DavidR8 wrote:Thanks Spartan,
I think I need to get more hood time on thicker stock.
Currently I’m using 1/8” with 1/16 filler.
I think there is tremendous value in practicing on larger and thicker stock. Check your local scrap yards. To me, it's a bit regrettable that so many firms are advertising these 6" coupons, 1/16" and 1/8" thick, to people just learning to TIG. They just saturate with heat so quickly...good for advanced practice, but not a lot of value there when trying to learn.
Yeah, I’ve never bought those simply because they are stupid expensive for us Canadians.
I’ve got a 14” sq chunk of 1/4” plate that’s warped and quite pitted.
I’m going to clean it up and start padding some beads.
DavidR8 wrote:I’ve got a 14” sq chunk of 1/4” plate that’s warped and quite pitted.
I’m going to clean it up and start padding some beads.
A warped piece of steel actually makes for another type of practice; taking the warpage out with welding beads. Welding on steel warps and distorts, especially large plate. Knowing how and why this happens is a huge benefit to learning how to weld these without causing that distortion.
So, take a piece that is, and weld the warpage out of it (by laying beads opposite the warpage to "pull" it back towards flat. You'll need to run hot to put enough heat in the plate to move it, but it is a very, very productive undertaking. When done, grind your beads flat/off then re-use that side for practice padding your beads. Or better yet, weld on both sides, opposite directions to counteract the warpage as you pad up the plate.
The thing about welding is: unless you weld at a bench in a controlled environment, EVERY situation offers you the chance to learn, think, and solve a new problem. Laying beads is easy. Learning to weld under hostile conditions is the greatest teacher.
DavidR8 wrote:I’ve got a 14” sq chunk of 1/4” plate that’s warped and quite pitted.
I’m going to clean it up and start padding some beads.
A warped piece of steel actually makes for another type of practice; taking the warpage out with welding beads. Welding on steel warps and distorts, especially large plate. Knowing how and why this happens is a huge benefit to learning how to weld these without causing that distortion.
So, take a piece that is, and weld the warpage out of it (by laying beads opposite the warpage to "pull" it back towards flat. You'll need to run hot to put enough heat in the plate to move it, but it is a very, very productive undertaking. When done, grind your beads flat/off then re-use that side for practice padding your beads. Or better yet, weld on both sides, opposite directions to counteract the warpage as you pad up the plate.
The thing about welding is: unless you weld at a bench in a controlled environment, EVERY situation offers you the chance to learn, think, and solve a new problem. Laying beads is easy. Learning to weld under hostile conditions is the greatest teacher.
Thanks CJ, appreciate your perspective.
I'll set to cleaning it up and seeing if I can run some decent beads on it. Admittedly I was getting a bit frustrated with how it was going on the small 1/8 coupons I was using.
I'm completely with you guys on the thinner stock and how the prepackaged coupons that use it are a bad choice for beginners especially when attempting to pad beads, it'll end up a warped mess before you know it and when half the plate is glowing after a few passes it'll scale over.
sbaker56 wrote:I'm completely with you guys on the thinner stock and how the prepackaged coupons that use it are a bad choice for beginners especially when attempting to pad beads, it'll end up a warped mess before you know it and when half the plate is glowing after a few passes it'll scale over.
I honestly think they are almost a convenience purchase for folks who don’t have the ability to cut their own stock.
Thanks @sbaker, @bughunter, @polnad308 and @spartan
Excellent advice all around.
I'm working on my welding table so that will also help me with a better practice setup.
Fuel tank mod. Customer needed the top center cut out which housed a traditional fill port, and replaced with a plate and a 2" pipe nipple to serve as a hose-connect fill port. 10 gauge 6061.
I do very little aluminum, and a lot of it was a bit awkward to position, so not the prettiest beads, but I think it turned out ok.
BugHunter wrote:Hey Tweak,
What's going on with the primer gizmo?
the primer is leaking at the plunger and they are not repairable as the top is crimped on, factory replacements are $$$$$.
got a 2nd hand one in but thats leaking a little bit, which is pretty common.
these engines suck fuel up from the tank and with a leak it sucks air in and starves it of fuel.
so cut the top off, boiled it in an old saucepan to get the diesel out of the alloy.
then welded a plate across to seal it off.
its been installed and in use for a while now and is ok.
using a boat style plunger/primer down at the fuel tank.
Spartan wrote:Fuel tank mod. Customer needed the top center cut out which housed a traditional fill port, and replaced with a plate and a 2" pipe nipple to serve as a hose-connect fill port. 10 gauge 6061.
I do very little aluminum, and a lot of it was a bit awkward to position, so not the prettiest beads, but I think it turned out ok.
Looks good and the customers happy, so it's a win - win
BugHunter wrote:Hey Tweak,
What's going on with the primer gizmo?
the primer is leaking at the plunger and they are not repairable as the top is crimped on, factory replacements are $$$$$.
got a 2nd hand one in but thats leaking a little bit, which is pretty common.
these engines suck fuel up from the tank and with a leak it sucks air in and starves it of fuel.
so cut the top off, boiled it in an old saucepan to get the diesel out of the alloy.
then welded a plate across to seal it off.
its been installed and in use for a while now and is ok.
using a boat style plunger/primer down at the fuel tank.
Ah, gotcha.
Wondered what the reasoning was.
I talked to a buddy of mine today and while on the phone, his truck lost power. At first he thought it was a fuel filter starving it, but they looked ok. I mentioned air in the injection pump because I just went through that on my lawn tractor. He felt it was unlikely. Came to the conclusion it was altitude because he was climbing the Rockies. He's driving a Volvo, maybe I'll send him a link to this and he can have something else to worry about.
Spartan wrote:Forgot I even had that TIG finger sitting there! I do love me some TIG fingers, though. Awesome tool to have. I think I have four of them now.
I've got one of each, small and large. They're more for guys doing position welding and I don't do much of that. I've probably only used mine half a dozen times or so. I do such small parts, I can't hardly get my hands on a hot spot.
BugHunter wrote:
I've got one of each, small and large. They're more for guys doing position welding and I don't do much of that. I've probably only used mine half a dozen times or so. I do such small parts, I can't hardly get my hands on a hot spot.
Yeah, I use them quite a bit for chromoly tubing clusters. They're a god-send for that. Especially if the parts have a preheat...sometimes I wear two for propping on those 500 degree parts. Kind of like condoms in a strip club. Doubling up is best.
BillE.Dee wrote:SHEESH !!! I was at one of those places one time and there was an old classmate dancing and I knew what was coming so a I said ,, "KEEP IT ON!!!"
BillE.Dee wrote:SHEESH !!! I was at one of those places one time and there was an old classmate dancing and I knew what was coming so a I said ,, "KEEP IT ON!!!"
hopefully that was 40 years ago and not recently!
Some of those older ones have grandkids to feed. Sheesh. So insensitive, Oscar. Just giver her the dollar.
