Getting Started Exercises for O/A

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The last time I did gas welding was in high school. As I remember it correctly we did some exercises such as, weld a bead just on metal, then butt weld, then edge join and lap join and lastly we did the T.So now that I am beginning again, I will go through these 'basics' until I get them relatively clean then look for some simple (confidence builder) type of little projects. Does anyone have any suggestions for either basic exercises that I am missing or some easy projects to try when I am ready?
Reply:Well, I'm still learning how to weld with oxy.  But had an old contractor type wheelbarrow that I bought in 1972,  I used a skinny wheel to cut out the rusted bottom, and I welding in a 20"x24" piece of 16 gauge steel.  I tried to MIG weld it with a Hobart 125, and all I did was blew holes in the thinner wheelbarrow metal.  I switched to gas and I had much better control of the puddle and greatly reduced the blow outs.I'm thinking of selling my 125 and getting something with gas.I spent about three hours welding, ran out of oxygen and acetylene.  Went to the LWS and refilled.  It was a great learning experience, and my wheelbarrow is good for another thirty years.It was a huge learning
Reply:Here's what I recall of a 10 week, 30 hour (3 hr per session) oxy-acetylene course in the Fall of 2010.Week #1: How to light torch, adjust for neutral flame, shut-off torch and return regulators/valve to proper position at the close of the session.Practice on 6 x 1.5 x 1/16 inch thick steel - just forming a puddle and dragging the puddle around the test piece.  Repaeat for 3 test pieces.Week #2: Using the 6 x 1.5 x 1/16 inch thick plates (mostly all we ever used for steel), weld an outside corner L - no filler. Week #3: I think this was a butt weld with R45 rod filler.Week #4: I think this was a lap joint with R45 rod filler.Week #5:  I think this was a T joint fillet weld with R45 rod filler.  (week 4 and 5 could be reversed)Week #6: I think this was brazing/flux a lap joint.Week #7: I think this was brazing/flux a T joint fillet 'weld' still using  6 x 1.5 x 1/16 inch thick steel platesWeek #8: I think this was brazing/flux aluminum T joint fillet 'weld' - 6 x 1.5 x 1/16 inch thick aluminumWeek #9: Oxy-acetylene cutting 1 inch thick steel plate and bending 1/2 inch steel bar.Week #10: Getting all our required tests finished and graded:outside corner weld, butt weld, lap joint, fillet weld, brazed lap, brazed T, brazed alum T, Oxy-acetylene cuttingOne more thing from the Thread titled "O/A filler metal pops/explodes" Originally Posted by Rick VDuring my Oxy-acet course in the fall of 2010, I expereinced the same thing.My instructor showed me what I had beeen doing wrong... and I made some notes when I got home from the class.Here's what I wrote...Butt and Lapp JointForehand technique- Torch in right hand pointed straight down, flame slightly inclined to left, the direction of welding (right to left).- Trick #1: Neutral flame with inner cone almost touching the weld.This gives the highest temp but smallest puddle and permits faster movement of the small puddle to left - in the welding direction (right to left).Note: The strong tendancy is to keep the flame further back but this creates a bigger puddle that more difficult to move along in the welding direction and has a tendancy to pop/explode.- Trick #2: Dab the rod into the last third of the puddle - not the leading edge (as you may have read) and withdraw the rod out of the flame.  This is a long dap technique.  Dabbing right into the last third of the puddle melts the rod fast and cools the puddle - preventing it from overheating and popping/exploding.  Withdrawwing the rod from the flame allows it to cool so that upon its next dab, it can cool the puddle.There it is: the exact same problem, and the real-working solution!
Reply:dont underestimate how important it is to learn to adjust the torch to  get the flame "right"...