Thanks, cj737. That's good info. I'll get some 4047 and try cast aluminum again, soon.

Thought of a good challenge for school tomorrow.

Will try to TIG braze two 1/16" ER70 rods together lengthwise.

Also bought a copper toilet float to try TIG brazing.

Thinner than rice paper, Grasshopper.

Just about every class, I've been trying new stuff. Definitely more fun than just running beads or butt welds, but my technique isn't getting much better. Just signed up for Summer semester. Classes are shorter, but one class is 4 days per week for 6 weeks. Good time to work on my technique. Trying ...

I guess I didn't explain that very well. The cup I used on the blades was a Furick FUPA (gas lens) cup. The only diffuser screens I have for it take a 3/32" tungsten. I also have a Furick BBW. It comes with 3/32" screens, but I also got a 1/16" size. Haven't tried it, yet. I wanted to...

2mm dimes. https://i.postimg.cc/VvMD3KWv/20220509-015938.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/7YJkL4mJ/20220509-020113.jpg The larger cup I used takes a 3/32" tungsten. I would have preferred an 0.040" size, or at least a 1/16". Need more practice, but happy with my progress. https://i.postimg.cc...

A good, strong, work-light illuminating the area you work on could help a lot there. Also make sure there's as little light as possible coming in from the back of your helmet (eg. a roof light shining down behind/above you) and getting you light reflection from the lense on the inside. That can als...

I posted pics of my DIY purging fixture, and how I do the corner weld setup. Here are a few more. Purging flat tacks on titanium: https://i.postimg.cc/mkXmMGnJ/20220501-033614.jpg Used the top plate to hold and cool titanium for corner weld tacking: https://i.postimg.cc/h4zpvhbb/20220501-034048.jpg ...

Watched a couple more razor welding videos. Next time, I'll use aluminum chill blocks and a needle grind on the tungsten. Should have said I used 15 amps, 15 cfh argon, .040 2% Lan electrode. Tried a filler rod from the instructor. Was supposed to be .035 or .045 stainless. Couldn't get it to melt. ...

Titanium filler rod arrived. Got Grade 1 titanium in 3 sizes to try out.

The 2 videos I saw showed razor blades being welded end to end. The utility blades I have are 0.021" thick, so that isn't so impressive. I decided to try edge to edge. Tried welding and TIG brazing. Unfortunately, I didn't have any ER70S filler rod in 0.035". Tried some .045" rod, but...

Want to get back to the torch tomorrow. It's Spring Break, so I'll just be welding at home this week. I'll repeat the coping weld with the home torch, and compare to the school TIG. Been trying hard to come up with other fun projects. Definitely need to work on my tack welding. I've been doing a qui...

Stainless setup for a corner weld. https://i.postimg.cc/43jYv4H7/20220416-172301.jpg Above the corner weld (penetration) on the backside, there is a gray-looking bead with a small bit of sugaring. That was done without purge Argon. https://i.postimg.cc/NfP2GxGk/20220416-182403.jpg Nothing to see on ...

Stainless Test. Setup like this. I left a small opening on the right side of the stainless coupons. https://i.postimg.cc/wBL09L0B/20220416-154933.jpg Top is with no purge Argon, bottom is with purge Argon. Front: https://i.postimg.cc/mrYNvRgz/20220416-171121.jpg Back: https://i.postimg.cc/qRYcPG3q/2...

Here's how the purge box is sealed. First, I fold a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, so it's 2 layers thick. Then, I set the welding plate on top and trace around the outside and the hole with a black marker. Then cut the hole with a scissors (a little larger than the markings). The grate drops in...

Thanks, tweake. I wasn't thinking about the fit-up. TIG Brazing Rod Shootout. This is ERCuSi-A. Sizes are 1/6", 0.045", and 0.035". Steel plate is 1/16". 2% Lanthanated 1/16". #8 cup with gas lens. 50 amps. Dropped to 40 amps with 0.035 rod, 50 seemed too hot. 15cfh argon. 1...

More progress on the mini purge. Added 2 aluminum cooling plates, each 3/8" thick. https://i.postimg.cc/MG0kk8rV/20220410-002537.jpg I might remove the crossbars below the vent, depending on the argon flow. Will probably do a smoke test and see what it looks like. https://i.postimg.cc/SRRCFkVK/...

Kokodan - when you weld up tubing at both ends, drill a small vent hole in the intersecting tube beneath the coping or along the length of the tube. The heat and gas from welding needs a place to vacate else you can find your closing bead blowing out from internal pressure. I can weld up the drille...

Wanted to try some coping welds. Got this steel tubing because it's close to the thickness of the RZ350 steel frame. Not at all happy with the appearance, but seems like a strong weld. I think the penetration is good. No holes or gaps, so I'm okay with this first try. Looks like a bicycle head tube ...

After looking at the aluminum cube some more, I realized that on the beads I did with no filler- one side (yellow) is convex, and one side is concave (red). All of them have this characteristic. So, need to work on my filler rod technique, and use it. (Like tweake said.) https://i.postimg.cc/pXLN8Zt...

Should have said this about the cube:

1/8" Aluminum coupons from weldmetalsonline
1/16" 4043 filler rod
1/16" 2% Lanthanated
Gas Lens with #8 cup
120 Amps
15 cfh Argon

What I used. Not a recommendation.

First problem welding the aluminum cube was, I didn't have good tools for setup. I put the aluminum against a magnet with steel bars on the outside. Didn't hold well. My first couple of beads had a depression on each dime. Was trying different movements to fix it, but just had to slow down a little....

Well, I'm a total beginner, so I can't give much advice. I just happened to post about an aluminum cube I welded yesterday. You can see a pic in my thread, and I'll post up details later tonight. Just wanted to say that I'm having pretty good results, sticking to 1 amp per .001" of metal thickn...

Three inch cube, using 1/8" aluminum, from yesterday.

Will post some close-ups of the welding, and what I learned, later tonight.

Well, it wasn't a great night at Moto Welding School, but progress was made. I got stuff ready for bubble testing the mini purge. I cut down the vent tubing, plugged one end, and smoothed out the ends with a file. The holes/slots in the tube increase in size from proximal to distal, which I thought ...

Forgot to post the first pic of the mini purge box.

Got all my shit together and went to class... only to find a closed campus. Ceasar Chavez day. Great idea for the Mexican immigrants- Close the schools for another day so people can party with alcohol and overeat. So, got some more work done on my mini purge box. Sliced in the vent slots with a drem...