You better be carefull using that funny word,I got moderated last night for saying some people were funny on the tractor site. I love it.Your doing just fine there cary in ind.,it just takes a little practice. RICHARD GAUTHIER
I've already had a couple of those little buggers burn through my flannel and two t-shirts. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] I've also managed to get a very small hole in my jeans that seems to have become the gateway through which all sparks feel they must pass. [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img]
I think a good set a leather sleeves or even a leather welding jacket might be a good idea. It's an especially good idea if the SO would do the buying. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] It's probably a good time for that, too. She had to cancel plans at the last minute today because of work. For once I can be the injured party. I just need to paraphrase the old FTD line and have her "Say it with leather." [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
As to my knowing more about the business of welding than I might ever need, here's an interesting little sidebar. I'm trying to work out something with a young man who wants to open a welding business. He's got tremendous welding skills, a great work ethic and is wise beyond his years. I'd like to help him get started.
I was kidding with my instructor Monday that he might be able to use me as the poster boy for his classes--'After only 100 class hours, he's a partner in his own welding shop!" [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
Gary,
The previous owner of the house left an old pair of leather sleeves down in the basement. I've used them a few times, and really feel I should use them everytime I get the welder out. They're old and kinda stiff, but still work for me [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Gary,.....after you've welded for a while, you'll get to where you position your body in ways that avoid making those little "spark traps" ....mistakes like laying your arm against a surface forming a vee into which all the little crispies fall and burn the crap out of you......will no longer be made. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
I took a 'test' for the vertical welds last night. Actually, it wasn't a test in the conventional sense. The instructor asked me to put a couple long, narrow pieces together in a 'T' by running one bead on the short edge/side on a vertical set up.
When I was done he put it in a vice and just beat the piece severely with a thirty ounce hammer. The stock bent so he took it from the vice and put the other piece in then proceeded to wail on it. Finally there was a break. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
At first blush I thought the weld had finally failed. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] It hadn't. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] The break was in the stock right at the weld. One "wing" of the 'T' had been broken off leaving me with something like a '7' or an 'L' with the weld still intact. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
Needless to say, I was elated. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I'm sure not ready to call myself a welder and doubt I ever will be, but it was sure a nice feeling to see my weld withstand that kind of abuse. It was also a nice learning experience to get to see the seam from the underside and know that it was solid through and through. They could still be a little prettier, but at least I know they'll hold. [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Well,if your instrutor bent it for you it must not have looked all that bad or he wouldn't have wasted his breath on it.Get you a set of leathers and try an over head just so you'll know,some people don't find over head any more [other than that gravity thing],difficult than vertical,Dress for the occasion,and figure out the best way,for you to do it,somepeople pull it towards them,some people go from left to right.Also on your vertical,its more natural with the m.i.g. to go downhill,from top to bottom,if you are going uphill,from bottom to top,try it downhill a few times,thats the only way I'll run it,seems to work better for most people,but I started out downhill with stick,so how you learn something has a lot to do with it,but that doesn't mean how you learn something is the easiest or for that matter the best way. RICHARD GAUTHIER
All of the verticals I've run have been bottom to top. That's the way I was told to do it so that's what I've been doing. It seems logical to go that route as I'm building a weld one layer on top of another. If I go downhill (so to speak) won't I run a better chance of gaps occurring? I'll certainly ask the "why" of going bottom to top next week and try to remember to post what he tells me.
I think I'm down to about three or four more classes so I need to get on the overhead now. As to leathers, I did get some sleeves and a vest. I think I may just use the vest as a tarp and toss it over my chest upside down to get more coverage (Yeah, there's a lot of me to cover... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ).
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