Check out some stuff ive done

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Hey yall im new here figured id introduce myself.  Im Michael from Baton Rouge Louisiana.  Ive always wanted to know how to weld so last fall i took a welding class at southeastern and after it i decided id get a little stick machine to start making stuff.  I have really come to enjoy making stuff with metal.  And its very useful too.  Im pretty good at welding for a hobby guy/begginner , but my out of position welds need help.  Lets here some tips an tricks for a vertical or overhead weld.  And any criticism on my beads is welcome.  most of the close ups are of out of position welds.  Anyways heres a few pics..
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Reply:and my pictures are too big and i dont know how to fix this. sorry
Reply:No comment on the welding skills, but your photography skills needs some improving. Try to focus the pictures so we can look at your work in an un blurred state. The size of the picture does not make it blurrry, the focus control does. Just some helpful advice :-)
Reply:Try opening your eyes when you weld
Reply:Originally Posted by Big John!Try opening your eyes when you weld
Reply:With a little time and a lot of practice, you are going in the right direction. Having been involved in welding for well over 40 years, I have seen much worse from supposedly professionals! I do like the creature! I have done many steel sculptures myself and enjoy welding from that aspect also. I support anyone that is willing to work for a living and most respect for fellows that choose a difficult job like welding. It is rough but rewarding!
Reply:Well man, you could use a little practice and work on control. But you've still built some pretty cool stuff, and thanks for sharing!! [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by jpmillernice way to encourage a newcomer. i wounder why there is a shortage of young welders. because some guys like you (big john) hammer on young welders when they dont lay a weld down thats up to your standards. theres a difference between criticism and being an @!#  h@#epeople like DSW give counstructive critism while also telling you how to better improve your skills. i argued with DSW in one of my threads and for that i apologize and thank him for the help and support hes given me and othersmaybe it didnt seem offensive to you or anyone else but to me it did so nuff said
Reply:To the OP: Please ignore the mean people like BJ and whoever else might jump on. They like to forget that no one was born with the gift of welding, its a skill learned over hundreds of hours, and that they, at one point made their share of ugly welds too, but someone was probably nice to them and gave them feedback and they got better. It just takes practice.[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:theres nothing wrong with wanting to learn how to weld even if its not a career choice. practice makes good welds (not perfect welds because theres no such thing weather you been welding for 4 yrs or 40 yrs)for starters i would clean the metal like big john said. in pic one it looks like your doing a butt joint.i was taght to leave an 1/8 gap bewteen the two materials so the weld can penetrate into the joint instead of laying on top of it. there is a keyhole that you have to look for and control once you find it. stick welding with 6010 i usually long arc the rod to open the up the keyhole. its hard to explain without seeing it. i only did one butt joint with mig before school was out. it turened out alright. when doing a butt joint with the mig i did not weave or move at all just straight down the gap (correct me if this is not how to do it)and to big john i apologize. no hard feeling. i posted a thread on here that got a lot of bad things said to me. i listened to the people that explaind to me why making a hitch for my car was a bad idean.not because i cant weld but because it has not been engineered and tested before use. no you cant tell someone who laid down a bad bead is a good bead but you can tell them what to do differently to improve.
Reply:by the way mlasal big john is right about posting here. it invites critisim.some helpful some hurtful some truthful.i learned and ive only been here 2 weeks
Reply:Keep practicing.  That is how you will improve.  That is something I have to remind myself.  It is something my old man told me when he tried to teach me.  First thing to remember... Clean that metal up.  Take some time to clean the area you are going to weld.  Get any rust, paint or other crap that isn't metal.Practice laying a bead.  Make sure you don't go too slow and put a whole in the metal or too fast and have a bead that doesn't have good penetration into either piece or a bead that is terrible thick bead that is a waste of material.Also pracitice welding, then gring apart the weld from time to time to see what sort of quality of bead you have.  It is much an art as it is a science.
Reply:x2. Clendliness is next to godliness when welding. I always wondered "How much of a difference does it really make?" And so one day  I took a painted chunk of scrap and gound off a little of the paint, broke out the good ole' 187, and started runnin a bead. I started on the clean, ground part of the metal and went right on to the paint, flipped my hood up, and WOW what a difference. The weld on the clean section burned in WAY better, and looked 1000x more refined than the burnt looking one on the painted section.Just keep it up. We all have faith in you!! [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Welcome to the site. Try Youtube and www.weldingtipsandtricks.com. Welding is a visual and audio experience. I, for one, hate welding without my ear plugs in. Just doesn't sound right and throws off my ju ju. Being able to see the veiw under the hood of someone that knows what they are doing AND can narrate as they weld is a huge help. And you can just keep rewinding as much as you like.To and to the cleanliness comments: when you clean the metal your welding you are removing random variables. The fewer variables, the faster you will pick up the basics because you'll know the affect you are having on the weld. Like the difference in learning to drive in a nice quiet, big, empty parking lot and I-5 in Friday rush hour, on a long weekend, in a blizzard. Less is more.Last edited by bert the welder; 07-14-2011 at 01:17 AM.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:My 2 cents if your gonna weld you better know its a rough bunch and you better get thick skin. Now let's get you better , first learn how to upgrade your personal info, you can list your machine and equipment and also your location.If you look through these posts you will see alot of members have there equipment listed under there names. It may not be so much your skill but you may be working with stuff that is counterproductive. example, wrong rods for your machine. As stated take time to clean real well, this will work to your advantage. Now I see a lot of arc welds are you using a DC or AC machine? I'm thinking AC Buzz box which if you use a DC 7018 will give you a lot of trouble. It looks like your are doing a lot of non critical small projects, keep it that way till you develop some skill, another words stay away from trailer hitches and lifting cranes for the time being. what you are doing will develop your skills, main thing is to keep at it. The experience and knowledge here is second to none. Good luck and give us more info on what your are doing, what position , you know , details.Last edited by kolot; 07-14-2011 at 01:15 AM."Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum"Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DCMillermatic 251   Syncrowave 300   30A spoolgunLincoln MP210Hypertherm 45(2) LN 25(2) Lincoln Weldanpower 225 CV(4) SA200   1 short hood    SA250    SAM 400
Reply:big john.....
Reply:opinions are like a$$ holes..everyone has one and they all stink..if your having fun making projects around the house and farm and know your skill limitations for saftey then keep going and your skill will improve along woth your methods of welding..Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:i say   keep welding  ,      u seem like   u enjoy  making stuff  !>Innovations are what i leave behind for History
Reply:Originally Posted by Thiel-Metal-Fabi say   keep welding  ,      u seem like   u enjoy  making stuff  !
Reply:@ jpmillerI bet your one of those guys on a jobsite that didn't get along with the rest of the crew becaue you couldn't take getting a hard time.  Even if you disagree with big john who cares.  Your right no one starts out welding great, but when you get honest criticism or if you get razzed alot then either way you have two options either keep sucking or start getting better.  Me even though I'm only 29 I'm old school in the fact that talk is for the birds I let my work speak for itself.  I personally would rather have someone talk $h!t and then see the look on their face when I get better.  And 9 times out of 10 the same guy that talked trash will be the first one to tell you your a bad a$$ when you do something good.  Welding is not for the weak hearted.  I laughed out loud at big johns post because when I was a boy and my dad taught me to weld he would say the same thing.  @mlasal1If your happy with the way your weld and you feel accomplished when your done with a project then that's all that matters.  If you don't like comments like big johns my advice to you is to get tough and get better.  Big john's comment was like a kiss on the mouth compared to some of the stuff I heard starting out.
Reply:Oh i know i have a lot of room to improve, and i know the pictures suck bad.  Also your not gonna hurt my feelings, but "your welds look like crap" isnt gonna help.  Lets here some pointers.  An also i posted pictures mostly of my not so good welds in hope of finding ideas to improve.BTW im working with a harbor freight stick welder, it is the bigger ac/dc one.  I know, not the best and i wish id have gotten the hobart or lincoln ac machine but anyway i dont hink the welder is my problem.  Also, ive been welding with some harbor freight rods.  3/32 6011 and 1/16 6013 for real thin stuff.  I have heard the harbor freight rods are junk.  Will they really make a difference in my welds?
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Reply:I am not a pro welder .... but here is what I suggest...Get pictures of bad welds from the major books or whatever... they will say ' too high a heat ',' to fast a travel ' . .... etc...have those with you ... weld a couple of inches , clean the weld, look at the picture and see if you recognize your welds there... and make changes based on that...... try lots of different settings and keep looking at the ' bad welds' examples.Weldandpower Lincoln 225 AC,DC with Briggs 16hp gas engine.WW2 era Miller TIG.
Reply:Originally Posted by mlasal1  .....  Also, ive been welding with some harbor freight rods.  3/32 6011 and 1/16 6013 for real thin stuff.  I have heard the harbor freight rods are junk.  Will they really make a difference in my welds?Okay, now we can really see your weld.  Give us a spec list for the picture above:Type of rod?Rod size?What amperage?Machine setting: AC, DC+, or DC-?What machine are you using?Material thickness?Right off, the metal is not clean enough.  More time with the grinder will definetly help you out.  I would certainly try some better rod.  Hit your LWS, HD, or TSC.  Buy 5# of something and stick with that brand.  Consistency is important for someone learning.  You won't know if it's you or the rod, you will just know it isn't right and not how to correct it.
Reply:Holy close-ups Batman!I think I can see the grain structure. Nice macro shots.
Reply:Harbor freight 1/16 6013about 60 ampsdont remember ac or dc, it was like a week ago.harbor freight stick welder, goes up to 135 amps ac and 95 dc.on 1/8 inch metal.  The old rusty weld i did with a o/a setup
Reply:I had a HF welder.  Didnt weld as good as my horbort does but I learned with it.  Better rods will help.  Hard to tell from pictures but looks like you wire brushed the metal in most of the pictures, to get good performance out of your welder that metal has to bright and clean... No rust at all.
Reply:To all that think I'm a jerk.  I am, but that's beside the pointI HONESTLY thought it was a joke so since I may have offended mlasl1, I apologize for that.I've been welding for probably 15 years or so I guess and still lay out crap or miss my joint here and there (even with my eyes open, haha).  This will never end and let me tell you that the crowd I work with are pretty damn brutal when they see it.  I will also be the first to admit that I am still learning and hopefully always will be.My first welds looked worse than yours.  The only difference was I didn't post the pics on any boards. I just had to listen the the grouchy old man that taught me this stuff tell me it sucked.  I haven't stick welded in so long that I'm actually not positive I could do any better right out the gate today.Just keep practicing on non structural stuff and you WILL get there.jpmiller, no offense taken.  I've got pretty thick skin.  Bottom line is...  I didn't come here to make a bunch of enemies, so I probably should have waitied till others started picking on him before I did
Reply:I was told by a old time welder, who I think started welding before welders were invented, He was that old,, That ( correct me if i'm wrong guys) when you use a torch to cut your metal you have to besure to grind all the slag and surface metal clean, because when you heat it when you cut it, it brings alot of the carbon out of the steel right to the edge where you just ran the torch, there for leaving alot of carbon in your weld if not clean,did that make any sence,,,,If you see me running for no apparent reason, try to keep up:"Reality" What a concept!Miller Big 40 {1972} vintage, with 150 ft. of 000 leads, old Alaskan pipline welder.
Reply:I was talking about the new, shiny weld and the grinder.  YOU, in this stage of welding experience, should be working on clean shiny steel.  I'm not saying you have to go buy new steel to practice on, but it must be clean.  Hit it with a grinder/flap wheel and make sure it's shiny before you start.I would recommend you find a bigger chunk of steel to work with.  That thin stuff can be a bit tricky.  A larger piece will serve you much better right now.  Try to find a 12x12x1/2or3/8 piece of steel.  Just start laying beads all the way across it.  Stack the next bead right on it.  Fill the whole thing up and then start over.  Burning a lot of rod is what you need right now.
Reply:Big John i see your in windsor CO. I use to work for BFI in commerce city and lived in lakewood.I welded on Garbage trucks, and dumpsters........talk about some cool smelling stuff.......ever BBQed dirty diapers..................not pretty.........., You would be surprised what crawls out of those trucks when you turn the heat on................If you see me running for no apparent reason, try to keep up:"Reality" What a concept!Miller Big 40 {1972} vintage, with 150 ft. of 000 leads, old Alaskan pipline welder.
Reply:I congratulate you on your b**** those welds are incredible for someone did you have youir eyes closed when you struck an arc? just kidding you can use some serious hood time. If you know any welders please ask to hang out with them when they are welding! Oh by the why the ford looks good.Happy weldingwbolden
Reply:I am no expert but this is what helped me when I first start to stick weld. I would start with a (good) drag rod (7018,7014 etc.) (whiich means all you all you drag it straight and work getting travel speed correct.  Run it hot so it doesnt stick as much.  Then learn to look right behind where the rod is.  Two hand the stinger dont lean on anything keep the rod at 30 degress pointed back into the puddle.  Start the weld right infront of your body and move to the right if right handed. If you are using a fast freeze (6010,6011) rod move in and out of the puddle half the width of the puddle come back into it waiting just long enought for the "dime" to freeze and start stacking them. I love the 6010 and 6011 looks awesome but it more to consider to get it right.  Someone correct me if i said something wrong.
Reply:Well, youve got the picture thing down now, so now we can really help you The first thing youll need are some good rods. Lincoln and Hobart are both pretty good, 5 pound packs of hobart rods are about $17 each from the local TSC, and lincolns are a little less from lowes and home depot around here. If you have an AC/DC welder, youll pretty much always want to leave it on the DC side, unless you need the additional amps that the AC side offers. And above all else, just PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! But dont be afraid to try new things. Welding at the wrong settings will never be pretty, so if its not working out for you, you may want to try a different amperage, etc. Have fun [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by blumoonBig John i see your in windsor CO. I use to work for BFI in commerce city and lived in lakewood.I welded on Garbage trucks, and dumpsters........talk about some cool smelling stuff.......ever BBQed dirty diapers..................not pretty.........., You would be surprised what crawls out of those trucks when you turn the heat on................
Reply:what ever your taking pictures with its resolution is too large... its probably set to 1024x768 change it to 800x600...  you seemed to have fixed it... i would suggest grinding the rust off the metal and wiping it down with acetone before welding.. DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEANER, unless you like inhaling mustard gas regularly, brake cleaner can kill you....i would get 4 of the cheap grinders from harbor freight, put a grinding wheel in one, a cutoff wheel in one, and a wire wheel in one, and have the last one for a spare or put a flap disc in it..Last edited by brucer; 07-14-2011 at 11:30 PM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I'd go 7018, easiest rod to handle and good overall rod, practice practice, and more practice, I am still learning and will continue to learn things!  I just learned to spray arc the other day.
Reply:Originally Posted by MilitiaMetalsI'd go 7018, easiest rod to handle and good overall rod, practice practice, and more practice, I am still learning and will continue to learn things!  I just learned to spray arc the other day.
Reply:Well you've got a lot of advise here. Some good and some terrible. I'm not going to talk about anyone's weakness's because we all got them. Ive been welding / designing and fabricating for 20 years or more and I'm still learning. The one very positive thing you have going is a great imagination. That is a Hugh part of this trade in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing your projects. Keep at it. It gets better every hour spent doing it. Good luck!Miller 302 Trailblazer/Custom TrailerMillermatic 350P/Spool gunMillermatic 252Miller Spectrum 875Miller Dynasty200DxHypertherm Powermax 85Tracker CNC 4X8 Pro Table (Down Draft)Visit us @ www.specialtyrepairscustommods.com
Reply:Don't overestimate that HF welder, it can make you look bad. Be that as it may get some Lincoln 7014 or 7024 , 1/8 and put that machine on AC and try some flat welding at or around 130-140 amps and you will see how nice your beads look. Also what is your power source for your welder. Do you have a 50 amp or more feeding the plug. You can get by on less but it makes a difference. I did forget to ask, is your machine a 220 or 115 volt machine. Don't forget to clean your metal, can't emphasise that enough."Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum"Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DCMillermatic 251   Syncrowave 300   30A spoolgunLincoln MP210Hypertherm 45(2) LN 25(2) Lincoln Weldanpower 225 CV(4) SA200   1 short hood    SA250    SAM 400
Reply:that spider is giving me some goose bumps,,eww!...means it's really nice...
Reply:Cool Freakin spider!Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Keep up the good work practice makes  the difference , dont use small rods 1/8 and 5/32 are much easier to practice with , leave 1/16 & 3/32 for sheet metal . E6013 and E7014 are good to begin ,but E6011 will help you become a better welder . John