Improving your welding?

[muddstopper]

So let me get this straight. You came on the job and had to fight the old guys tooth and nail to make your improvements, were successful, made improvements. Basically more than ignore the old guys, you had to devalue their experience and over-rule them. Then you became an old guy and now "old guys rule" again. Well anyway the more things change the more they are the same. I'll be an old guy before too much longer and you can bet I'm taking notes

To set the record straight. There where only two other guys on the crew besides me. We are within one year of age of each other, and within just a few months of each other in senority. I became old pretty much the same time the other two did. We had been doing similar jobs, for the same company for pretty much the same amount of time. that is where the similarities end. While they had managed to stay in one location for all those years,and learned what they knew from the one former Foreman, I had been traveling all over the country. working different areas from East St Louis, To the coast of NC, From Washington Dc to New Orleans. I have walked more railroads miles than most folks have miles riding. By working in multiple locations I was able to learn from many excellent teachers and not be limited to just one teacher that was really didnt know the proper way to do the job to start with. Yes I bumped heads with my co-workers for a while, but once they saw that I knew what I was talking about, they too realized that what they thought they knew wasn't the best way to get the job done. You could easily say that my crew and myself all had about the same amount of time doing the job required, but It would be hard to suggest that time equals experience. Or maybe I should say quality experience.

I put you in the same class as my former co-workers, you have years of time pursuing your hobby. This time might give you all kinds of experience, but the one thing you are lacking is the quality experience needed to be able to teach some one with even less experience than yourself. I am sure you have the best of intentions, but Your knowledge is only as good as they way you where taught. Learn it wrong, teach it wrong.

 

[Sodo]

Or learn it good enough, teach it good enough? I certainly don't know the buzzwords, coming out of my class would be a bunch of hillbilly welders.

Hobby/maintenance welding is nothing like certified welding, and is not difficult. Mudd, what would you improve with regards to my welding?

 

[Arc weld]

I think a lot of people purchasing a new welder don't want to have to push its limits if they have a heavier project and that's why they just go with a 220 machine. In most cases it's a lot easier to turn a machine down than try to weld with phantom amps. Not always though. An SAE 400 Lincoln only goes down to about 80 amps so isn't the best for 16 gauge.

 

[Fifelaker]

It's funny you keep saying hobby/ maintenance welders are ok to run inferior beads as opposed to certified welders. I have had at least 8 different guys take classes with me to improve there welds that work in maintenance, and a few took them for hobby and art. In my mind a good weld is a good weld no matter who run the bead. On the other hand a poor bead is the same way and nobody should settle for poor.

 

[Arc weld]

I don't think using the term "Hobby Maintenance" qualifies as an excuse for doing less than the best job you can. I also think there is little chance you'll ever be convinced of this. Every time someone posts a way you could improve your welding, you go on the defensive or utter the infamous words, it's just hobby/maintenance welding. I've seen a few people that have had a welder for years. I could show them how to improve their welding in 5 minutes if they'd care to pay attention. That's how you learn. You don't learn anything if you make excuses when someone with experience is trying to help you.

 

[dragoneggs]

I think a lot of people purchasing a new welder don't want to have to push its limits if they have a heavier project and that's why they just go with a 220 machine. In most cases it's a lot easier to turn a machine down than try to weld with phantom amps. Not always though. An SAE 400 Lincoln only goes down to about 80 amps so isn't the best for 16 gauge.

Seems to me for the 'hobby/maintenance welder' having a dual voltage is ideal. 220v limits you in other ways that 110v doesn't.

 

[Arc weld]

The sad thing is Sodo's welder is dual voltage.:ashamed:

 

[mikehaugen]

Seems to me for the 'hobby/maintenance welder' having a dual voltage is ideal. 220v limits you in other ways that 110v doesn't.

Yes, hopefully someday I will have that 211 sitting in my garage too. I still have the 220 arc/tig welder if I needed to weld something bigger.

 

[dragoneggs]

The sad thing is Sodo's welder is dual voltage.:ashamed:

Arc, I must be really be missing something. You and SA appear to still have an axe to grind with Sodo... and while I don't know him, it appears he is trying to put the silly feud behind him. He is just one guy throwing in his two cents and it is worth something, just maybe not to you. I am not trying to take sides at all but I will admit I get a lot out of listening to many here on TBN... regardless of their credentials, experience, and manners.

Sometimes I bite my own tongue when I listen someone talk about a particular subject matter especially when I consider myself much better informed. For instance, when a person starts explaining dynamic vs. static loads and references testing of aircraft wings. I happen to know more than a little about that subject as I spent a few of my years intimately involved in static and fatigue (dynamic) testing of full scale aircraft... but I didn't chime in and let the poster know that he is just a hobbyist or whatever in that subject and as such he should stop spewing incorrect info. Instead I think that person was just trying to do the best he could... no?

The way I see it, there is always an opportunity to learn from others regardless of where you see them on a particular totem pole.

 

[newbury]

<snip> For instance, when a person starts explaining dynamic vs. static loads and references testing of aircraft wings. I happen to know more than a little about that subject as I spent a few of my years intimately involved in static and fatigue (dynamic) testing of full scale aircraft... but I didn't chime in and let the poster know that he is just a hobbyist or whatever in that subject and as such he should stop spewing incorrect info. Instead I think that person was just trying to do the best he could... no?
<snip>.

But if he is WRONG and someone get's injured because of it maybe you should of told him.

The guy that produces a pretty MIG weld on his mower deck may decide to do a pretty MIG weld on his travel trailer, which may fail in front of you.