First welds... ....this is way too fun

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Finally got my AC 225 setup and located a supplier that was willing to hook me up with some scrap for cheap.  Thought I'd post some pics here and let y'all have a few good laughs.  Sorry if the pictures show up here HUGE.This was all using a 6013 electrode.  The top two welds were at 60 amps and the rest were at 90 I believe.  The plate looks to be about 14 or 16 gauge.My setup...A few welds
Reply:ohh...forgot... A few questions I had while I was doing these1. Are fumes a big breathing issue?  I know they ain't good for you but should I be OK as long as I'm outside / have the garage door open?2.  How long should I wait for the metal to cool before knocking the slag off?3.  After I did these I grinded them with a new flap disk for about a minute and it looked like the damn thing was nearly spent.  Is that usual?  Do I need to wear a respirator when grinding?4.  I paid $10 for: the big square plate (1 1/2 x 1 1/2' x 4 gauge), the small plate, and about 3 different ~foot long pieces of square tubing @ 12-16 gauge.  Is that a good deal?Thanks in advance for any help here
Reply:Fumes, grinding dust, = cancer! Go get a respirator with the pink cartridges. I don't know the number right now off the top of my tired head. They are cheap about $25 bucks and the pads are about $8 or so. And wear some ear plugs also. You might want to be able to hear when the dog farts when you get older.  And make sure it is smoke rated not just a dust mask. A dust mask will not do anything except keep the rocks out of your mouth.Last edited by Lava; 04-01-2011 at 11:45 PM.
Reply:Also have a fire extinguisher nearby when welding. Since you are on a wooden table, I'd definitely want one close at hand.A couple of your beads look pretty consistent, which is one aspect to practice on. I'm just a hobbyist myself, so I'll let the pros do the real rating of your welds.Regards,GregLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:Lava you really wear a respirator when welding outside or inside with a big draft such as a garage door open exhaust fan ect.???? if you are doing this all day everyday I would say yes wear one. but personally as long as your not inches away from your weld or putting your head in the way of where the fumes are going you should be fine, as far as grinding I always wear a mask or just put my hood down on grind setting mainly because I hate metal boogers and I know metal cant be good in my lungs. but I do agree with Lava 100% on ear plugs and you should try to always have safety glasses on as well.
Reply:Im such a newbie its ridiculous, but from what i see, the middle (longest) weld you have there looks good towards the end. at the start, make sure you develop your pool before you start your travel. that will help with the turdy look at the beginning of your weld (lots of buildup, not very much penetration.) Your travel speed was alright if not a tad fast (can tell by the pointed arcs rather than the circular arcs with the correct travel speed. This takes alot of practice!)I normally chip the slag off after i can see that the metal is no longer red hot. I dont know that it matters when you do chip it off, but i notice that it comes off alot easier after the metal has cooled somewhat. FFlap discs arent necessarily for taking material off (exception is arc strikes and spatter); more for polishing / taking away paint / rust, etc. I use a grinding wheel if i need to get rid of built up material. About two bucks and always handy.   One last thing. At the end of your weld, ive kindof made it a habit to hold my rod in the center of my pool for a sec before pulling away to fill in any crater thats left. I dont know if this is correct, but it seems to help. In the fourth picture, it looks like its kindof sunken in. I hate seeing that on my welds, so i try to fill them in. Looks like your on track (at least with that weld), now start stacking them and make sure your paying attention to the edges of your pool to make sure its mating with the metal! Edit: On the subject of respirators, i believe the cartridges we use at work are N95, or P01(Organic Vapors) http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...glXWCV729DS2blThe data sheet doesnt say anything about smoke, but i cant smell anything through these (and we have some nasty ish around work). And yes, always wear safety glasses, even under your hood. I see sparks inside my hood all the time even without my face down in my weld puddle. maybe im doing something wrong... i dont know. but its better to over protect yourself and have nothing happen than to under protect yourself and eff yourself up. Last edited by slow6i; 04-02-2011 at 12:25 AM.
Reply:Oh yes, I even wear one to bed when I sleep. To be real no I don't wear one all the time. I hate them just as much as anybody. They get hot and dig into my nose by the end of the day. Yes, if you are just doing some little job in the back yard it is not as important. But I weld inside of confined spaces a lot of times, like the inside of barges and other ships and stuff. It's cheap insurance and a good habit to get into. When I first started out nobody had respirators, now I can get the OSHA police on my back side if I don't have one on.It doesn't hurt you to wear one and can only help you in the long run. Those grinding wheels make some nasty dust with fiberglass particles floating in the air. Look at the dust when it's in floating in the sunshine. There is enough junk out there to give us cancer without helping it along by being too lazy or cheap to use a respirator.I understand what you are asking. No, I'm not perfect either. I just hope that you can learn from my mistakes. Last edited by Lava; 04-02-2011 at 12:31 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by skinner894.  I paid $10 for: the big square plate (1 1/2 x 1 1/2' x 4 gauge), the small plate, and about 3 different ~foot long pieces of square tubing @ 12-16 gauge.  Is that a good deal?Thanks in advance for any help here
Reply:Thanks for the advice! Go get a respirator with the pink cartridges.
Reply:Depending on the style of respirator it might prevent your helmet from coming down. I use the 7500 series respirator from 3M with the 2097 pink filters. This setup is compact and allows your helmet to close properly. I realized quite quickly after my first class at community college that wearing a respirator especially when doing SMAW is probably the best thing to do. Quite a difference at the end of the night as to the condition of your sinuses and what comes out when you sneeze. All the best in your welding endeavours.Harold MulderMiller 211 AutosetHTP 201 Invertig with water coolerHardinge Cataract Quick Change Lathe
Reply:For first time welds those look great.  I look around for scrap steel from friends and junk yards.  there are lots of places to find steel tp practice with.  You may spend time cleaning up and preparing to practice, but this too is important knowledge.  You can also purchase 6 inch flat bar and cut coupons out of it and then reuse it cutting the welds and cleaning it up again like it was repair work.
Reply:Originally Posted by skinner89ohh...forgot... A few questions I had while I was doing these1. Are fumes a big breathing issue?  I know they ain't good for you but should I be OK as long as I'm outside / have the garage door open?2.  How long should I wait for the metal to cool before knocking the slag off?3.  After I did these I grinded them with a new flap disk for about a minute and it looked like the damn thing was nearly spent.  Is that usual?  Do I need to wear a respirator when grinding?4.  I paid $10 for: the big square plate (1 1/2 x 1 1/2' x 4 gauge), the small plate, and about 3 different ~foot long pieces of square tubing @ 12-16 gauge.  Is that a good deal?Thanks in advance for any help here
Reply:I would suggest that you move your SUV when welding or grinding (I learned the hard way), you will get small burns on the body of your car and windsheild.
Reply:When I was first starting out practicing OXAW, I just stopped at a local Welding shop, and just asked if they had any scrap they didnt wanted, the owner was happy to hear that a young guy was learning the trade, he said too many kids now are going to jobs surrounded by computers and air conditioners.  He said to me theres the bin of scrap, as far as Im concerned take all of it.  I left with Scraps of Sheet Metal, Angle iron, Channel, and all types of round bar, and ballist and spindles.  I've found most welders are Rough and Tough guys, but there all willing to help out another, Brother Of The Steel.Some Blue , Some Red & Some GreyProverbs 16:2-3.2 "All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."
Reply:Remember the 3 welder variablesTravel speed (which goes by the shape of the ripples, if the ripples are pointed slow down.)Arc Gap (keep your gap 1/16" to 1/8")Rod Angle(I would try to keep your rod angle 10 to 20 degrees in the direction of travel, or dragging the puddle)
Reply:Originally Posted by LavaFumes, grinding dust, = cancer! Go get a respirator with the pink cartridges. I don't know the number right now off the top of my tired head. They are cheap about $25 bucks and the pads are about $8 or so. And wear some ear plugs also. You might want to be able to hear when the dog farts when you get older.  And make sure it is smoke rated not just a dust mask. A dust mask will not do anything except keep the rocks out of your mouth.
Reply:Originally Posted by randvaI would suggest that you move your SUV when welding or grinding (I learned the hard way), you will get small burns on the body of your car and windsheild.
Reply:Originally Posted by barefooter14Lava you really wear a respirator when welding outside or inside with a big draft such as a garage door open exhaust fan ect.???? if you are doing this all day everyday I would say yes wear one. but personally as long as your not inches away from your weld or putting your head in the way of where the fumes are going you should be fine, as far as grinding I always wear a mask or just put my hood down on grind setting mainly because I hate metal boogers and I know metal cant be good in my lungs. but I do agree with Lava 100% on ear plugs and you should try to always have safety glasses on as well.
Reply:I recently had an MRI done on my elbow and was asked the litany of questions. . .to include do you work with metal and is it possible that you have gotten a metal fragment in your eye.  I answered yes, not knowing whether I had any and figured it would be better if I said yes.  Well, off to the x-ray room for me.  They did a complete scan to check for possible metal fragments in my eyes before starting the MRI.The problem with the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is being it is a big magnet, it can pull the metal particles through your eye and potentially cause some serious damage.  I don't know how likely it is, but it sounded good enough to me and I kind of like having my eyes around.
Reply:Originally Posted by llamafurYeah, sparks really do fook up car paint.
Reply:Originally Posted by candersoI recently had an MRI done on my elbow and was asked the litany of questions. . .to include do you work with metal and is it possible that you have gotten a metal fragment in your eye.  I answered yes, not knowing whether I had any and figured it would be better if I said yes.  Well, off to the x-ray room for me.  They did a complete scan to check for possible metal fragments in my eyes before starting the MRI.The problem with the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is being it is a big magnet, it can pull the metal particles through your eye and potentially cause some serious damage.  I don't know how likely it is, but it sounded good enough to me and I kind of like having my eyes around.