i want to learn to weld...

[Turbo Tim 1]

Here are some welds made by my Hobart 180, I am no expert by any means, my knowledge is basically gained from working in powerplants and during construction we would go use the welders at night when no one was around and weld things together and then throw them in the scrap heap.



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[GHarman]

A FINE JOB, Turbo Tim 1. That is one way to learn. When opportunity knocks, get it done. That is the difference between the feller who leans up against a welder with coffee in hand at break time and the feller that sets his coffee cup on the welding bench , lights up the welder and burns rod during break, taking a sip of coffee between rods! You might not be popular with the rest of the crew, but they wont pay your bills or pave the way for your career path. Been there, done that. Congratulations! GregH

 

[rbattelle]

My can of Excalibur 3/32" is labeled "7018MR". No class specified, so it must be H4R.

Now that pipe welded into Tim's bumper looks very nice. At my skill level, I doubt I could replicate that with a stick.

Ryan

 

[GHarman]

Ryan, Not a problem. Do it and repair where needed. The experience will give your hand-eye coordination a kick in the pants. Right handed AND left handed. You can also practice welding 3/4" X 2" long pipe nipples on a piece of 2" pipe. That does wonders for left hand-righthand, hand-eye coordination and it goes fast. You can roll it out in the flat position until you are comfortable, then fix the horizontal pipe rigid and do it in position. Just a thought. I had to do this fabricating large numbers of gas meter manifolds for apartment buildings and warehouses as a fill-in between larger projects and maintainence for the gas utility company, many years ago. I thought it would never end! GregH

 

[GHarman]

GiesJ, Thanks for the link to Lincoln Electric. GregH

 

[THenningsen]

anyone know of a good, used ac/dc stick welder for sale?

 

[RonA]

I have one that's been in my shop for years, but hardly used. Powercraft is the brand. Ac/dc. It also has a high frequency box for doing scratch start tig. It's better than no tig, but a pain to use compared to my miller. The stick welder is excellent.

 

[THenningsen]

Ron- what other info can you tell me about the welder? What model is it, how many amps, and how much do you want for it?

 

[DValentine]

TH, I have seen a few in the paper over the years. Also check pawn shops. I have seen a few their also.

Dave

 

[opjohnny]

What do you like to use to grind the tip on the tungsten for a tig setup? Have you tried the chemical way?

 

[DValentine]

We use a bench grinder and a drill, or a machine with a diamond impregnated wheel, the tungsten goes against it at an angle 20-40 degrees. Recently one contractor I work for has been buying presharpened. We use 2% thoriated.

Dave

 

[opjohnny]

Thanks Dave, I will go look at some wheels for my bench grinder. Good excuse to get another bench grinder.



John

 

[GHarman]

Hey Gents, Thought I would interject a few comments about Tungsten sharpening and tungsten alloys for GTAW. Usually a tungsten is sharpened with the grind lines running parallel to the axis of the tungsten. This prevents one cause of arc wandering. Those diamond grinders create a finish that is very smooth, despite being ground on the bias. A smooth finish is the preferred result, no matter how you are grinding the tungsten. I have used both and could find no difference in performance. Remember to leave a small flat (meplat) on the end of your tungsten and sharpen them no longer than 1. 5X the diameter. When sharpening tungsten or grinding anything, for that matter. WEAR A DUST MASK!!! or a RESPIRATOR! The reasoning is; 1. your lungs will not work well in 20 years if you repeatedly breath in crud from a grinding operation. 2. Tungsten with 2% Thoria is a BETA emmitter. IT is RADIOACTIVE. No big deal on the outside, it washes off. In your lungs or swallowed is another matter. If you are doing this as a hobby, at home, where small children are involved the fines on the floor and clinging to your shoes can be dragged into your house and mingled with the stuff on the floor that small children seem to get into their mouths. :{ A safer alternative is tungsten that is 2% CERIATED. There is a slight difference but not enough to concern yourself with if you are not doing a certified weld process that requires a thoriated tungsten. Again, be aware. Good Welding AND Good Health to all. Oo. GregH

 

[opjohnny]

Dave and Greg does it matter which end of the tungsten you grind? Mine are painted on one end. Should that stay to tell me what kind it is? Mine are radioactive but free and I will heed your advice. Got the welder hooked up and can't wait to try it!



John

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I use 1. 5% Lanthanated tungsten in my inverter based TIG on aluminum and steel (all I've welded with it). That's what the manufacturer recommended. If your dealing with a transformer based power supply then your needs would be different.

John - it doesn't matter which end you grind but I always grind the end opposite the stripe so if I should ever decide to use a different type of tungsten I can tell the difference.

On the grinder I bought a bench grinder specifically for grinding my tungsten so that I never contaminate them (you don't want to use the stone on anything else). I use one stone for tungsten I use on aluminum and the other for steel. I also have a small belt sander that I use to polish them after grinding. I prepare them in batches so I have a bunch ready to go when I need them and when I get low I resharpen all of them.

 

[DValentine]

Good catch guys. I forgot to mention those points... . separate wheel, and radioactive. I think that is why the one contractor is going to presharpened.

TH, I saw a 16 horse Hobart gas welder in our local weekly ads for 900 bucks.

 

[GHarman]

Gents, One thing that I have never researched is the reasoning and advantages of each of the alloying elements used in Tungsten electrodes. It is one of those things that I have just accepted. I know by experience that Zirconia Tungsten works better than Pure Tungsten for welding Aluminum. And 2% Thoriated tungsten is the go-to tungsten for stainless and carbon steel. I have heard rumors as to the reasoning but have never really asked WHY. Sounds like a project and a report for one of you up and coming welders? At least a resource location would be good. I am sure Lincoln Electric techs could answer this for any one that is interested and has the time to allocate to this endeavor.

PS. opjohnny, If you have all of the same kind of tungsten, you can sharpen both ends. Use a PIN VISE to hold the tungsten to eliminate the chance of jamming a sharp end into your hand or finger while sharpening the other end. If you use several different types of tungsten, then sharpen only the unmarked end to aid in identification.

PPS. The purpose of leaving a small flat on the end of your tungsten is to prevent the spitting of the tungsten into your weld puddle, leaving a high density inclusion in your weld. GregH

 

[GHarman]

Hey Fellers, My Wife just bought a Digital Camera for me. I am certainly lacking in experience here. I did take some pictures of one of the welders in my shop, the trailing end of a recent project and, of course, 'Old Ugly". I'll try to post them as I figure out the process. GregH

 

[opjohnny]

Looking forward to seeing those pictures Greg. I fired up the tig and struck and arc on some scrap. I did not try any filler rod. Steve its a Miller syncrowave 180 I believe a transformer power supply. Do you like foot or hand control?



John

 

[GHarman]

RPatton, Thanks for the help with the pictures. GregH