Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello all,
I am relatively new to welding. Started out of necessity on my farm. My brother has been welding for 20+ years and I started to feel bad callin him everytime something needed repaired. My father had an old Lincoln buzz box and about 100lbs of 6013. My brother showed me how to arc weld. Lol I still remember trying to strike my first arc or should I say "stick my rod permantly to the steel"
Anyway after I was able to actually weld (brother checked it all of course) I got the itch.
I have been a master level carpenter for years and I love to do Timber Framing. I own my own antique saw mill and Harvest my own trees to mill on my property. My first welding project was the refurb of my lumber mills power source, an old CASE model 401 Diesel engine. It included a new foundation/trailer, new air intake system and whole exhaust manifold for the motor as well as a structure to protect it from the elements. Motor is too old for replacement parts like these so I had to fab them.
Needless to say the 100lbs of 6013 went fast. In addition to my brother wanting his MIG back. This Was a very large first welding project. My brother still laughs because of the project size for a new welder. After that project I was able to strike an arc hanging upside down with one hand tied behind my back as well as MIG weld 20 guage tube.
The itch has only gotten worse. I saw a complementary door open to my love for timber framing and just building stuff in general.
It was shortly thereafter I found WeldingTipsandTricks.com as well a winning an auction for some awesome welding equipment.
Winning the auction for a new Snap-On MM250SL Muscle MIG, a Snap-On TIG250 and a Snap-On PLASMA50. Auction winning with tanks regulators as well a starting set of consumables all for $2500.00. Seriously there is no zero missing. My brother still cannot believe it. Well I Figured this auction was a sign and now.......well..........

Now I am hopelessly hooked with no end in sight.

Loving to Weld,
Pnkflyd

pinkflyd
welcome to forum.
that was a nice intro. everyone here is
friendly and helpful so its nice to know
a little about who is joining.
craig

Definitely a great intro and welcome to the forum!

Great bunch of friendly and informative people here.

I wasted most of my life addicted to drugs so my introduction is always pretty short and not a very accomplished feeling but, I have finally sobered up (6 months) and took up welding as a hobby and thinking about maybe going to school for it.

I just look back now and hear that little old saying "if I knew then what I know now" I could have a decent shop and tools!

Onekeyskunk wrote:Definitely a great intro and welcome to the forum!

Great bunch of friendly and informative people here.

I wasted most of my life addicted to drugs so my introduction is always pretty short and not a very accomplished feeling but, I have finally sobered up (6 months) and took up welding as a hobby and thinking about maybe going to school for it.

I just look back now and hear that little old saying "if I knew then what I know now" I could have a decent shop and tools!

I didn't know you were so recently clean. (Hell, I didn't know you were ever "unclean"...)

Congratulations on your six months!

Steve S

What was your particular vice? (answer at your own comfort level)

Otto Nobedder wrote:

Onekeyskunk wrote:Definitely a great intro and welcome to the forum!

Great bunch of friendly and informative people here.

I wasted most of my life addicted to drugs so my introduction is always pretty short and not a very accomplished feeling but, I have finally sobered up (6 months) and took up welding as a hobby and thinking about maybe going to school for it.

I just look back now and hear that little old saying "if I knew then what I know now" I could have a decent shop and tools!

I didn't know you were so recently clean. (Hell, I didn't know you were ever "unclean"...)

Congratulations on your six months!

Steve S

What was your particular vice? (answer at your own comfort level)

Not trying to hijack pink's thread here, it is by all means his introduction. (Even though he is now "HOOKED on Welding!")

Opiates and Amphetamines ended up being my favorite....

I sobered up once before for almost 6 years but relapsed about 2 years ago, but 6 months ago I finally decided to throw in the towel.

I am very grateful for where I am today.. "better than who I was yesterday!"

I was never big on opiates, but the amphetamines were nearly my undoing.

I'm happy to drink too much today.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:I was never big on opiates, but the amphetamines were nearly my undoing.

I'm happy to drink too much today.

Steve S

A person can sure lose themselves pretty fast toying with that stuff, surprised I lasted.

I read a piece once stating what the writer (user) thought METH stood for. (My Entrance To Hell)

I guess I just got lucky and somehow avoided all that in my life. Well I was forced to by Uncle Sam. Hard to get into that stuff as United States Marine (Former Marine now Retired). I am glad that you both were able to find enough strenght and clairity to find your way back.

Pnkflyd wrote:I guess I just got lucky and somehow avoided all that in my life. Well I was forced to by Uncle Sam. Hard to get into that stuff as United States Marine (Former Marine now Retired). I am glad that you both were able to find enough strenght and clairity to find your way back.

Thanks for serving Pink!

My grandfather was in the 3rd infantry regiment during WW2.

I am both glad and ashamed of the outcome, glad to have finally threw in the towel and ashamed to have wasted so much time, money and life.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome!

Pnkflyd wrote:Winning the auction for a new Snap-On MM250SL Muscle MIG, a Snap-On TIG250 and a Snap-On PLASMA50. Auction winning with tanks regulators as well a starting set of consumables all for $2500.00.

Dang, you sure jumped in with both feet! Great score!

Diggin your avatar. My favorite Pink Floyd album is "Meddle".

That's one of my favorites too. Saucer Full of Secrets is also one of my all time favorite albums. But "One of These Days....." From Meddle is my favorite Floyd song. Dark Side is a close second favorite album.

Thanks for the awesome welcome everyone!!!!

Welcome to the forum! My two favorites are The Division Bell and The Endless River. My wife is not so fond of Pink Floyd. Or Ultravox
-Jonathan

"Echoes"

All time favorite.

I can tell some amazing stories that include Pink Floyd music, but I'll stick with, simply, I can listen to Echoes any day, any time.

I'm just a 15 y.o. young'un trying to learn everything I can about welding.Its my life,its my dream. In my three or four months of welding there has not been a night I haven't had a dream of welding. My dad(diesel mechanic) started taking me to work on a regular basis. One day he sat me down and showed me how. I was horrible at first(who isn't). Not being able to strike an arc scared me off of it for about a month. Then I asked him to let me try again. I don't know what happened that time but the first try it happened. My life went in an entirely different direction. Now I weld 8hrs. straight burning rod after rod building up on grinder screens(the boss man's got one of those big industrial Vermeer wood grinders). Now I'm on an info frenzy. I aint old enough to go to tulsa welding school yet so this(and Mr.Jody's videos) is the next best thing. Just for the record, I had no intentions of this thing being this long. Now would be a good time to shut up.

cole5969 wrote:I'm just a 15 y.o. young'un trying to learn everything I can about welding.Its my life,its my dream. In my three or four months of welding there has not been a night I haven't had a dream of welding. My dad(diesel mechanic) started taking me to work on a regular basis. One day he sat me down and showed me how. I was horrible at first(who isn't). Not being able to strike an arc scared me off of it for about a month. Then I asked him to let me try again. I don't know what happened that time but the first try it happened. My life went in an entirely different direction. Now I weld 8hrs. straight burning rod after rod building up on grinder screens(the boss man's got one of those big industrial Vermeer wood grinders). Now I'm on an info frenzy. I aint old enough to go to tulsa welding school yet so this(and Mr.Jody's videos) is the next best thing. Just for the record, I had no intentions of this thing being this long. Now would be a good time to shut up.

You write like a much older, more educated man.

I think you've caught the bug, and your career path is now predestined.

Welding is addictive.

Steve S

cole5969 wrote:I'm just a 15 y.o. young'un trying to learn everything I can about welding.Its my life,its my dream. In my three or four months of welding there has not been a night I haven't had a dream of welding. My dad(diesel mechanic) started taking me to work on a regular basis. One day he sat me down and showed me how. I was horrible at first(who isn't). Not being able to strike an arc scared me off of it for about a month. Then I asked him to let me try again. I don't know what happened that time but the first try it happened. My life went in an entirely different direction. Now I weld 8hrs. straight burning rod after rod building up on grinder screens(the boss man's got one of those big industrial Vermeer wood grinders). Now I'm on an info frenzy. I aint old enough to go to tulsa welding school yet so this(and Mr.Jody's videos) is the next best thing. Just for the record, I had no intentions of this thing being this long. Now would be a good time to shut up.

You are about the same age Lanse (ChuckE2009) was when he caught welditis. There is no cure that I know of. Just keep at it... good luck

Thanks Mr.Steve and Mr.Southpaw. Its nice to finally find a place where folks feel the same way about welding as I do. It's also a great place to seek advice from professionals like yall.

Welcome to the Forum! You will find wonderful advice out here; these guys are some scary good, real professionals!

As for me, I am a decrepit old ironworker. Wally Davis used to say that an ironworker was nothin' but a fitter with his brains knocked out.

I have also read and mostly understood the ENTIRE Table of Contents of "Welding for Dummies"

Gary S