OT: welding 101

Hi guys,

some of you know I am taking welding classes (in ottawa) since I inherited all the garage tools (incl. torches) and a yard full of dodges

the teacher asked me yesterday if I was intending to sign up for another welding class (they have arc 1, 2, mig, and tig) and i replied it depends on the cash ($270 cdn). He told me I should take tig next which I take as a complement :-) -- course I don't have money for a cheap tig setup yet, but maybe after I sell one of the 80's 4x4 dakotas (currently asking $1200) that I have to put in a flywheel (will need physical help for this) and starter, and do some body panel, bed and floor work on (after that I ought to get $1800 cdn)

things are looking up and although there is still over 2 feet of snow in the yard, there will only be occasional flurries hopefully, and freezing rain season has started. There have been two days where you can sit where there's no wind, in the sun, and soak in some rays for a good 20 minutes before you have to warm up and grab another beer

I updated my website and you can actually see where Denholm, QC is and the three ski hills within 1/2 hour drive (my son went skiing yesterday):

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(click on "contact me" in menu) -- brag brag: all hand coded html rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson
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Hey, Rach,

In my opinion, the basic welding methods to learn are: oxy / acetylene ( you can weld, cut, braze, solder, temper and form metals with it) and tig. The techniques for wire / mig welding are close enough to tig you can probably teach yourself, if you wish.

Stick welding is good to learn also and was the industry standard for many years. It's biggest difficulty is getting the heat right to give the required penetration and easy slag removal. The lack of slag is the main advantage, as I see it, for wire / tig / mig welding methods.

I still use a 115V AC buzz box stick welder for most of my welding, but I don't expect any of it to handle racing stresses or off road duty. With multiple, slow passes, maximum heat setting with small rods, I can weld up to 3/8" thick. I'm planning on getting a stitch welder attachment for doing sheet metal ( for body work).

But as my step-dad always said, "Always try to learn something new each day."

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Dear Budd,

Cool! My son's best friend's mom is a welder -- I'll ask her to give me a hand.

My late c-l husband left compression tools, sand blaster, paint supplies, and a propane-o2 setup, plus a contract with praxair.

I'll ask her about this -- this is all new to me.

I'll never get into racing applications I imagine, but if I get the 5 trucks in shape and cut up the two junkers this summer, that will be a good start.

Helps you feel good and stay young too

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

Are you sure about that? I have found wire feed welding and even mig to be more like stick welding than like tig. Perhaps some input from the group welding expert would be helpful here. As for learning the oxy / actelene methods, I agree completely.

The hardest thing I find with stick welding is determining which stick to use and firing off the arc instead of sticking the rod. As for the slag, flux core wire produces a fair amount of slag also.

Wise suggestion.

Reply to
TBone

After using my little miller 185 millermatic (mig) a couple of times the stick welder went out the door. No slag, you can weld thin sheets and heavy steel. I never had any training and get by.

Who are you kidding? We all know that you weld using a couple of flint stones making sparks!

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Reply to
beekeep

Who asked you? I didn't. Support from you is like an anchor to a drowning person.

Where did I mention flux core? I didn't.

I weld 0.035" steel with a 1/16" 6013 or 6014 rod on a 115 volt J.C.Whitney buzz box to do rust repair on my Cushman. I don't have trouble starting the arc.

Nor did I have trouble starting an arc on 1/2" wall mild steel pipe with

3/16" 6014 rod using a 1940's Hobart 220V motor / generator welder.

Not for you, it isn't.

I will not be replying to you in the future and I have no need for your "endorsements". There are others here far more qualified to do so than you. Besides, you'll forget the times I'm correct, especially the ones you endorsed, when another "Bash Budd" chance arises.

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Excellent!!!!

When I learned to weld, the maintenance department's "test" was to weld a small "I" beam to an upright steel post and then climb up on it. My instructor was a gentleman that soon retired named "Sully". My weld was onlt

2" long and only along the top of the 4" beam. I walked out to the unsupported endn and jumped up and down on it. Then I hopped down, picked up the free end and broke the weld off the post.

Sully called the boss over to tell him, "Budd will be your best welder before he makes Journeyman."

I tried to make his words come true. He was a great welder himself and took the time I needed to make sure I knew all he could teach me

Propane works well, but it's not quite as hot as a Acetylene flame. Still, use what you got , buy better when you can.

Stick welding is also called straight arc welding and uses the flux coated welding rods. Because of the flux, a good weld can be harder to get. The flux wants to mix in the melted steel puddle and leave it porous and weak. Also, it has the most need for clean metal before welding.

Don't sell yourself short, my friend. The only one with the right to tell you what you cannot do or limit what you do in life is yourself. You strike me as being a person with hopes and dreams yet to be realized. Don't give up a single one till they've gone down in flames.

Well, that's true to a point. Sometimes our genetics cause troubles that can't be overcome or ignored. I inherited some physical limits from my folks, but I try to not let them get me down.

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Once again, you act like a child. Oh well.

Reply to
TBone

Well, that will keep the BS down a bit!

Roy

Reply to
Roy

Well, it may reduce it by only one eighth. . . . . .

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Yes, but some of us don't like our welds to be confused with bee droppings. . . . . . . . ;)

Yep, larned it from ol' Freddy Flintstone's second cousin on his mudder's side. The trick is to be able to bang the rocks together and not get a weld flash, get good penetration and not catch any vital body parts in the process.

Budd

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Reply to
Budd Cochran

Cool! I had an evangelist baptist friend out in Calgary who got me started in computer programming -- it is good to have mentors

Out in Denholm, you need to drive 15 minutes for bread and milk, so you get propane or you have to drive an hour to fill up the acetylene. My instructor says it will do just fine for my applications.

Aah! That's what my neighbour's brother does -- and he said he'll show me -- he's off on long term disability for his back.

I guess you have a point.

So did I mental ones! LOL! True though -- clinical depression rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

I don't get it -- but that is probably my immaturity rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

I figure I'll get droppings but I can grind them off if I don't melt all the metal away

rach

Reply to
Rachel Easson

before I changed professions I was a welder in the pressure piping and vessel industry. Stick (SMAW) is the most versatile in that you can weld all types of materials and positions (without having to have a fortune tied up in wire spools). However, there is an application for everything and Mig (GMAW), flux core (FCAW), tig, (GTAW), submerged arc (SAW) are all valuable to know. Mig in particular if you are going to be welding thinner material that can't stand the heat.

With stick, invest in a DC machine that will go at least 180 amps. More is better, but that seems to be the least costly.

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

Thanks Frank

So I'll try to pick up stick (arc) from my neighbour's brother first. I appreciate the advice

Rach

P.S I got a friend to give me some help -- I think we finally got the

86-ish Dodge running with the new rebuilt distributer!
Reply to
Rachel Easson

i typically stop following threads once they go to shit with personal attacks, and i cant find the original post on my server. if youre new to welding, i recommend that you read

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to get some background on different processes. i need to update the prices, but everything else should be current. if you have any specific questions, please ask.

Reply to
Nathan W. Collier

Tom and I don't get along, Rach. IMHO, I think it would be for the better if I stayed out of his replies and he stayed out of mine.

Reply to
Budd Cochran

It's pretty much guaranteed you'll get the "droppings" and the burn throughs at first, just don't give up. It took me three weeks at 2 hrs a day to figure out that Sully was a bit more experienced than me back when I was 20 and knew everything.

Budd

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Reply to
Budd Cochran

Rach,

Nate knows his stuff. I'll vouch for him anytime

Reply to
Budd Cochran

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