Learning to WELD!

[bczygan]

Today was welding all day.

The morning was TIG class. Most of it taken up with the above project.

The instructor did give us our assignment for the final.

It is to be an inverted T shape, welded both sides attached to an inverted L shape with lap joints top and bottom. The L will have an outside corner joint.

We've been working in aluminum for most of the course. Very difficult. Very frustrating.

Have forgotten the little bit of steel we did at the start.

Thank goodness he gave us the choice to do aluminum OR steel.

This evening was a stick course I intended to use to finish the stick course where I didn't complete all the exercises in. But TIG has been so much fun and so challenging, I'v just been using it to get more TIG seat time, especially in aluminum.

So this evening I sat down with the intention of trying to get my steel TIG skills back up to snuff. I never really mastered them in the first place. My T joints were very sloppy, I couldn't do even a halfway decent lap, and hadn't even tried an outside corner.

But after all that aluminum work, the steel just seemed to flow. Really focused and just plodded through it, one thing after another until it was complete.

Not a great demonstration of skills, and I see all the mistakes. But it may be enough to pass the course.

Take a look and tell me what you think.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Couple hints since your just learning.

1) cut your 36" rods in half. It will help you out a lot with hand feed control.

2) when you evaluate your weld quality, Look on the "back side" of the weld and notice your weld/heat penetration. When you start to improve you will notice a nice heat burn without "drop through" and skipped heat areas.


Hope that make sense!

On this thin aluminum, it's easy to burn through, so I'm trying to keep from doing that.

And I've found the full length rods to be no problem. The difficulty is essential tremors in both hands. I have to find ways to anchor them.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

I just realized I can weld things for myself!

Thinking back to last summer, I needed an L shaped bracket to attach the motor starter to the compressor. Didn't have anything L shaped.

So sheet metal is too thin. It will vibrate. But a couple of pieces of 3/32 or 1/8 welded into an L shape and drilled to mount the motor starter on, will do nicely!

Bill

 

[ez-duzit]

At 75 I am just learning to tig weld. Just bought a mig welder. And learning to run a mill and lathe.

 

[bczygan]

At 75 I am just learning to tig weld. Just bought a mig welder. And learning to run a mill and lathe.

Are you taking classes or have a mentor?

It's never too late.

Right now is the best time to start.


Bill

 

[ez-duzit]

Never taken a class. Had an acquaintance give me a few pointers. Just bought the equipment and teaching myself through youtube videos and weldingweb.

Have a Miller Dynasty 200dx and Millermatic 211, Hypertherm 45xp.

 

[NitroShark]

On this thin aluminum, it's easy to burn through, so I'm trying to keep from doing that.

l

adding "Rod" will cool the puddle and eliminate -burn through.


You will learn this as you progress.
Back off the heat or add rod. It's all about heat/puddle control.

Keep trying

 

[gnpenning]

Bill, I'm impressed you have gone after this as well as you have. You do need to get outlets for your welders and other power equipment. Practicing at home will be catching huge benefit.

As you mentioned you will be able to make parts and build things for yourself.

 

[bczygan]

6 more welding sessions available.....

Bill

 

[619DioFan]

You've come a long way baby , from the first pics you posted when starting the classes.

 

[bczygan]

You've come a long way baby , from the first pics you posted when starting the classes.

You have no idea how bad I've been at each stage of learning.

I only showed photos of my best efforts at each point in time.

The scrap bin is filled with untold dozens of my much less presentable efforts!

Bill

 

[Craptain]

Bill we all do the same thing, only showing the best. That's expected and OK. Generally only the instructors or close personal friends and family get to see the warts.
Now go fix up your shop and do it for real. Of course then you face the reality of paying fair price for consumables and materials.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

As noble as it to want to be a lifelong learner the goal might or should be to help with something you want to do. You get some exposure and now you shouldn't be scared of the machine, get the stuff around to plug in the wire feeder you have and make or fix a few things. All this **** is good to know especially if you are a career welder but you need to get comfy with a 120V Lincoln.

 

[bczygan]

Bill we all do the same thing, only showing the best. That's expected and OK. Generally only the instructors or close personal friends and family get to see the warts.
Now go fix up your shop and do it for real. Of course then you face the reality of paying fair price for consumables and materials.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

That is fast becoming the plan. I want to get the steel TIG going. Gas, regulator, torch etc.

As noble as it to want to be a lifelong learner the goal might or should be to help with something you want to do. You get some exposure and now you shouldn't be scared of the machine, get the stuff around to plug in the wire feeder you have and make or fix a few things. All this **** is good to know especially if you are a career welder but you need to get comfy with a 120V Lincoln.

In January I start the MIG course. Going to run the 120V Lincoln to practice before that.

Today I fab-ed up 2 things. A weight for my 3rd hand and a bracket for the motor starter for my compressor. So great to feel confident that my welds are structurally sound, even though they could be prettier.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

The weight for the 3rd hand has 2 tabs that will get holes so the rod can go through them. This makes the weight movable and thus adjustable. Edges and corners will get rounded.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

The bracket is to mount on the end of my horizontal air compressor.

The narrow part will bolt to the top of the tank and the larger vertical portion will have the motor starter mounted on it. I may weld a small triangle on to keep it from vibrating. Need to drill holes and round edges and corners and paint it.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

The bracket is to mount on the end of my horizontal air compressor.

The narrow part will bolt to the top of the tank and the larger vertical portion will have the motor starter mounted on it. I may weld a small triangle on to keep it from vibrating. Need to drill holes and round edges and corners and paint it.

Bill

Looked at the bracket and determined it needs reinforcing to keep the vertical piece from vibrating. It will require a hole to route conduit for wiring.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Showed my final project to the instructor. He said it was a C+.

So I did another one. 3/32 instead of 1/8. Ran a little hot but it looks like this:

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Final test and last day of the Auto Body 101 course this evening.

Bill

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Showed my final project to the instructor. He said it was a C+.

So I did another one. 3/32 instead of 1/8. Ran a little hot but it looks like this:

Bill

If there's 2 things I remember from college it's "C's get degrees" and "push the puddle"!

 

[bczygan]

Today I finished welding up a bracket for my motor controller, so I could mount it on the horizontal compressor. Welds came out better and more uniform and smaller than ever. And tacks are nice and small and don't burn through. The pedal is my friend.

Bill

 

[wellcraft]

Would love to learn tig welding.

 

[bczygan]

Last aluminum bead in TIG class. Learned about using pulse!

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Final session of Stick class.

I've been using the session of that class to do TIG work, since I like it so much.

But to get credit for the stick class I needed to do the final assignment, coupons with bend tests.

Now understand that I missed the first 4 sessions of this fast track class.

And also that I never really got the hang of whip and pause, which is needed for the root pass.

So this evening, I decided to try it anyway. Did a practice whip and pause and then went straight to the coupons. The TIG class sure helped me run straighter beads in stick. Attached you will see the root pass and first cover pass. I finished it and cut samples.

The root pass failed, but the cover side didn't.

But I passed the class!

One more session in the lab on Monday and the done with school until January.

Bill

 

[sberry]

I have seen worse. You got the idea.

 

[bczygan]

This morning was my last chance to get in the welding lab.

Ran ten 6" beads on T joints.

Here's my last and best. They're getting pretty uniform. Critique?

Bill

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Looking a lot better. It's hard to tell, but it appears you were welding really hot. I'd make sure you have good gas coverage and bare, shiny metal (makes life waaayyy easier). Tig welding is all about the prep.

 

[bczygan]

Looking a lot better. It's hard to tell, but it appears you were welding really hot. I'd make sure you have good gas coverage and bare, shiny metal (makes life waaayyy easier). Tig welding is all about the prep.

Was welding hot but used pulse to keep things from overheating. 1/2 sec. pulse, 75%, 95 high, 75 background.

Just ground the areas where weld would go.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

A new development on the welding front.

I've been wanting to get TIG capability here at home, ever since I discovered how much I like it in class.

So I bought a pedal for the Lincoln Invertec V275S. And I have an empty tank, out of date tank, I can exchange and get filled with argon. Still need a flow regulator and torch. Doing all that would still only give me steel TIG, not aluminum.

I would really love to have a Miller Dynasty 200DX like I used at school, but prices are high for those. A pretty well used one is on CL for $2,200.

So I've looked at the imports. AHP, Everlast, Eastwood, ESAB etc.

I really want HF and pulse. I wanted all digital controls, like the Dynasty, but that makes the Eastwood one almost a grand. The big old transformer monsters are out of the question because of size and electricity cost.

The AHP has been one I've focused on for a while. Usually it is an order in advance and wait for the shipment to come in deal. $749 plus $30 shipping. 3 year warranty.

This morning I did my daily CL search for welders and expanded the search to 200 miles.

Up popped an AHP, bought a year ago and never plugged in. But 2 1/2 hours away in Grand Rapids.....

$600!!!

I'm picking it up a week from Sunday!

Bill

 

[joe49]

I would want to test any equipment bought used. More so if it has 5 hours of driving involved.

 

[bczygan]

I would want to test any equipment bought used. More so if it has 5 hours of driving involved.

It uses 120 as well as 240, so I'll try it there. Take some of my own metal, tungsten, filler rods and metal scraps.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Note:

Just found out I got all A's in the 4 courses completed so far.


74855 ABT 101 501 Introduction to Auto Body Technology Eastern A

76717 AUT 101 101 Automotive Fundamentals Downriver A

70803 WLT 101 501 ARC/Oxygen-Acetylene Welding Eastern A

73021 WLT 103 502 GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW) Eastern A


So 4.0 GPA.

17 credit hours completed and signed up for 12 more next semester.

Will be taking Steering and Suspension I, MIG/FLUX-CORE/Plasma Welding and Surface Preparation & Fillers.

Bill

 

[ckcorder]

Congrats brother! Big accomplishment!

 

[bczygan]

Big news.

The welder I mentioned above.......is on it's way.

I was supposed to pick it up this coming Sunday, but the trip would be 2 1/2 hours each way, so I called the owner and asked if he would ship it. He said some relatives from Ann Arbor were coming for Christmas and they could take it and I could pick it up there.

Then he called back and said they didn't want to do that for fear of the unknown.

So he suggested taking it to a pack and ship. I agreed. Cost $102 insured and sent FedEx. I'll have it tomorrow or Friday. Still saved $80 off new, and it is virtually new.

I had been waffling and thinking I should just wait, but Millers and Lincolns would cost considerably more, even used. So now I'm all in.

Merry Christmas to me!

Bill

 

[xman_charl]

have been using my AHP for several years

got a lot of features miller and Lincoln, have

stick welding is lacking 3 main features, hot start, **,***

use another welder for stick only, AHP does stick weld, but..

Charl

 

[bczygan]

have been using my AHP for several years

got a lot of features miller and Lincoln, have

stick welding is lacking 3 main features, hot start, **,***

use another welder for stick only, AHP does stick weld, but..

Charl

I have 3 other welders that can do stick.

HF AC/DC ARC180

Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone

Lincoln Invertec V275S

So I'm covered!

Bill

 

[sberry]

I am just curious, have any of the 3 other machines been plugged in?

 

[Craptain]

I am just curious, have any of the 3 other machines been plugged in?

You are not the only one wondering that. LOL.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[bczygan]

I am just curious, have any of the 3 other machines been plugged in?

Correction.......4 machines.

HF AC/DC ARC180 - New, never had a plug on it. Got it free

Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone - No $70

Lincoln Invertec V275S - Ran a bad bead before I took a class $100

Lincoln 3200HD MIG - Ran a bad bead before I took a class $175

I would like to sell or give the HF to a family member and sell the Tombstone.

And upgrade the MIG to a 240V machine.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

IT'S HERE!!!

Nice machine!

Now I need a tank of Argon!

Bill