Welding Tips and Tricks

Here's my story that sort of relates, tho not welding. I did forestry work here in oregon for 25 years, most of the welding I did in that time was patching up my beat up pickup trucks (paid 4 wheelin to boot, who could ask for more). A good bit of those years was tree climbing.
In my first 2 weeks as a climber I was sent up the north umpqua to test me on those honkin Douglas firs. Some of them were over 5 foot DBH (diameter breast height) and over 100' to the first branch, one climb, on like the 3'd day was over 260 feet up. I'll admit to some knee knockin on that one, but I didnt piss my pants . After that 95% of the climbing was a piece of cake.

MinnesotaDave wrote:

Farmwelding wrote: Arc force? I wish I had arc force. Hell at this point a stick welder with compass on the stock and a thing that tells time. Ever since I put the wleder in our stack with plywood walls it has made me deaf. Rattle all the live long day. Even more fun when you stick a rod. I wish I could throw $700 in o my school to get a Lincoln buzz box AC/DC. Or a Lincoln sqaurwave tig. Or preferably a stick machine that can run 6010s since we have a bunch that I'd like to use.

So if anyone has a welder, connections with a company, or a need for a tax deduction willing to donate If only someone would. Or else I'll go to the school board and ask. Maybe. Or I'll live with the AC buzzbox and donate one later when I make a bunch of money from these welding jobs I'll get skmeday

Seriously, you need to start looking at what you write and get into the habit of good spelling and proper sentence structure.

This habit will do right by you your whole life.

A welder/artist down the road from me is in his early 50's.
He says he wishes he could write better and had paid attention more to it in school.
It's important to him because over the years he's lost out on getting commissioned art work due to his poor writing ability.

I bet Braehill could learn im.
Dammit I miss Braehill - where are you brother?


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9/10 times I review. This time I didn't as you can see. My apologies I'll work on it.

Poleframer wrote:Here's my story that sort of relates, tho not welding. I did forestry work here in oregon for 25 years, most of the welding I did in that time was patching up my beat up pickup trucks (paid 4 wheelin to boot, who could ask for more). A good bit of those years was tree climbing.
In my first 2 weeks as a climber I was sent up the north umpqua to test me on those honkin Douglas firs. Some of them were over 5 foot DBH (diameter breast height) and over 100' to the first branch, one climb, on like the 3'd day was over 260 feet up. I'll admit to some knee knockin on that one, but I didnt piss my pants . After that 95% of the climbing was a piece of cake.

You've got brass balls my friend...I thought bein an ironworker was rough...seems easy compared to that

Farmwelding wrote:So I tried for another half an hour today and found out new combinations of swearing I have never heard. I had two and half actual beads today as well. The slag doesnt like coming off very well though. I am just going to hope and ray we get a DC stick machine sometime.

its been a few years since I used 7018 on AC...I do remember cranking the amps up a wee bit more than for DC... and I remember that you need to keep the end of the rod away from the steel a bit ... not saying long arc it...just don't hold it tight like you would on DC. I don't have access to an AC machine or I would experiment a bit. I'm sure you can figure it out on your own though, and when you get it down to second nature you can keep that feather in your hat and feel pretty good about yourself. Good Luck

I ran into one of the tech school instructors last week-the one who brought the rods-and got talking and he said he would come back but then invited me up to run some just to see and get the feel. I assumes that he would say-here is some plate go run some stringers. I walk in-go over with so-and-so and watch him. Sit for a bout a minute, he comes back and says I want you to do what he's doing- he was doing a 2G with 3/8" plate, 1/4" gap, 1/4" gap, all 7018. Okay I said I'm up to the challenge. So first 7018 I ran was the root on that plate. As you all said-striking an arc on DC is a laugh compared to AC. Hell re striking a 7018 is easier. I do the first one and run a few horizontal stringers around it and the instructor walks in and asks the guy next to me if he wants to do the real deal and he said yes and asked me the same. So of course I said yes so the second group of 7018s I've run was an actual bend test peice. Root and first two fill passes went well, but the cover passes were not that great. Failed already though due to a 1/16" too much reinforcement on top. I'll post some pictures when I do the bend on Thursday for y'all to look at

Thats pretty cool. He might be able to bring you a little further along technique wise.

PeteM wrote:Thats pretty cool. He might be able to bring you a little further along technique wise.

Yeah I hope so. I mean I'll spend two more years with the guy at tech school anyways so I've got awhile

Judging your height on your cover takes a lot of practice. For a few bucks you might want to invest in one of the gauges they use to check reinforcement height. It will also show you if you have any underfill on the toes of your stringers. I checked every practice piece I did for weeks before I took my pipe tests.

As this thread proceeds, yer on the right track, I didnt learn to drive in a lexus, it was a 63 dodge 1/2 ton PU with slide locks holding the doors closed, and a blown clutch on a slant six. Learned to double clutch and speed shift before I even knew how a clutch was supposed to work! Keep at it!

Yeah I was thinking about getting some weld inspection tools in general just to have. I suppose someday it wouldn't hurt to become a CWI too.

As for learning stick-I got to learn on a 35' straight body grain truck-kenworth t800, Cummins 255, 9 speed eaton fuller tranny. No clutch except to start and stop.

Well as of 5:30 I have officially passed my first weld test. Only one little bit of undercut that opened that was still passable. And then he put me on some vertical t-joints to get that down after we bent her. He also sent me some new 3/32" rods to try since the others were older so we'll see

Farmwelding wrote:Well as of 5:30 I have officially passed my first weld test. Only one little bit of undercut that opened that was still passable. And then he put me on some vertical t-joints to get that down after we bent her. He also sent me some new 3/32" rods to try since the others were older so we'll see

Good for you!!!! Congradulations

Popeye the old miner wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:Well as of 5:30 I have officially passed my first weld test. Only one little bit of undercut that opened that was still passable. And then he put me on some vertical t-joints to get that down after we bent her. He also sent me some new 3/32" rods to try since the others were older so we'll see

Good for you!!!! Congradulations

Funny you say that! I've been trying vertical and WOW I can suck like a gay man sucking a golf ball through a garden hose! As with it all-patience and keep burning.

Farmwelding wrote:

Popeye the old miner wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:Well as of 5:30 I have officially passed my first weld test. Only one little bit of undercut that opened that was still passable. And then he put me on some vertical t-joints to get that down after we bent her. He also sent me some new 3/32" rods to try since the others were older so we'll see

Good for you!!!! Congradulations

Funny you say that! I've been trying vertical and WOW I can suck like a gay man sucking a golf ball through a garden hose! As with it all-patience and keep burning.

Gosh could I have a field day right here

You could Jeff, but you didn't and I thank you. Any others who try to twist my words will not be appreciated-just a full metal jacket reference. Besides not having a good day. AP calc test all morning, go fishing for two hours with a buddy and get nothing, two minutes after I leave he catches a 15 in bass, then I get to run vertical 7018s for 4 hours and then drive another half an hour back home. Maybe Thursday will be better when I go back up there and run more vertical.

Farmwelding wrote:You could Jeff, but you didn't and I thank you. Any others who try to twist my words will not be appreciated-just a full metal jacket reference. Besides not having a good day. AP calc test all morning, go fishing for two hours with a buddy and get nothing, two minutes after I leave he catches a 15 in bass, then I get to run vertical 7018s for 4 hours and then drive another half an hour back home. Maybe Thursday will be better when I go back up there and run more vertical.

Patience Grasshopper Patience....it all comes with time and practice...and Patience....you will figure it out

Popeye the old miner wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:You could Jeff, but you didn't and I thank you. Any others who try to twist my words will not be appreciated-just a full metal jacket reference. Besides not having a good day. AP calc test all morning, go fishing for two hours with a buddy and get nothing, two minutes after I leave he catches a 15 in bass, then I get to run vertical 7018s for 4 hours and then drive another half an hour back home. Maybe Thursday will be better when I go back up there and run more vertical.

Patience Grasshopper Patience....it all comes with time and practice...and Patience....you will figure it out

To be honest the main thing I'm mad about is the fish...
Other than that I don't care a whole lot. I know it takes time Adam is gonna be a long while.

Farmwelding wrote: To be honest the main thing I'm mad about is the fish...
Other than that I don't care a whole lot. I know it takes time Adam is gonna be a long while.

Most people I know are happy to have gotten to hang out with a friend fishing.
Then happy for the friend who caught a good fish.
Matter of perspective.

MinnesotaDave wrote:

Farmwelding wrote: To be honest the main thing I'm mad about is the fish...
Other than that I don't care a whole lot. I know it takes time Adam is gonna be a long while.

Most people I know are happy to have gotten to hang out with a friend fishing.
Then happy for the friend who caught a good fish.
Matter of perspective.

Well...we actually were having a bet (just a $5 wager) and he caught the fish where I was fishing at so that's it. Not mad about him catching it-more just the irony of me leaving and then two minutes. Still would have rather gone fishing with him than sitting around on my butt regardless. And I can't get mad at a guy for catching a nice fish.

Sounds like you need some tuna taco. Takes the edge off...Mr. Grouchy

exnailpounder wrote:Sounds like you need some tuna taco. Takes the edge off...Mr. Grouchy

Gosh that sounds awful. I will take some cow in my taco...unless there is a second meaning to the phrase "tuna taco"

Farmwelding wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:Sounds like you need some tuna taco. Takes the edge off...Mr. Grouchy

Gosh that sounds awful. I will take some cow in my taco...unless there is a second meaning to the phrase "tuna taco"

There IS a second meaning You didn't really believe I would actually advise you to eat seafood...did you? Instead of the tuna taco...look up "the wound that won't heal" or squack. And you thought you were getting an education in school

We love our fishing and seafood over here. I especially enjoy spearing the bearded clam.


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I think this should be the designated derailed post thread!