Welding ARGGGGGG!!!!

[Thorndike]

Thats an easy solution, Make your coupons like the real world welding you're trying to do. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[OldMcDonald]

Bob, Just about a year ago I needed to make a piece of equipment (no farm sales, used equipment yards, or even proper scrapyards here) so persuaded someone I knew to do the welding for me. I had not used one myself for 26 years. One of his welds failed, I bought myself a welder, fixed the broken weld at the 4th, maybe 5th attempt, and then began to make more equipment. Just keep at it and you will get better. I am not a good welder, my eyesight is not the best, and my hand is not the steady implement it needs to be (probably a brain surgeon would make a good welder?) I try not to let anyone see my efforts, but as long as they hold I am happy. Unfortunately I have no choice of grades of rods. They come in different diameters, and that is all the choice I have. What I do know is that I believe people who post here - they sound knowledgeable, the photographs of projects always look good, and the few tricks I have picked up from their advice have been successful. If I ever have a serious problem I will ask here first. Old McDonald.

 

[bobodu]

Hey Mac...how ya been?!
Brain surgeons don't make good welders.....hand em a stinger and they will try to hit golf balls with it... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[BobReeves]

Think I am finally getting the hang if this welding stuff.. Biggest roadblock has been spending 40+ years soldering delicate electronics components and being way too woosie when I was welding. Still not perfect but I am much more secure in getting after it and with a little more practice think I will be making welds I won't be ashamed to take pictures of.

Thanks guys, you really did help...

 

[slowzuki]

My experiences stick welding have given me a few tricks I remember:

-If you're tired and hands are a bit shaky find something to brace or lean against. A wavery rod gets a lot of slag inclusion.

-The tendancy on thin material is to pull back or let the rod burn back too far. This generates too much heat and starts undercutting badly. If you are in a thin area or an outside corner etc you need to keep a good consistant feed and short arc, usually for the rods I use that means the rod flux is touching the base metal.

-Keep the rod tip in the puddle. This gets friggy for overhead and vertical down welding. Vertical down stuff I ask the welder shop for a fast freeze flux.

-I don't know my rod types well and rely on the welding shop a lot for picking my rod. I think I have a box of 7014 or 7018 that is used most of the time and I buy the rest as I need it.

- DC is nice, really nice.

For us part time welders it can be a pain getting our bead right after not welding in a few weeks or months.

 

[KubotainNH]

"For us part time welders it can be a pain getting our bead right after not welding in a few weeks or months."
That statement hits it on the nose. If I've done a bunch of welding for awhile all is good. Stop for a month and my hands get shaky at first. Then I have to fire up the angle grinder /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bobodu]

I found out that when I gave up the booze...my hands were a lot steadier and I really could weld.For years,I thought I'd never get the hang of it....the real problem was just the DTs (really the booze...but denial comes naturally to people like me) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[OldMcDonald]

Tudo bem as they say here. Have not made that subsoiler yet, but have bought the steel and will do it this winter I suppose. In the meantime I have made a few other things and am having the irrigation installed for 300 new olive trees - on the land I need to subsoil. I might be getting my son's old digital camera for Xmas (I bought it in the first place!!!) so will post pics if all goes well. Old McDonald.

 

[Toolguy]

A trick I use to keep my hand steady is to wrap the handle cord around my arm one time. It helps. Also, don't try to weld steel with cast iron rod. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I did that recently and couldn't figure out why it wanted to stick so bad. I felt pretty stupid when I figured it out. Seems the CI rod was the same color as the 7014 I normally use. I just grabbed the wrong rod by mistake. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I won't do that again.