140amps. In flat position on a table.All these welds are what I am turning in for a grade tomorrow. I showed my instructor all of these and he said to turn them all in.Just Some beads across the steel.  Here's some butt welds, I may have to redo these as I know I can do better.
Reply:My teacher never went over padding or blending... I will have him help me out today with that. These 4 inch pieces are what are being graded I will discuss with the teacher and see if using a 7 inch piece at least would be acceptable. I will practice with nice big pieces today and show you. But please do not call me a lazy welder! Cant you see im taking the time and effort to take pictures and show you people. I am far from lazy at the least.I mean am I realy that bad for only welding for a week?
Reply:Could you please go over the basics of padding and blending for me also?
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarCould you please go over the basics of padding and blending for me also?
Reply:ShortBusRider, Ever consider that I'm not trying to be lazy and not finish those welds, maybe I don't know how to end them very well. I always get that dip at the end and it looks like garbage.Alright. I asked my teacher to use some 7018 but he said stick with the 7024 for a little longer. I took a step away from the joints and stuff on Friday and probably for the next week. I wont fall behind as I specifically told my teacher I need to practice other things first. rod: 7024running on dc+ 130-140ampsHere are some of what i believe you told me to do. I did 9 passes doing that padding thing across a 10 inch long by 4 inch piece of 1/8th. Then i went across them a little bit but those suck. I tried some restarts towards the end of the across passes. As you can see they suck but hey, I gave it a shot. I tried to get about halfway into the previous weld for each one. Tomorrow I will finish going across the long welds, then do the other side the same way. Please tell me what you think, and what I can do to get better.
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarShortBusRider, Ever consider that I'm not trying to be lazy and not finish those welds, maybe I don't know how to end them very well. I always get that dip at the end and it looks like garbage.Alright. I asked my teacher to use some 7018 but he said stick with the 7024 for a little longer. I took a step away from the joints and stuff on Friday and probably for the next week. I wont fall behind as I specifically told my teacher I need to practice other things first. rod: 7024running on dc+ 130-140ampsHere are some of what i believe you told me to do. I did 9 passes doing that padding thing across a 10 inch long by 4 inch piece of 1/8th. Then i went across them a little bit but those suck. I tried some restarts towards the end of the across passes. As you can see they suck but hey, I gave it a shot. I tried to get about halfway into the previous weld for each one. Tomorrow I will finish going across the long welds, then do the other side the same way. Please tell me what you think, and what I can do to get better.
Reply:How can I clean up and make those restarts look better?
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarHow can I clean up and make those restarts look better?
Reply:I'm learning at a trade school that runs alongside my high school. So i leave my high school mid day and bus out to the trade school. I'm in Niagara Falls, NY. there's 18 in my class and 1 teacher. My teacher wants us to not be so dependent on him and try to learn ourselves. But he doesn't hesitate to help if I do ask. He never went over restarts etc so far. I'm guessing that if i wanna learn it I have to go to him.You are doing well, and you have been given some good advice here! Keep burning rod, you are getting better.- Christian M.C3 Welding & Fabrication - CNC Plasma Cutting-Mobile Welding-Custom welding and fabwww.c3welding.com
Reply:Originally Posted by SpentarI'm learning at a trade school that runs alongside my high school. So i leave my high school mid day and bus out to the trade school. I'm in Niagara Falls, NY. there's 18 in my class and 1 teacher. My teacher wants us to not be so dependent on him and try to learn ourselves. But he doesn't hesitate to help if I do ask. He never went over restarts etc so far. I'm guessing that if i wanna learn it I have to go to him.
Reply:The schools free! I get credits that substitute taking classes at high school. My high school pay's for each kid to go. I do not question my welding teacher's teaching methods. I asked him today to help me and he came right in my booth for a half an hour and showed me stopping and restarting and watched me. Maybe I have not been asking for help as much as I thought. I can blend my restarts to look like one flush weld now thanks to my instructor. Also my padding looks way better. I am still having minor issue ending a weld as I still am getting that dumb dip at the end. Tomorrow I will work on that and my instructor will help me. having 18 kids in the class is not too bad. See on a regular day there is at least 4-5 that do not wanna work as they are lazy students. My teacher lets them chill but does not give them credit. He basically say's if there not willing to work, why force them and waste the rod and metal!
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