Welding Tips and Tricks

I have similar rod storage in the shop at work, but mounted to a handrail in the parts room. One the welders working our outage this week was carrying a tube of 2209 in out of the rain when it slipped out of his hand. It hit bottom first and exploded the PVC cap which grenaded accross the room and sounded like a rifle shot. I was stuffed in some piping about 10" above there capping an abandoned water line and just about shit myself. I had to have someone hand my helmet back up to me after it flew off when I jumped. The room full of mechanical contractors got a good laugh at my expense.

Wallace, nice work, and I admire your attention to detail.

Len

Thanks Len I appreciate that.

I will admit though sometimes small little details can hold up some of my projects. One little thing will be off or just not how I want it done and I delay the idea or scrap it totally when others just might go ahead and do it. Lot of Auto cad drawings never came to be cause in my mind it wasn't perfect. Its doable but not perfect. Maybe kids will use them some day or new technology will exist to solve the issue and it can be built as planned. Wife calls it Da Vinci syndrome (isn't perfection in my mind so it just becomes a drawing)

My sisters used to say that I began a woodworking project by planting the tree. They were exaggerating. The truth is I usually cut the tree first. Some woodworking projects haven't involved a sawmill, or sawed lumber. A very nice log is ripped into three inch planks, dried, then resawn to the needed thickness.

It all stands in the way of productiveness. Each project involves several smaller projects to prepare.

dirtmidget33 wrote:...
I will admit though sometimes small little details can hold up some of my projects. One little thing will be off or just not how I want it done and I delay the idea or scrap it totally when others just might go ahead and do it. Lot of Auto cad drawings never came to be cause in my mind it wasn't perfect. Its doable but not perfect. Maybe kids will use them some day or new technology will exist to solve the issue and it can be built as planned. Wife calls it Da Vinci syndrome (isn't perfection in my mind so it just becomes a drawing)

I suffer that particular form of OCD.

I get over it, because I have no choice but to make a decision and move forward.

However, every idea I have for an invention, where I'm pressed only by me, results in a sketch in a notebook, because I can't perfect it.

Steve S

2.5" OD stainless tube, .065" wall, welding a NW butt flange on the ID. All welds need to be helium leak tight It's a little tight getting in there

Helium-tight is the biggest part of what I do.

I'm always interested when I meet someone who does the same.

BTW, I run the mass-spec to do the tests, even on my own welds,

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:Helium-tight is the biggest part of what I do.

I'm always interested when I meet someone who does the same.

BTW, I run the mass-spec to do the tests, even on my own welds,

Steve S

Hey Steve, I do my own welds also, our parts are for the semi conductor industry

Richard

I'm curious about the helium tight welds... What is actually needed that weld will pass helium test? Full penetration and side walls penetration too?

Markus wrote:I'm curious about the helium tight welds... What is actually needed that weld will pass helium test? Full penetration and side walls penetration too?

In my case, full penetration is not needed. Basically there can't be any lack of fusion, or voids that would allow helium to pass thru. Helium is the second smallest atom, so if your using good welding practices it's not a big deal to achieve

LtBadd wrote:

Markus wrote:I'm curious about the helium tight welds... What is actually needed that weld will pass helium test? Full penetration and side walls penetration too?

In my case, full penetration is not needed. Basically there can't be any lack of fusion, or voids that would allow helium to pass thru. Helium is the second smallest atom, so if your using good welding practices it's not a big deal to achieve

Actually, a Helium atom is smaller than a Hydrogen molecule...
Remember Hydrogen occurs as H2, unless in a plasma state.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

LtBadd wrote:

Markus wrote:I'm curious about the helium tight welds... What is actually needed that weld will pass helium test? Full penetration and side walls penetration too?

In my case, full penetration is not needed. Basically there can't be any lack of fusion, or voids that would allow helium to pass thru. Helium is the second smallest atom, so if your using good welding practices it's not a big deal to achieve

Actually, a Helium atom is smaller than a Hydrogen molecule...
Remember Hydrogen occurs as H2, unless in a plasma state.

Steve S

Steve, perhaps you know more about this...however when I google "smallest atom" here is what I get, and from more then just one site.

>>If by "biggest" and "smallest", you mean mass (which is a measure of how much matter is there), then the smallest is the hydrogen atom with one proton and one electron<<
>>On the other hand, if you are speaking of size, then atoms are all about the same size whether it's a hydrogen atom (the simplest and least massive with one proton and one electron) or a lead atom (with 82 protons, 82 electrons and 125 neutrons). <<

>>Actually, a Helium atom is smaller than a Hydrogen molecule...
An atom is smallest particle in an element that has the properties of the element. It is not possible to breakdown the atom further retaining the properties of the element

Molecules are formed by the combination of two or more atoms. Unlike atoms, molecules can be subdivided to individual atoms

Read more: Difference Between Atom and Molecule | Difference Between | Atom vs Molecule http://www.differencebetween.net/scienc ... z3Y5NLJuog

My point is, Hydrogen occurs as a molecule of two Hydrogen atoms in nature. Helium ONLY occurs as individual atoms.

Sure, a Hydrogen ATOM is smaller, but you won't find one except on the Sun or deep in the atmosphere of Jupiter. In nature as we know it, Hydrogen is H2, not just H.

That's why a Helium ATOM is smaller than a Hydrogen MOLECULE.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:My point is, Hydrogen occurs as a molecule of two Hydrogen atoms in nature. Helium ONLY occurs as individual atoms.

Sure, a Hydrogen ATOM is smaller, but you won't find one except on the Sun or deep in the atmosphere of Jupiter. In nature as we know it, Hydrogen is H2, not just H.

That's why a Helium ATOM is smaller than a Hydrogen MOLECULE.

Steve S

That's interesting, so while the hydrogen is smaller, we would never be in an environment that this would be true.

LtBadd wrote: That's interesting, so while the hydrogen is smaller, we would never be in an environment that this would be true.

Exactly.

The difference in size between a H atom and an He atom is infinitesimal, anyway. There is only the first shell with electrons. In essence, the same "size", despite the difference in mass.

Steve S

It could probably be said that at -424*F that Hydrogen could be concidered individual atoms and move about seperately from each other. As soon as they turn to a gas they attach to another atom. I know that LHY registers as 104% pure on a total purity analyzer calibrated with 100% pure gas.

Hydrogen weighs in at .591 lbs. per gallon and Helium at 1.042 lbs. per gallon.
Hydrogen boils at -423*F and Helium at -452*F
Hydrogen .0052 lb/ft3 gas density and Helium .0103 lb/ft3

Just some gas facts.

Len

On the other side of the spectrum

A wild tiger could get through this. It's a frame for a stepped divider in my Sprinter. The bike wheels go under in the back and a bed goes over it in the front.


And the ubiquitous bead shot

Seems to have posted twice and I can't seem to 86 this post.

Needed a better way to transport the TIG around the shop, so came up with this.
Lots of room in the bottom for shield, tools, spare parts and more, Wheel'n'Go welding now

Those transtigs are like $5500 for the bare power source. How do you find it? The cart is a beaut. Simple functional and really well made!

Coldman wrote:Those transtigs are like $5500 for the bare power source. How do you find it? The cart is a beaut. Simple functional and really well made!

Thanks Coldman for the kind feedback

I'm really impressed with the machine. Works beautifully, has everything that opens and shuts (at least the ones I need), multi program save and recall, plenty of output power when I need it, and also goes from 300 down to 5 amps, nice. Easy to program, and use. Plus it does SMAW also, but I haven't ever had to use that yet, still use the trusty old transformer job for that - single phase and therefore a little more portable.

I added a foot pedal instead of the thumb-wheel control, which was a great improvement again.

Yep, the cart came up nice, I recessed the casters into the base to reduce height, and also made a recess for the bottle to keep the CG as low as possible. Easy to wheel anywhere I need it.

Best
Trev

really nice cart!
craig

Started working on a dedicated brake to bend some airplane parts. Some brackets .030" up to .065" thick and 4" wide. There were some brakes out there 2 weeks away starting at $300 up. No good for me. So here is what happened to some shop scraps...all that's left is the clamping mechanism. The top clamp or finger is just lying in for fitting up...will be on a 50 deg incline , bevel down, when done. What do you think? Didn't spend over $20 so far 1/2" steel....and my TIG weld skills are getting better thanks to all here!

JJF, great job, looks like it will really do the trick.
Really like the height adjusters at the base. Keeps the entire unit compact for storage!
Nice job
Trev

Ok, here goes ....

Never did any TIG welding until a few days ago, and my very first attempt was on steel. I bought the welder to learn how to weld aluminum, so I cut up some 4043 that I bought from the local ironmonger and tried a few welds along an overlap. The first weld is the upper one, underneath the blobs. Without cleaning I tried to weld over my first weld ..... no shortcuts eh? Gotta' clean and prep them all I guess. My third weld is on the back and nobody will ever see it.....deliberately didn't grind or clean, just to see what happens .... won't try that again. My fourth weld is the bottom one, and I have learned that I need to practise feeding the rod. It's actually not too bad (in my opinion), but I'll need to learn to smooth and coordinate my arm and foot pedal actions.

Yes, they are all very short welds, but it's a start, and it surely reinforces my respect for those who have studied the craft intently enough to be consistently good.

Now back to lurking....

John

Only 4 TIG Welds and you're a master!

Well, maybe a little way to go, but you're definitely getting the hang of it - that's for sure. Like the others say: "Seat Time", "Seat Time"

And welcome aboard. it's a great forum.