Improving your welding?

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

I have told a few guys that their welds wouldn't hold shelled corn. I asked one guy where he learned to weld. He said that he learned while incarcerated. As I threw his his coupon in the scrape bin I said why don't you go ask the judge for a little more time.

Hahaha!! :laughing:

 

[kevin37b]

It sure don't take much to get everyones panties in a wad around here . SA and AW are two of the best on this forum . Iwelded for 20 years , and still learn from them .

 

[Arc weld]

Well... is 1/4" the max they're welding? I would. 90% of my welding is 1/8, 3/16, & 1/4" with a Linclon 140. Haven't had a weld fail yet... so yes, it's "good enough". Could it be better? Absolutely. Is it needed? No. Do you swat flies with a sledge hammer? See my point?

"Looks good must be good?" Well if it looks like sh*t then it's obviously bad. LOL! Settings are off, metal's dirty, or improper ground.... if it looks good those things must be in check... if you've got some blueing near the weld then you must have got some decent heat in there.... don't get me wrong, overkill is a good thing... but don't dismiss the right tool for the job just because you've got bigger tools at your disposal.

Your original post does make you sound like you got your feelings hurt and you're looking to get your ego stroked. If someone doesn't want to take your advice... well take it as being their loss and move on. Sounds like you've got alot to offer this forum, but to make it sound like non-pros don't isn't cool.

Nobodies talking about overkill. Lincoln was the last major welding manufacturer to get into MIG welding. They were way behind Airco, Linde, Hobart, Miller, etc.,etc. Do you know why... MIG is famous for having what looks like a perfect weld but when tested will not have the required strength due to cold lap or other internal flaws. James F Lincoln wasn't going to sell machines that were so easy to have hidden flaws. I learned this at a Lincoln demo center.

Telling newbies a 120 volt MIG is a good choice for 1/4" isn't sound advice in my opinion. Oddly, most of these machines only recommend 3/16" as the max. capacity. Am I missing something? Can somebody with experience do sound welds on 1/4", sure but most newbies aren't going to know what to do to make it work. They'll just figure that guy did it so I can do it too. Using a machine over it's capacity is the same as using too small of rods on thick steel. Can someone with experience make it work, yes but who really wants to spend more time grinding, prepping and preheating than actually welding.:confused3:

“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
― Bertrand Russell

 

[Reverser]

“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
― Bertrand Russell

HMM!! Interesting quote.
While taken out of context, I assume that you are in effect saying that you are the Grand Poobah of intelligence and guidance. And those that don't listen to your advice, are the Great Unwashed Masses of stupidity and woeful ignorance??

Interesting concept. :laughing:

 

[Arc weld]

No, I find it very interesting that the welders with experience in the trade question welds and do tests to prove their technique but some "hobby" welders just hope for the best. :confused2:

 

[zzvyb6]

I deliberately flunked a night school welding class 5 times in order to learn process, technique, appearance and appropriate tools (torch, MIG and TIG) from a guy who welded submarine nuclear reactors for a living before retiring to be a night school teacher.

But it took a hobbyist (from this forum in fact) to point out that the difficulty I was having striking an arc on my Thunderbolt was caused by having the 60 foot leads all coiled up on a rack while only using the last 8 feet for the job. You don't get that from book learning...

 

[newbury]

<snip>The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
― Bertrand Russell

That is not just the modern world. That's evolution. The trouble in the modern world is for example that one mans mistake on welding his trailer kills the family behind him on the highway. Doesn't remove the person that makes the mistake.

No, I find it very interesting that the welders with experience in the trade question welds and do tests to prove their technique but some "hobby" welders just hope for the best. :confused2:

Some of the "hobby" welders, like "hobby" farmers, "hobby" electricians, "hobby" carpenters etc. don't know any better. If it looks good it must be good, right?

I've got 4 workshops in Mississippi that looks like they were initially constructed by qualified contractors. One seems to have been later "rewired" for adding overhead fluorescent lights using used orange 14 gauge extension cord with the ground plugs cut off and LOTS of electrical tape. These are being replaced. Places where they just ran PVC plumbing outside and it shattered over a winter.

Some of the stuff they did was welding aluminum. They built about 150' long of shelves and a 8' x 4' table base out of 1x1 square aluminum tubing. It generally took about 5 good swings with a 5 lb sledge to break the welds. The table self disintegrated. I'd call them "hobby" welders, plumbers, electricians.

I put a lot of stuff together, electrical, plumbing, carpentry with a duct tape and superglue approach. But I don't suspect it to last and if it's needed past the first immediate patch I replace it with a permanent solution.

I know for my first "projects", besides chips together to beat them apart, I'm going to focus on things that cannot result in injury to people if the welds fail.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Can't we all just weld along :laughing:

 

[Arc weld]

We've been waiting with great suspense to hear how your welding course is going?

 

[Hiltz]

This is so true! And I'm as guilty as anyone. I went to 3-years of welding school. I served my apprenticeship as a Millwright, worked out of the Sheet Metal union for 3-years in a welding Fab shop. Worked the rest of my life as a Pile Driver. The 3-years I spent in the Fab shop I learned more about welding, lay out, and how to Fab things more than anywhere else. Belonged to the Carpenter's union all my life, and I'm the worst carpenter on the planet!


I don't understand why you continually are posting your resume'. Well actually I do. I don't think you are really here on this site to help people. I think you are here to pump up your own ego. I have read numerous posts here where your main focus has been to degrade members who have legitimate questions. Sprinkled among the numerous putdowns and self serving pats on the back might be some helpful comments but your main focus is to inflate your own ego. I have met people like you who profess to helping others but in reality its all about making yourself the main focus of attention. Sorry but I have to put you on my ignore list.