Welding Tips and Tricks

At work, sometimes I'm busy and sometimes I'm not. Sometimes I make things out of scrap metal that the company doesn't ask me to make. They know about this and they don't discourage it -- it's great practice and they know I always come through for them at all critical times. I traced a Telecaster body onto cardboard at home and brought it to work. Material, all of which had been destined for the scrap bin: 1/8" aluminum mill plate for the top and bottom.

I'm pretty handy with a band saw.

Getting these pieces to fit up was @#$% difficult.

The sides were 1/16" thk aluminum. This was mostly fusion welding without wire except for when needed to fill small gaps.
No purging and no way to use chill plates due to the shape.