Give me your welding experiences

[tomrscott]

Re: "A wife's a barn cleaner"

Yeah I got that deal too. When we got the horse, the deal was, I'll build the stalls and fences and you take care of the horse.

Actually I have this terrible hay fever and after ten minutes in the barn I am a complete mess. When we put hay in for the year, I wear a dust mask and take shower right after.

The same deal works for mowing the pasture too! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Eric I understand your using a mig to weld up big projects. The last couple of days between doing some remodeling at the house I've been building a custom headache rack. It's made out of pipe and I've been using my mig.

It's not hypocracy. Think of it like teaching basic math to students you know are going to spend their whole lives using calculators. There's still a big advantage in knowing how besides knowing what to do.

Henro's right, seeing is the trick. That's why I emphasize the molten puddle and moving it around melting everything into it. He's also slightly more than just right about learning to weld. It is intimidating. Especially if you're exposed to some good welding.

I can't put too much emphasis on seeing what's happening. And that's not just seeing with your eyes but understanding what's got to happen, knowing when it does. And knowing how to manipulate it.

Another thing is that welding like math or comedy is easier for some than others. If it seems to be harder on you to learn than it is the others keep this in mind. It doesn't mean your not as smart as them. It just means it's not as easy for you to learn it.

I once had an ag teacher at a high school explain that some kids just got it. And some kids just didn't. I think that's a little too simple. It is true some just get it. But I think the others didn't fail at getting it. I believe it wasn't presented in a manner that they could relate with.

I was fortunate. My first welding involved working with thin metal that smoked something fierce when welded, galvanized sixteen gauge tubing. The old Forney had plug ins for five to ten amp increments. So there wasn't a perfect setting. It was either too hot or too cold. I had my father's welds to look at so I could see what it looked like when done right. Then it was a simple matter of making every conceivable mistake a hundred times or so.

Looking back I can see where it was good for me because I was having to walk the gorge on a tight rope. It forced me to learn balance. There is a place in the process where success or failure are arm in arm. You learn this place and with practice can keep success one step ahead of failure.

If you get frustrated with the process imagine this. Take two candles from the dinner table. Sharpen the ends like they were pencils. Put the points together forming a straight line or one candle. Now take a third candle and a Bic cigarette lighter. Using the flame from the Bic melt the two candles into one with the third candle being filler.

Welding steel is easier than that. But it's basically what you're doing.

I was watching a weldor fill a gap. He's a union weldor. In his line of work you're only allowed two failed welds and you're off the job. So you not only have to do pretty work. It's got to pass an X ray.

As he welded he explained something the way it was explained to him. It helped me. Maybe it'll help you.

"It's all got to be wet. You can't fill the gap without the sides being wet. It's all about keeping the sides as wet as the middle."

I'd never thought about the sides melting away as being "wet" or that it was necessary to have the sides melting away being desirable, even necessary.

Sorry for being so loqacious.

 

[Mith]

hey tom
i havent done any welding scince friday - i got a bit of slag just missed my eye so i layed off it over the weekend - didnt half hurt but no harm done /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
got plans tho - foot throttle for lawnmower and lodsa bits on the hoist - hey its nice to have dreams /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
hey lay off the waxing crack man /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif someone might think im wierd or summat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
ill go out and get some pics when the rain quits
nah i think we have similar name but ive never heard of miller/hobart before but i do live a relatively enclosed life (guess thats why i talk so much /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
we have stuff (homeowner) like ferm, wolf and some which i cant remember, hey im still on this planet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Mith]

well all you guys giving arc a bashing compared to MIG, arc i would say is better for me the beginner as you dont have to worry about gas and if you start off with the (harder) arc then MIG will be easier when you start that type.
i dont say this from a bias opinion - the guy i work with swears by mig but he has big $$ and big MIG. saying that though he says TIG is the way to go and that it gives the nicest welds, but with practice,
also with a £40 arc welder the consumables are just so much cheaper than for a £40 gasless mig - and really thats the only market im in at the moment, most of us have no way to offset the cost of a $1000 mig even if it will last a lifetime
just my thoughts
attached (hopefully) pic of welder just for you tom /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
please pic of your welder everyone so we can ooh and aaah /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

harv - i like your posts very much - its like you ooze knowledge - just keep sharing it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
thanks all - keep it up /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Mith]

at this rate there ought to be a welding forum added to the site /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
attached - pic of better weld - sorry about the rust but its raining /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
please comment on ways to go forward - any tips appreciated thanks

 

[tomrscott]

Mith and all,

I agree that we ought to have a welding forum. I've already asked the forum sponsors to consider adding a welding forum and one for hydraulics, two subjects of intense interest to many tractor owners. I never heard back, but maybe if others did the same, it would get their attention. I shouldn't think it would be very tough to add a couple forums.

If you agree and want to make a request, just go to the TBN HOME page and select CONTACT US at the bottom of the page.

Cheers!

 

[Mith]

tom - forgot to ask - hows your welding going
have you started any projects yet?
any pics??

 

[JimR]

Mith, Your weld is looking pretty good. here's one I did yesterday on my logsplitter 3pth setup. The weld was done horizontally and the metal was welded in the upright position as it will mount on the tractor. The welds were done by my 1978 Lincoln tombstone set at 150 amps. It was about 6 degrees out when I did this weld job. Yes that is snow on the drawbar.

 

[Mith]

hey nice going especially with having the metal vertical that makes it a whole load harder i find
i did wonder what that white stuff was
isnt it great welding when its cold - its real warming especially with all the saftey gear i find /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[JimR]

My wife would kill me if I welded this all up in the finished garage. It's bad enough that I do my mig welding in there. I do have a dust collector that catches most of the fumes. No, it's not fun welding at that temperature. But I needed to split a large pile of wood before the snow buries it. So cold or not, I had to get the job done.