Welding
 

I've gotten into welding mode a few times over the years. My problem is, it ain't like riding a bike. Unfortunately, those sessions were 4-5 years apart. Apparently, you have to keep hand in to keep your "hand". Once again I need to weld up a fair amount of 20 gauge sheet metal.....and it shows. Fortunately I have a large selection of grinders......but that also shows.

I know, practice, practice, practice. I went out and bought some 20 guage, switched over to .023 wire, & started makin' sparks & smoke. After getting the machine set to pretty damn close enuff, I can run a decent looking bead for about 4-5 inches.......the starting & stopping points are still shaky ....as are the holes that often magically appear a those points.

Thanks for listening.;)

Like anything else, it's just practice.

I started doing TIG this year and it was a big step up. Keep at it.

I weld a couple of times per year. Just as I finish up each job I'm just starting get the hang of it again....

A friend of mine is a professional welder. He has his own business welding and has one large company trying to hire him to come to work there full time. He wants to continue working for them as a contractor. It is just disgusting to see his welds. Like a stack of dimes and when he grinds them down it almost looks like the metal was forged in that shape.

I have the stick welder and a torch from my FIL and I can get by welding up a broken shovel or a broken spot on a trailer. Nothing to be real proud about.

My little brother, turned 19 Sunday, has been gifted with the ability to burn a stick. Kid has been welding 16 months, is now at a "professional" level working full time for a large aerospace fab outfit. He welds everything and seems to just "get-it".
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418831221.jpg
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Yup, some people just have it! My uncle is like that, and I was lucky enough to have him teach me. But I'm not much above hack level lol. I can stick stuff together, but its not always pretty.

^LOL^

I'm encouraging him to save up for a nice machine of his own so he can do side jobs for people.

-translation-

I have about 10 ideas for sweet fabrication on my 911. :)

It's both a gift and practice- muscle memory. Just like playing an instrument or a sport. I've been welding since high school ( guitar too) and when I pick it up after a long dry spell it's pretty ugly.... After a couple of hours it starts to come back and I'm not afraid to show my work to others...

I think welding is a craft that will disappear over time if not used. How often depends on the person as some need to practice weekly or daily or monthly. It is the same as using a lathe or milling machine and for some even riding a bicycle. I bought a 3 in 1 drill/lathe/mill this past spring and it suddenly hit me, I have done any machining since 1984! So I practiced on some scrap aluminum before I started cutting dove tails on my rifle barrels!

I did know a nuclear cleared welder at Newport News shipyard back in 1969 who had been welding for a shade over 20 years and NEVER had a weld fail an xray test! He practiced several times a day even if not doing a job.

JP, if it's any consulation you will never weld as bad as I do.

If it makes any of you youngsters feel better, I learned to weld with a stick in 1970 on Enterprise. Our reactor department head managed to grab several hundred florescent lights for the engineering spaces but the carrier only had two welders at that time and they did not want to go into the "radiation spaces"! So I lied and said "hell yeah I know how to weld and so did some others so we could get the lights. I learned to stick weld standing on a ladder welding the tubes to the overhead that held the lights (two for each light). We had an electrician swap the wires and they sure were brighter than those old 40 watt safety bulbs! The reactor safeguard inspectors were amazed how nice everything looked as we were the first nuclear ship to have them although they wanted to see the paperwork for the mod but it had "been lost"!

My brother tells me he can teach anyone to weld. It has some to do with physcial technique, but the great majority is fully understanding the machine set-up, materials, flows, and how they all work together.

Like a race car, put a great driver in a poorly set-up 944, he'll never win a race ;)

I've been welding new subfloor, floor, patch panels, dash board, etc. in my 29 Ford. lots of fun welding new steel to 85yr old rusty sheet metal, there's a few places on the backside that kinda of look like a porcupine from wire burning thru the rust and leaving many pieces an inch or 2 sticking out.

I was at Carl's shop today. He is putting an EPAS system on my 65 Mustang.....worked fine for 5 minutes then the controler puked......but that's not important now......

The important thing was up on one of his racks. Couldn't identify the year but it was a long hood 911. A real gnarly rat, flares, FG bumper, and paint that was well past toast. I looked under the car and it had a fairly fresh (clean at least) early aluminum case.....the interior was a God awful mess. I didn't hang around long enough to talk at the owner for fear I might be stupid enough to make him an offer on it.........we're lookin' at 20-30K if ya DIY it back to original. Life is too short.

My welding ability has given me a fantastic grinding skills

Me too. I'm a fair welder but a great grinder! ;)

Back when I was drunk all the time I could lay a bead like the ones shown here, but only when I was a few sheets in the wind. You could tell my sober stuff from my drunk stuff

You can't lay a 4 to 5 inch bead on 20 gauge in one fell swoop. The heat will warp the steel to the point that no amount of grinding will help. Tack and move is the only way to do it successfully.

Learning to row in college and then coaching after helped my welding a lot. In my MIG experience, it's all about dialing in the heat and speed with your motion flow and control. you've got to have rhythm.

Sauce, your brother's work is brilliant.

Yes, it did warp. No I didn't give a s***. It was practice for getting the machine settings right.

I have time for it as everything is working against even gettin' started on this sumbeach. I gots no parts, no car, no talent, but I have a welding machine & some scrap metal.....but feel free to pick my nits.;) This will be more effective after I screw up something permanently. Be patient, I'm sure you'll get a neener, neerer, neener moment.

Butt joints are out. I bought a cheep air powered joggler to make lap joints......humm, better save some scrap.