"Home Shop Welding 101"

[torker]

OK guys! I can't stand it anymore. We've got to start a REAL Home Shop Welding thread!
I am so sick of so called "experts" coming here...blabbing off to Home Shop Guys about how they need 12 million dollars worth of heat treating ovens...expensive tig equipment, million dollar gas welding torches, etc.
It's time to cut all the BS.
So..lets do this right! THIS IS HOMESHOP WELDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have some pretty strong opinions about welding. I've worked as a supervisor in a big welding plant for a long time...teaching the beginners.
I have my own welding business.
I've been the local welding "do anything" for years.
I've studied welding towards being a Welding Engineer for a long time.
I DO NOT know everything!
So.. lets start from the beginning.
Tomorrow I'll do a deal on O/A welding... where we ALL should start!
Then we will move on to Tig... the best way IMO.
Then stick..then wirefeed!
Anyone else have anything to add...be "OUR" guest...just make sure your facts are right.

[Mcgyver]

i'm looking forward to this and will bring a nice shiny apple tomorrow way to go Russ. one thing to keep in mind is budgets, some things like gas and low end mig is more accessible to a home shop budget than say a real tig....but interested to hear what you have to say

[2ManyHobbies]

Ooh! I want front row. I grew up learning stick, but I find that much of what I'd be interested in welding these days would be incompatible with such methods. A few years ago, I picked up wire-feed for a project, but the next endeavor will be MIG or TIG with a proper table. No more floor welding!

[JRouche]

Well Russ, great idea!!!

Its nice to have a guy like you around who has all the experience to weld up some certifiable weldments but still knows we are mostly abunch of Home Shop guys and we dont need to cert our stuff. We just need good, usable information to get the job done..

Its refreshing to hear advice from you because you know we are not making nuclear containment vessels.

I like the approach, Oxy-Act first, then TIG. Thats how my instructor started us. Even though some anxious folks, myself included, wanted to jump right into TIG. Im glad he made us go through the O/A first, before we could continue we had to pass some tests with O/A first.

Looking forward to the lessons!!! I specifically want more knowledge in TIG welding aluminum when that lesson comes. I have always had difficulties there. And I follow all the rules I have been taught and read, still difficult for me.

And Im hoping there wont be any chiming in from all the other "professionals" on how to do it "better". Im thinking if they have a "better" way to do a process they could start their own thread and leave yours clutter free for the rest of us...

Waiting on the edge of my seat, ok stool ))) JR

[mechanicalmagic]

Great idea.

I bought my first O/A, May 12, '69, used. Still have it, with new hoses. It was the learning tool, and I can still lay a bead, with it, or the later machines.

Suggestion: Let the gurl edit the post, since she might be more familiar with the noob problems and the feel of welding, long forgotten by some of us. (But now instinctive.)

Dave

[Tim Clarke]

I'm with Ya, buddy

Time to eliminate the bullcraap.

Ive managed to weld up almost anything I wanted to for, well since I was in high school. Graduated in '71. With a Lincoln crackerbox and a oxy/acet rig I can weld, cut, braze, solder about anything I want. With a few more bucks to spend, I'd get a TIG. Then SS and Alum would be welded, no sweat.

I learned to weld with Oxy/Acet first. I think it's a really good way to start. I've used TIG and wire also, it seemed easy after learning the basics with a torch.

Anything you'd care to pass on to those of us who aren't profesionals would be much appreciated.

Regards, TC

[torker]

Nope... there is no more "gurl". She's out of the welding biz for good.. no more hands to do it with.(arthiritus)
She was an amazing welding student.
I welcome HOMESHOP welding info on this thread
Tomorrow..uphand O/A gas welding...."OMG! I can't believe how hot this is"

[torker]

Time to eliminate the bullcraap.

Ive managed to weld up almost anything I wanted to for, well since I was in high school. Graduated in '71. With a Lincoln crackerbox and a oxy/acet rig I can weld, cut, braze, solder about anything I want. With a few more bucks to spend, I'd get a TIG. Then SS and Alum would be welded, no sweat.

I learned to weld with Oxy/Acet first. I think it's a really good way to start. I've used TIG and wire also, it seemed easy after learning the basics with a torch.

Anything you'd care to pass on to those of us who aren't profesionals would be much appreciated.

Regards, TC

Tim.. you about said it all...

[doctor demo]

OK guys! I can't stand it anymore. We've got to start a REAL Home Shop Welding thread!
I am so sick of so called "experts" coming here...blabbing off to Home Shop Guys about how they need 12 million dollars worth of heat treating ovens...expensive tig equipment, million dollar gas welding torches, etc.
It's time to cut all the BS.
So..lets do this right! THIS IS HOMESHOP WELDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have some pretty strong opinions about welding. I've worked as a supervisor in a big welding plant for a long time...teaching the beginners.
I have my own welding business.
I've been the local welding "do anything" for years.
I've studied welding towards being a Welding Engineer for a long time.
I DO NOT know everything!
So.. lets start from the beginning.
Tomorrow I'll do a deal on O/A welding... where we ALL should start!
Then we will move on to Tig... the best way IMO.
Then stick..then wirefeed!
Anyone else have anything to add...be "OUR" guest...just make sure your facts are right.

Russ, I don't have the ''proper'' paper trail on all of My past experiances but I have been earning a living with My hood down for a long time. Having said that ,I would welcome the chance to learn more.... But it is My opinion that tig should fall twards the back of the learning curve, especialy in a ''home shop'' environment.I think that gas welding and brazing along with stick and mig would be more of what most home shop guys and gurls have access to.
Of course this is only My opinion , and I am in no way looking for a fight.
Steve

[lazlo]

Fantastic idea Russ -- looking forward to it!

I signed-up for the advanced TIG class at ACC this Fall (orbital, pipe, ...) -- it's for credit class, so I'm probably going to get my cert just for the heck of it

[hardtail]

OK since the enrollment fee is reasonable count me in.......LOL, a coworker welder that just retired (moving to BC) worked with a German fella early in his career that did 36" segmented elbows all with O/A, probably the place where everyone should start.........me I'm much too lazy and usually go for the stick.....LOL

[Dawai]

WElding a old wood stove up?

Well, here is the spot where I say

"I welded with my henrob/Dillion-2000 the first time out of the box"

AND?

I could use some advice on welding up a old wood stove, I recovered a small pot belly stove from my mothers estate and it has cracks in the cast in several places.. SHOULD I mig it with stainless wire like the last time I did cast (that held) or purchase some high dollar cast rods and use the henrob OA rig?

That Henrob rig is pricy, but acetylene and oxygen is so low of pressure during use it must save you money.
There are hours of videos online to watch too.

[Evan]

Russ,

Write up the info with pics in a form suitable for a web site and I'll put it online for you.

[torker]

Russ,

Write up the info with pics in a form suitable for a web site and I'll put it online for you.

Evan...that just might be a great idea.
I was wondering....thinking this may turn into the worlds longest thread.
I'm going to get started on the gas welding part this morning as time permits. Gotta get flashback arrestors on my welding torch again...then find a coathanger and go...

[DICKEYBIRD]

Great idea Russ....can't wait to see your experience come forth!

One "expert welder" story and I'll shut up.

In my 1st "real job" (after a couple burger-flippin' jobs) I worked for an import car repair shop. I had a couple years of "metal shop" in high school and did pretty well with OA & stick welding. I did more & more welding as the boss gained more confidence in this long-haired, pimply faced kid and ended up doing about 99% of the welding jobs on the POS clunkers that (sometimes) rolled into the shop. I did tons of exhaust system work, usually cutting and fitting systems from scratch using the oddball pipes he had in stock and used coat hangers almost exclusively. His (tight-a$$ed bastid) stock answer was "The welding supply is out of 1/16" & 3/32" rod." I found that the coat hangers worked great and never had a comeback (on welding jobs anyway.)

One day, bossman hired this new, older guy who said he was a "certified welder." He took one look at me using coat hangers and went ballistic. Me being "the kid," I just tucked my tail and didn't say a word. Later that week, welder-dude draws an exhaust job and rolls out the OA rig. He rummages around the cart, ignoring the tube of carefully straightened coat hangers and picked a 5/32" rod, the smallest ones left other than the coat hangers. He struggled for at least an hour trying to make 3 welds. It was too funny for words. The unmistakable sound of a too-big tip at too low pressure popping & snapping loudly was interspersed with the other unmistakable sound of big blowholes opening up in the pipe as he cursed and jumped around under that old Vauxhall or whatever it was. The smell of burnt hair was pretty strong too.

He finally gave up, shut the torch off and rolled it into the corner on the way to his toolbox. He picked it up, glared at me and spluttered, "A trained welder can't weld properly with these rods!" He walked out the door, never to be seen again. Oh yeah; he didn't shut off the tank valves either.

Bossman said: "Finish the job kid." Dutifully, I changed tips, grabbed a couple coathangers, filled in all the blowholes & re-flowed all the clumped up crappy beads welder-dude had left behind. Ever so often I'll pick up a coat hanger and relive that experience....and that was 40 yrs ago.